Sterling Jewellery > Costume Jewellery
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Sterling Jewellery > Costume Jewellery

If you’ve been reading my column for a while, you’ll know that growing up, my mother always taught me that nine times out of 10, quality is better than quantity. Whilst this lesson has the ability to be carried over through to many different parts of my life, the clothing aspect is definitely where it has been most useful.
I find that accessories have the ability to define an outfit. I can easily throw together a very simple and inexpensive outfit together in a matter of minutes, and use my accessories to complete it.
When I was younger, I used to buy all sorts of costume jewellery, simply because it was trendy and affordable. But as soon as it started tarnishing, I noticed that I would get so frustrated quickly over this crappy piece of fake jewellery that I’d spent 25 odd dollars on, that had become basically unwearable after a week. This was when I began to look into less perishable options, which is where my love affair with sterling silver began.
For an extra 10 dollars or so (depending on brand and quality) you can buy very simple, classic pieces of sterling silver jewellery with the added benefit that it will, not only stand the test of time fashionably, but also in durability. One of the best things about sterling silver is simply that it doesn’t tarnish, which means no more green marks on your fingers from non-sterling rings and no more of that odd coppery colour showing through when the metal coating starts to wear off after a week.
One of my little niches within my own personal style, is minimalism. I usually keep my outfits pretty simple, and not over think them too much with bright bold colours, frills or large plastic-like rocks dangling from my neck. It’s so easy to pull of that effortless, minimalistic vibe with a few essential pieces, such as a bangle, stud earrings, a simple necklace or a cuff. An added bonus to wearing exclusively silver jewellery is that you’ll never have to worry about having to match your jewellery with your outfit or match jewellery together. You can essentially just pick out a few pieces that you feel like wearing that day, or stick with a signature few like I do, and nobody would be any wiser.
I highly recommend shopping around, particularly jumping on to websites like etsy.com, where you can get a personalised or one-off piece that nobody else has. Even try having a look around local shopping centres to get a feel for what’s out there (and maybe drop a few hints to some family and friends for Christmas) — happy shopping!
Written by Jessica Alves
@jessicazalves
www.youtube.com/msbonvivants