Jewellery & Fashion

Author: Drew

  • Clothes for Kids

    Buying clothes for children can often be a large annual expense. Children grow so fast that especially in the early days, you may find yourself having to buy them a complete new wardrobe 5 or 6 times in the first year. Children’s clothes, like adult clothes range in quality and price so you may need to chose which you feel is more important. As a baby does not stay in the same size clothes for long, you may consider it more sensible to buy cheaper clothes as they will not have to last long, but some people feel that they want their baby to wear high quality clothing even if it does cost a little more. It may be that if you have other children or nephews / nieces you may be able to pass the clothing down to them (getting your monies worth as it were).

    You can even buy designer brands of clothing for babies and young children. Some parents are quite happy and able to pay the higher price tags where as others simply do not have the choice or chose to spend the money on other things.

  • Clothing – buy cheap buy twice

    It is true that there is no need to go overboard and spend lots of money on clothing, as particularly designer brands often charge a premium just for having their name or logo on an item, regardless of quality or complexity of the design. However if you buy bargain-style cheap items you have to factor in the quality of the item. It may see a bargain to get a pair of shoes for £15 but inevitably for that cost the quality is greatly compromised and if the shoes fall apart within a couple of months resulting in you having to buy several pairs a year, you could end up spending a fortune! Sometimes buying one quality item will actually save you money as it will last much longer.

    So when browsing the shops I’ve really started to take note of the quality of the goods as well as the price and I always keep in mind the motto ‘Buy cheap- buy twice’.

  • Selling your unwanted jewellery

    Coming across unwanted jewellery in my jewellery box I wonder what I should do with it. It seems a shame for it to just sit there and who knows maybe I could make some money from it? But how is the best way to go about selling these item to maximise profit?

    There are many companies that offer ‘cash for gold’ who will weigh out any gold items and offer you a price based on the carat and the weight of the gold that you want to sell. These companies usually each offer a very similar rate for gold items but it’s always worth shopping around for the best price. This option is ideal if the jewellery that you’re trying to sell is broken or out of fashion as the gold is usually melted down after sale to make other items.

    However some items, particularly those with diamonds or precious stones can make you more money selling them privately either on online auction sites or to a pawn broker.

    Either way always shop around to ensure you get the best value for your items.

  • Reclaimed jewellery

    Fashion jewellery is generally affordable pieces that follow the latest trends, the most recent trend for something a bit different is ‘up-cycled’ materials made into jewellery.

    Many materials can be used for this and one of my favourites is silver cutlery, from rings out of the handles of teaspoons to bracelets from the pronged end of a fork, these pieces look so unique and really are beautiful.

    Another favourite is the use of coins to make pendant necklaces and bracelets. Up-cycling is not expensive to do as most of the materials are things you’d have at home or could acquire for a low cost.

    Most up-cycling is done on a DIY basis, for example using colourful cotton reels to make a chunky necklace or a mixture of buttons to make a bracelet.

    It really is about getting inventive with the materials that you have and designing yourself an eye-catching piece of jewellery that really is one of a kind.

  • Memorial Jewellery

    When a loved one dies we look for something to be able to keep their memory alive, to keep them close to us, and memorial jewellery is a great way to do this.

    Many companies will take a hand print or finger print and engrave them onto a silver charm for example or will engrave dates or quotes onto locket style pendants.

    However there is now a new trend that can actually use a loved one’s ashes to create a unique piece of jewellery. The ashes can be cast into glass stones of different colours that can be used as pendants or in rings or even as a pair of earrings. The process of making the jewellery usually takes about 8-10 weeks and is not cheap, rings start from around £300 and pendants from around £250.

    The same companies will also make sealed pendants in silver or gold that contain a small amount of ashes that can then be engraved with a personalised pattern or design.

    It’s certainly not for everyone but is a great idea for people who are looking for something a bit different as a dedication to a lost loved one.