Five questions worth asking any jeweller, including us. Elena Marlowe on recycled gold, stone origins and why solid metal is the better bargain.
By Elena Marlowe, founder and head goldsmith.
Most of what is sold as jewellery is not made to last. It is thin plating over brass, and it looks tired within a year. I would much rather you bought one solid piece from us, or from anyone who makes them properly, than five that end up in a drawer. These are the questions I would ask.
Is it solid?
Gold plating is measured in thousandths of a millimetre. It wears through at the edges first, and it cannot be repaired, only redone. Solid 14k or 18k gold is the same metal all the way through. It can be polished, resized, soldered and handed on. Over ten years of wear it is the cheaper choice by a distance.
Where did the metal come from?
Gold does not wear out, so there is no need to dig more of it for a ring. Everything we make is recycled gold, platinum or silver, refined from old jewellery and industrial scrap and certified as such by our refiner. It is chemically identical to newly mined metal.
Where did the stone come from?
A jeweller should be able to name the country, and ideally the mine or farm, for any significant stone. We buy diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies and pearls only from suppliers who can, and we write the origin down for you. If the answer to this question is vague, treat that as the answer.
A good piece of jewellery should come with its story, and the story should be checkable.
Who made it, and can they mend it?
Things happen to jewellery that is actually worn. Claws wear, chains snap, fingers change size. Ask whether the people who made the piece will resize and repair it, and what it costs. We resize free for the first 60 days and clean and check settings free for as long as you own the piece.
Will I still wear it in twenty years?
This one only you can answer. My own test is whether I would notice its absence. The pieces people keep are rarely the most dramatic; they are the ones that become part of getting dressed.
Buy less. Buy solid. Wear it every day.
