Truth in gold labeling

AU! Let’s untangle some sticky marketing issues around gold. We can dive into the subject like Scrooge McDuck into a pile of gold coins.

I don’t offer a ton of hard and fast rules about jewelry buuuut…

Gold should not be cheap

This is an unbreakable rule for me.

If your gold is “cheap” it either a) isn’t solid gold or b) someone is getting exploited. Gold fill, plate or vermeil – these are budget-friendly ways to get the look of gold without the higher price. But – and this is a big one – it needs to be labeled honestly.

Because they aren’t the same thing as a piece of jewelry that is gold through and through. Any labeling, titles, and descriptions should make this clear up front.

I have a big beef with deceptive marketing. It confuses consumers and accustoms people to thinking of “gold” jewelry as cheap. This issue has increased in recent years with the flood of Etsy sellers who are purchasing cheap jewelry from bigger-name dropshippers.

As a jewelry consumer, you have a right to know what your jewelry is made from and how it was sourced – this is true whether you are buying an engagement ring and want to know where your gemstones came from or whether or not you are buying jewelry with nickel in it. In theory, you should be able to buy your jewelry and also understand what it is made of.

Here are some tips to help you suss out what’s real and what isn’t.

Use price as your guide

There is so much labor in gold – literally from the ground up and labor should be paid fairly, so start by using price as your guide. Is the price too good to be true?

Have a look at this listing that I found on Etsy – the title clearly states ‘14 K gold necklace’…starting at $18.90? A klaxon alarm should be going off in your head.

In fact, if you look further into the listing, it states that the jewelry is sterling silver:

Why would silver jewelry be cheap?

And why is a solid silver necklace so cheap to begin with?

Yes I said it – silver jewelry shouldn’t be cheap either. Silver has all of the same labor issues that gold does and labor should be paid fairly. Ok back to gold.

Look for the full list of materials

A necklace that says it is gold in the leading description, but then lists 925, sterling or sterling silver as a material is a signal that the jewelry you are buying has been plated and is not solid gold.

Getting past sticker shock when buying gold jewelry

If a you see a listing like this and compare it to the same necklace in solid gold, you will absolutely get sticker shock, and think that a jeweler is overcharging you. They aren’t. Handcrafted gold jewelry is labor intensive throughout the supply chain, and every person whose hands touch the process deserve dignity and fair pay.

Gold vermeil and gold fill

Designers working in gold vermeil and gold fill shouldn’t be embarrassed about the materials they are working with – there is no reason not to be up front with consumers about what they sell. Plenty of successful brands sell both and CLEARLY STATE WHAT THE JEWELRY IS MADE OF*.

And you as a consumer shouldn’t have to hunt too much for it. If you are having too much trouble figuring out what the jewelry is made of, ask yourself why the person selling it doesn’t want you to know.

Honesty in marketing is one of the best ways to create lasting relationships with your customers

This message is for jewelry designers:

Marketing like the image I posted above just creates more myths that need dispelling. Not to mention that this is a terrible way to encourage loyalty with your customers. Let honesty guide you.

End rant.

Have questions about gold? Post it in the comments below!

Portions of this post originally appeared as a Twitter thread here

*Side note to jewelry designers – Really. Just be honest about your materials, be up front and I promise it will be fine. If you don’t like the materials you work in and are embarrassed, it might be time to switch to new materials.