Jewellery Buying Guide

Lorna Middleton – September 28, 2021

It's probably pretty obvious but we love jewellery at PRYA! We love bringing our designs to life and seeing how our customers wear these stunning pieces. Today, we wanted to share our ultimate jewellery buying guide so you can get exbraceletsactly what you need and want. Think of this as a resource for all your jewellery questions.

Guide Contents

Types of Jewellery
Jewellery Materials
Styles & Trends
Personalised Jewellery
Jewellery Gifts
Choosing a Jewellery Company
Jewellery Care Resources

Type of Jewellery

First thing's first, what type of jewellery are you looking for.

Necklaces & Chains

A necklace or chain is a piece of jewellery worn around the neck. Necklaces usually feature some sort of pendant or additional design to go with the main link chain. Chains, on the other hand, feature just the chain and this is its main design point.

Earrings

Womens earrings are one of the most common jewellery items and have a history dating back thousands of years. These items of jewellery are worn even through a piercing hole in your ear or can be attached with clasps or a snug fit depending on the type and position. Here are some further resources to learn about earrings.

Bracelets & Anklets

Bracelets & Anklets are often paired together because of their similar style and close sizing. A bracelet is a chain worn around the wrist or arm. An anklet, on the other hand, is normally just worn around the ankle. But anklets, being a little bigger than a bracelet, can also be worn around the wrist. Here are some articles on bracelets and anklets, including the differences between them.

Rings

Rings have been used as status symbols and adornments since the dawn of humans. These jewellery items to decorate your fingers come in a huge variety of styles, designs and colourings. We love the interest and detail they bring to any outfit and feel they are the perfect way to polish a look off. Here is all the info you could need for buying rings.

Jewellery Materials

Jewellery is created using all sorts of methods, materials and designs.

Metals

While other materials are used for jewellery making, the vast majority are created using metals of some kind. The most popular being gold, silver or platinum. These can be solid, filled or plated.

Gold jewellery There are three colours of gold; yellow, white and rose. Yellow gold has a rich yellow tone and is often mixed with harder metals like copper and zinc to form a more durable alloy. White gold is formed by mixing yellow gold with other white metals to form a cheaper alternative to platinum but still remains robust. Rose gold is mixed with copper to produce a rosy hue whilst also being durable.

Gold is frequently chosen because it is water-resistant and tarnish-free but it can scratch easier than other metals as it is very malleable. However, because of this flexibility, it can be fashioned into intricate, stunning designs.

Silver Jewellery

Pure silver is very soft, making it prone to scratches. Because of this, it is often combined with a harder metal, usually copper, to create the alloy sterling silver. It is often used to plate stainless steel jewellery, providing a durable jewellery piece but with the beautiful shine of silver.

Silver is known for its bright white colour and high shine but is less expensive than other precious metals like gold or platinum. Unfortunately, pure silver darkens over time and needs to be polished frequently to avoid this discolouration and to protect it from scratches. Opt for filled or plated silver for an everyday piece that needs less care.

Platinum jewellery. Platinum jewellery is naturally white, rarer than gold and often used in a nearly pure form. It is heavier than other metals used in jewellery, making it a strong option for everyday jewellery pieces.

Platinum is highly durable, resists tarnish and is hypoallergenic making it a suitable option for most people. However, it is more expensive than gold due to its rarity.

Gems & Stones

Gems and precious stones are used throughout jewellery making to add colour, shine and interest to pieces. There are countless stones that can be used and many precious gems can now be recreated with inexpensive lab-grown substitutes. Some of the most popular gemstones include diamonds, amethyst, garnet, emerald, sapphire, pearls, ruby, opal and topaz. But there are many more.

Style & Trends

There are countless styles and types of jewellery out there. We believe there is something for everyone. Check out the articles in this section to look through the different styles and trends popular in jewellery today.

Necklaces & Chains Trends

The latest necklace and chain trends

Bracelets Trend Info

Trending bracelet looks and designs

Rings Styles

Ring trends and styles

Earrings Trends

The most popular trends in earrings

Personalised Jewellery

For many of us, jewellery is a precious addition to our wardrobe and we want to make the pieces we select special. Personalised jewellery is the perfect way to make your collection unique to your style. Here are some of the best personalised name necklace trends and how to order personalised jewellery at PRYA.

Gift Giving Jewellery Buying Guides

If you are looking at buying jewellery for yourself, then the resources above should help you find the style, type and designs you want. But if your jewellery purchase is for friends or family, you may need a little more help. Here are some resources on choosing the coolest pieces for that special someone in your life.

Choosing a Jewellery Company

Shopping should be fun and scouting out that perfect necklace or ideal bracelet can make your day. But it's not just about finding jewellery that looks good. You want to ensure you are buying jewellery from a reputable company. You don't want to end up with an item that is ugly, not the right colour or breaks as soon as you get it. When you are looking for a jewellery company, start with ensuring they have these things:

They use quality materials.
The designs and styles match what you want.
You can get in touch with them easily if you need to ask a question.
They offer good information on ordering, delivery and returns.
Customer reviews are positive and numerous.

While we know we are biased, here's why you should choose PRYA jewellery. We have thousands of reviews, some of which we have highlighted in our article, I love My Name Necklace: Reviews from Customers.

More Jewellery Resources

Here are some more resources for choosing and caring for your jewellery

Shop PRYA Jewellery UK

We hope you've found this guide helpful and are ready to find the right jewellery for you and your outfits. We provide a full collection of jewellery at PRYA and we are very proud of our creations. Shop all our jewellery, the New In section, or any of our individual jewellery collections; necklaces, chains, earrings, bracelets, anklets and rings. Don't forget to check out our personalised jewellery, where you can create your own custom necklaces, bracelets, rings and anklets. Plus, we also have our women's sale jewellery area to snap up a bargain. Happy Shopping!