Ad. PR Products Featured. After another hot summers day in the UK I took off my costume jewellery and saw it. That tell tale green tinged ring encircling my finger. My reminder this year to not to wear anything that’s pretending to be gold or silver between the months of May to October! Luckily I’ve amassed quite the collection of gold plated and gold vermeil jewellery now, so I can still accessorise in summer and stay green free! So here’s my run down of some new discoveries and some of my fave gold jewellery brands to rock this summer and beyond.
Ottoman Hands
A new discovery to me, Ottoman Hands* (Ad.PR Products) specialises in 21 ct gold plated brass jewellery. Made by artisans in Istanbul, the designs are an east meets west vibe and often feature semi precious stones too. From stunning necklaces to statement earrings and a great range of adjustable rings I was spoilt for choice choosing a few pieces to try from their current collections. My first pick was the Buttercup Necklace* (£35). on a fine, long chain it was just up my street and couldn’t be more ‘cottage core aesthetic’ I don’t think.
I love an open bracelet, so I chose the Bellezza Mother of Pearl Bracelet* (£55). I have to say its that comfy I forgot I was wearing it and nearly went to bed with it on! it looks stunning and the sides are quite malliable so can be moved for larger or smaller wrists. I went for the Mother of Pearl but they do come in Labradorite and Turquoise. I thought with my love of pastels, that MoP would be better, however I can just see the Turquoise pair worn with a crisp, white, cotton dress and the sun shining! Its also my zodiac stone, as it provides healing energies that us Capricorns need! I also just found out that its the gem for 11 years anniversary which we celebrate this year so I’m thinking it is next on my list.
My final pick was a statement earring. I always think having gold plated earrings are much more comfortable. I can wear costume earrings unlike some, but my ears do react and I have to leave them without anything in them for days after to recover fully. So a gold plated option is always much better. It’s the Bellezza design (£60) again so matches the bracelet. (There’s also a matching ring and chunky necklace in the design) They aren’t too heavy when worn either so were comfy to wear. I predict this new discovery will quickly become one of my top gold jewellery brands this year!
Pros of the Brand:
- Lightweight
- Gemstones Feature
- UK Biz-Started in Portobello Road
- Eastern Influenced Designs
Mejuri
Mejuri * (Ad.PR Products) is a gold jewellery brand that came across the pond last year after a successful start in the US, Starting out in Toronto. Their ethos is fine jewellery for everyday, with fairness and traceability. They work with responsible jewellery council certified suppliers and small family run businesses too. They do offer solid gold pieces as well as their more affordable Gold Vermeil pieces.
Gold Vermeil (Ver-May) is different to gold plating:
- Gold Vermeil
- Must be a thickness of 2.5 microns
- Must be plated on top of Sterling Silver
- Gold Plating
- Must be a thickness of 0.5 microns
- Can be plated on any material- often copper or brass
So in short Gold Vermeil can be harder wearing due to the thickness of the gold, but can also be more expensive because of that. In my collection I’ve got the following items that were all PR products. Large Croissant Dome Hoop Earrings* (£140). Croissant Dome Cuff *(£140). L Bold Letter Pendant Necklace* (£130). Layered Necklace* (£95) . Double Curb Chain Necklace* (£90). They give you an estimated retail for what they would cost in a store as they say you are saving money by them having a lower mark up than most fine jewellery. However I’m not sure how that compares as I cant find similar items to my own anywhere else.
Pros of the Brand:
- Classic Styles
- Gold Vermeil
- Focus on sustainability and traceability
Z by Accessorize
I’ve been a long time fan of their gold plated offerings as its a quick and easy way to pop in a store and get affordable gold plated jewellery. They’ve also recently branched out into Gold Vermeil too I noticed last time I was on site browsing. Accessorize are another long standing UK brand, who also started out Covent Garden and whose design house is still in Notting Hill today.
Vermeil wise there’s 26 pieces but most are intial pendants at £39. They look to be much smaller than my chunky Mejuri one but still a nice touch if your looking for affordability. Gold plating is where its at at Accessorize. Search for Z for Accessorize and you’ll find all their gold plated items (plus sterling silver and rose gold plated items too.) I have amassed quite the collection and here are just a few of my larger collection. They change designs seasonally, and a lot of mine I bought in the sales for added bargains. You can shop the latest here and it tends to range from £10 up to £39 for the chunkier styles. Most fine necklaces sit around the £15 mark with more curb styles around the £20 to £25.
Pros of the Brand:
- Dainty Jewels Specialists
- Easy to Buy
- Affordable and Accessible
Daisy London Jewellery
I suppose this one is in the name, and is another UK biz. It started in Portobello Road, London. It fuses bohemian style with contemporary jewellery and started with the Daisy design, hence the name. I have a necklace from the Estee Lalonde Collection* (Ad.PR Product) which is the Octagonal Necklace* (£149) . I find myself reaching for this one loads as it can be worn on its own for an easy look. Their jewellery is 18 ct gold plated, but they plate on sterling silver. (I’m presuming its not enough of a thickness to call it Vermeil.)
Pros of the Brand:
- UK Biz
- Unusal Styles
- Woman founded and celebrates it in their collections
Monica Vinader
Guess what? Another UK started biz, this time based in Norfolk, with quite the cult following! I saw Kate Middleton wearing the siren earrings the other day. Apparently she’s just one of their famous fans. they take sustainability seriously and use 100% recycled gold vermeil and sterling silver in their pieces. A bit of a big player, stocked in Selfridges and Liberty amongst others they are one of the big global gold jewellery brands now I would say! I’ve been wanting a couple of pieces from them* for a while, and my husband has bought me their bracelet and it arrived just this week.
I love how on some pieces you can get them engraved to make them more personal and its at no extra charge. My Bracelet will have some soon too! I’ve also recently joined their insiders* (Ad.PR Products and Affiliate Links) programme (for influencers) and have chosen the Nura Teardrop Eternity Ring* (£70) and the Siren Stacking Ring* (£80) to match my bracelet as part of that. It also means i have a 20% off Monica Vinader discount code for you to use on full price items if anything tempts you! Just enter this voucher code at checkout! MVINSIDER13-7BE6 . I get points which equates to vouchers to spend.
They feature a lot of gemstones, and also do solid gold and diamonds also feature a lot. They have quite a classic style and you can mix and match lots using their various pendants. they can be included onto earrings too to turn huggies and hoops into more bolder styles, or, to match an outfit.
Pros of the Brand:
- Mix and Match Styles
- Free Engraving on Selected Styles
- Focus on sustainability
Pandora
And last but not least another big player Pandora. I very much discounted Pandora for a lot of years. As I didn’t identify with who I thought their customer was. I certainly wasn’t about to queue to get into a shop! (Alas, how the world has changed and its now the norm!) Not only did that change in 2020 my opinion of the brand did too. I’d seen a few pieces in 2019 I liked and had started to look a bit more info their offerings.
I was then invited to a launch event for their zodiac collection* and it got me hooked. I was given the cuff and gem stone and Capricorn charms and I loved them! I’ve since got a couple more charms to add myself. I also picked up this gold sliding bangle that I wear on its own quite a bit and it’s so comfy to wear. I like how its adjustable like the Monica Vinader one too. They don’t sell this style anymore but this one is very similar and equally as nice. I’m eyeing up one charm and thinking this feather one (£19) in the sale might be the one.
Pros of the Brand:
- Meaningful Jewellery
- Collectable
- Easy to Buy
Vintage Gold Jewellery Brands
What I didn’t mention was heirloom and vintage pieces, but you’ll have no doubt seen me wearing my great-grandma’s ring instead of my engagement ring and I love it! Finding a vintage piece if you don’t have any heirlooms can be just as much fun as buying new and shouldn’t be discounted. Napier and Monet brands are the best for more costume type pieces. They are usually gold tone but the pieces i have have lasted really well considering some are 40+ years old. If you aren’t one to go hunting then Audrey Leighton Vintage and Lovely’s Vintage are my go to’s online for all things vintage accessories. One to note is that Audrey and her team release collections monthly so you have to be fast to grab the best bits.
So that’s my lot! Quite a few to work through and there’s definitely something for every one. Let me know if you have any fave gold jewellery brands I’ve missed, or if there’s any of the ones above you’ve got pieces from. Tag me on Instagram in any pics- @lucy_earnshaw .
*Indicates item provided as a PR product for consideration of review. As always, thoughts, words and photos are all my own!