Jewellery Buying Guide
Top quality UK made jewellery for men and women
At Love2Have Best Jewellery we pride ourselves in being able to offer a range of high-quality jewellery for men and women made here in the UK by small independent designers. Please support the UK jewellery designers rather than buying jewellery that is mass produced and imported from the far east which is generally of poor quality, and it won't last plus everyone else is wearing the same. Instead, buy a quality piece made by a UK designer that is not readily available on the high street but is affordable and stylish.
Jewellery items are very personal and preferred styles are all down to personal choice; however, at Love2have we have something to suit every taste and budget.
When purchasing an item of jewellery, it is better to buy an affordable but quality piece that will last and look good for a lifetime. Remember too that something that is on trend now may lose its appeal in a few years so better to buy a timeless design that won’t look dated in a few years.
Top quality UK made silver jewellery for men and women
The metal of choice for your jewellery is very important, and you should consider colour, durability and cost. Precious metals such as gold seem to have become less popular because of the rising costs although some people still choose a plain gold band as their wedding ring which we feature on our other websites.
An 18ct gold piece of jewellery has a beautiful colour but it is a relatively soft metal so will wear, and it will be costly especially if you want a heavyweight piece. Choosing 9ct gold offers a harder wearing piece of jewellery, but it will be lighter in colour than the purer 18ct version.
Silver is probably the most versatile because of its neutral colour which means it can be worn with just about anything from posh frocks to casual wear, its also cool and very rock and roll.
There are other white metals such as platinum which is very hard wearing, but the cost is beyond what most people can afford these days. White gold is still popular but again can be costly and the majority of white gold on the market will be rhodium plated to give it its high shine and white colour, therefore, making it look like silver anyway. The plating will wear off depending on how hard you are on your jewellery, so this will need replacing every few years. Our white gold is high quality so doesn’t need rhodium plating but please note that 9ct white gold is not white but straw coloured and 18ct white gold is greyish in appearance so if you are buying matching items we advise that they both come from the same designer to ensure a good match. Palladium is similar in characteristics to platinum but is whiter and slightly less expensive. However, if you want a colourless item of jewellery then silver is your first choice.
Titanium has a neutral colour and has become our most popular metal particularly for wedding rings which again can be worn with any style of clothing and looks good on both men and women. Zirconium is another very durable metal plus it offers the option of a blackened surface which we find is very popular for men's jewellery. Again silver wins for jewellery making due to its versatility when it comes to bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
So what do we recommend for different pieces of jewellery?
Rings
For a wedding ring, however, we do not recommend silver unless you are very careful with your jewellery and don’t wear it while doing any manual work such as gardening because it will scratch and wear. On the plus side, silver is very affordable, and we have some real eye-catching designs on our other websites as this metal can be made in a variety of finishes such as highly polished, brushed finish, hammered or oxidised to produce a blackened finish. Because it’s less expensive, you can get heavier weight designs which are particularly popular with men.
If you want a traditional wedding ring, we recommend either plain gold bands which can be made to any weight or width or how about one of our gorgeous Scottish Celtic wedding rings which are timeless.
Our most popular rings are titanium and zirconium both of which are very hard wearing and come in a wide range of styles. The laser engraved designs are some of our best sellers, we can even personalise rings with your design, and if you want a bit go bling, we offer diamond-set versions too.
Bangle, Bracelet or Cuff?
Nearly all of our wrist wear is now made from silver as the cost of gold has climbed so much that to get a reasonable weight quality piece you would have to fork out a 4 figure sum.
Bangles are our least popular design simply because it can be challenging to get a comfortable fit as the bangle has to be big enough to slide over the hand. For ladies with small hands and wrists, bangles can look very attractive.
Cuffs and chains are our most popular designs as it is much easier to get the fit you want. Cuff bracelets are made in different diameters to accommodate any wrist size. As our cuffs are solid and substantial, they don’t bend easily so remember to measure your wrist first before ordering.
Chains are always popular from the more delicate styles for ladies to the heavier chunkier designs for men. Our silver bangles, breasts and cuffs can be finished in a variety of different ways such as polished, hammered or metal brush, we also have oxidised and etched styles.
Necklaces, Pendants and Chains
Because of the cost, our most popular neckwear is again silver these days, and we offer a fantastic range of handcrafted designs to suit all tastes.
We have some lovely heavyweight chains which are trendy men's designs and can be customised to any length. The most popular finishes are satin, metal brushed, hammered and etched. Highly polished finishes will dull down over time. We are pleased to say that we do not sell high street style curb chains which we dislike. We have also moved away from leather and are providing instead, cruelty-free options such as cord and rubber.
Earrings
Silver earrings are our most popular, and we offer a range of earrings such as a stud, drop and hoop styles. Heart earrings are a firm favourite for those buying for their loved ones and make a lovely gift. We offer earrings that are diamond set as well as styles set with semi-precious stones such as amethyst. If you have a favourite precious or semi-precious stone, our designers can customise designs for you. Most of our earrings also have a matching necklace or pendant to compliment them which would make an excellent gift for loved ones.
Remember if you are buying for someone with long hair, don’t choose a style that could become entangled easily in the hair but opt for a smoother design.
Gothic Jewellery
In this section, you will find jewellery that we consider goth, so it is either blackened by oxidation or will incorporate gothic symbols such as skulls, crosses, scorpions, skeletons or even barbed wire styles. These are quality pieces that won't disappoint.
