subject: Junk Jewelry versus the Real Deal: How to Buy Charm Jewelry [print this page] Over the course of the last century, our culture has been labeled a throwaway society. We buy junk and then throw it away to the detriment of our ever-growing landfills. We consume and discard things at a rate that would embarrass our ancestors. In short, we have very little stuff of real value to show for our spending.
Costume jewelry is fake jewelry that you buy one year, watch the finish scratch off, and then trash the next year. It's also known as junk jewelry because its finish and contents are not made of lasting materials. The components are at best questionable, and sometimes even dangerous, as in the case of cadmium jewelry from China.
Fortunately, the Great Recession of the new millennium has forced consumers to question their spending and the environmental impact. When you purchase quality not quantity you are buying the real deal as opposed to buying fashionable garbage.
No one has to buy fake jewelry. By saving up for real metal like silver or gold you will be making an investment in your wardrobe. When you wear a $2 bracelet a few times, you aren't getting much value per wear. But when you wear a $200 bracelet hundreds of times over your lifetime, you're getting real value per wear. If your daughter or niece wears it later, too, then you're getting even more value.
You don't have to come up with the money for a charm bracelet all at once. Rather, you can buy the base and then add charms over time. In this way, you're spreading apart your investment dollar. It's the ultimate layaway plan.
Like fake food, costume jewelry doesn't do much to feed your soul. You know when you're wearing quality and when you're not. What's the better value a trendy piece that you throw away after it goes out of style, or a timeless piece that you can enjoy forever?
Charm bracelets that are comprised of high-quality metals and components are timeless additions to your wardrobe. It's a purchase that you'll never heap into a landfill; rather, it's an investment that will be treasured for years to come. Whether you like sterling silver or 14 karat gold, you can personalize your bracelet across time. By making thoughtful purchases of real jewelry, you'll avoid becoming a faddish consumer and part of our throwaway generation.
Junk Jewelry versus the Real Deal: How to Buy Charm Jewelry
