As you build your jewelry collection, you may notice there are various categories and then wonder what they mean. We, as jewelry experts, are here to make your life easier. What follows are the major types of jewelry found in the market with a brief explanation for you to understand the differences between them.

What is Fine Jewelry?

Fine jewelry is a representation of real value and class. It is made from (genuine) gold, platinum, or silver embedded with natural diamonds, precious and semi-precious gems, of which the most popular embellishments are sapphires, rubies, and actual diamonds. The strong materials used to bring fine jewelry to life makes them a lot sturdier compared to costume jewelry. This makes them the best candidates for gifts, wedding rings, and lasting bracelets. With orthodox maintenance and protection, fine jewelry can serve you for ages without corroding. Even if they break, they can be soldered back and fixed countless times. However, they are pricier than their counterparts, but their sustainability and utility make them a worthy outlay.

What is Bridge Jewelry?

Bridge jewelry is called that because it is the bridge between fine jewelry and fashion jewelry. It may use vermeil, gold filling, or silver as the metal and uses semi-precious stones such as amethyst, citrine, turquoise, jade, topaz, fresh water pearls, garnet, and others. Much bridge jewelry is artisan-made, but it can also be mass produced. Bridge jewelry is often found in craft shows, galleries, and art shows. Prices are mid-range between fine jewelry and fashion jewelry. Depending on the artist and/or materials, this jewelry can be a good investment.

What is Costume and Fashion Jewelry?

The term costume jewelry dates way back to the early 20th century, and it is used to reflect the use of the word costume, which means “outfit” in the fashion world today. At the time when the term “costume” jewelry came to be, ladies used to buy jewelry to match or go with specific costumes, which is where the name came from. Basically, the name was used to mean jewelry for the specific clothes they were wearing. Costume jewelry is also sometimes known as fashion jewelry, but the basic difference between them is fashion jewelry can be worn more generally but also may be outfit specific. It is also referred to as trinkets, imitation jewelry, junk jewelry, fallalery, or fake jewelry. These types of jewelry are the cheapest type and not meant for collectibles or investments.

As a jewelry retailer or seller, you need to know what your target customer wants. If it’s fine jewelry, we at Lao Pride Inc. can be a reliable partner for you, as we have been serving our global customers with expertly crafted jewelry for over 20 years.

Though we use top-of-the-line technology and provide jewelry quality that will “wow” customers, we are also able to provide competitive pricing. Contact us today to tell us your jewelry ideas, and we’ll do everything from design, manufacturing, and photography to supply you with stunning jewelry that will delight your customers.