Would you buy silver plated over sterling silver high quality jewellery?

I am setting up an online jeweller's and one of main things we will be selling are charms to rival Pandora, Chamilia, Troll etc.

These brands are all very expensive and we think we can provide very similar jewellery at a lot lower prices. While sourcing suppliers we have discovered that the charms that are sterling silver there is less of a selection of and are not as defined as the sterling silver plated which there is a huge selection of and looks much better.

I would offer both. Silver plated jewelry has a tendency to flake and lose the silver coating. If a person is allergic to the metals to which the silver is bonded, that person might develop a rash, or black / green spots where the jewelry comes into contact with their skin.

If people are buying this stuff as cheap alternatives to expensive fashion accessories, they will likely not care as much if the stuff lasts very long, since the trend may be over within a few weeks or months.

I would market the sterling silver stuff as hypoallergenic or higher quality on your website. You won't have as many customers for those, but people like me who cannot wear plated jewelry will buy it as long as they like what they see.

Troll Chamilia

What is pandora style jewellery

Pandora style jewellery is a copy of designer charm bead jewellery. There are many designer brands on the market including Chamilia, Pandora and Troll. However these official brands can be very expensive.

Charm bead jewellery is very special because you can make, design and create your own pieces. You can make bracelets, necklaces, key-rings, earrings and many others forms of jewellery. It is so easy to do, simply select your item of jewellery and slide on your chosen beads. Think about the colours, look and feel of the jewellery you want to create, something bright and bold, or sleek and stylish. Metal beads, called spacers, can also be purchased. These are often themed to help create that personal style. There are thousands of different types such as flowers, animals, symbols, plain bands or words. Jewellery can be made completely with spacers or used as their name sake, in between the glass beads.

Hanging charms are also available to add to your jewellery. Again these add a lovely theme to your design. Many types are on the market, hanging hearts, flowers or even christmas snowman!

There are many style of bracelets available, including bangles, snake chains and leather bracelets. The two main style to choose from are plain bracelets or ones that have raised platforms. These platforms allow you to attach stopper clips. The clips are used to hold a selection of beads and/or spacers, in a section on the bracelet, rather than allowing the beads to move freely around. Alternatively the clips can be used if you personally like them.

Authentic charm bead jewellery is beautifully designed and made from quality sterling silver. There are many shops selling non official sterling silver beads, but the official designer beads will have the designers name stamped clearly into the metal on the inner core. Unfortunately like most designer products, they are very expensive. Each bead can costs upwards of £30, so if you want 8-10 beads on a bracelet you are looking at over £300, and that does not include the cost of the bracelet itself!

Like many designer products there are a number of copies on the market. So if you are looking for the non branded jewellery, then search for 'style beads', such as Pandora Style, Troll Style etc. These 'style' beads generally retail at £0.80p - £2. I would look for beads priced around £1 as they tend to be silver plated and of a higher quality than the £0.80p beads.

Websites such as Armiga (www.armiga.co.uk) sell a complete range of Pandora Style Jewellery. Their products are silver plated and of a good quality. So you can purchase a Pandora look a like bracelet for an average of £12!!

 

About the Author

Armiga is an online creative gift website. Browse our beautiful range of products at http://www.armiga.co.uk

Favorite Charms:

2 silver enamel USA beads WITH slide for Chamilia Troll style bracelets lot 3, 2 silver enamel USA beads WITH slide for Chamilia Troll style bracelets lot 2, 2 silver enamel USA beads WITH slide for Chamilia Troll style bracelets lot 4, 2 silver enamel USA beads WITH slide for Chamilia Troll style bracelets lot 1, Vintage European crystal charms gold bracelet troll beads chamilia charm jewelry, Custom Made 999 Fine Silver Fingerprint Keepsake Charm Pandora Troll Chamilia, 3 Large Wood Pandora Biagi Chamilia Troll Bead Display,