Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Or, if you’re like me, diamonds aren’t exactly on your “can buy” list at the moment. As much as I love jewelry and dressing up, there are a few, fine jewelry pieces I own. The rest are studded, plated, costume jewelry that are just as fun without costing anywhere near what I would have paid otherwise.
Now that the holidays are over, all of my friends are looking to make smart purchases with the money they received from their parents, partners, or friends. After debating the semantics of cubic zirconia and gold-plated versus gold vermeil, I sent my friends a long list of fun, exciting, low-cost jewelry to wear out to special occasions and while on their way to the grocery store. Truly, you can never have too many gold huggie earrings.
Below, the best jewelry finds I dropped in my group chat and my friends bought nearly immediately. Run, don’t walk, to the checkout line before these gems sell out.
Perfect for your next dinner party.
You can;’t go wrong with a simple, thin ring.
Enamel is a fun way to spice up gold jewerly.
These fun, beaded Gen Z necklaces are everywhere.
Only the best chain for a casual outing.
Square hoops are a bit funkier than the regular circular styles.
Pasta, anyone?
These look so vintage.
Not your mother’s pearls.
I can’t gatekeep this Mango find— they’re too good.
Ultra-chunky, vintage-looking pieces are all over the runways right now.