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Gorjana jewelry is a famous brand advertised as both affordable and high-value. Are both of these true and is Gorjana worth your money? While subjective preferences will play a big part in everyone’s choice, we’ll go over the specifics as well as the pros and cons of Gorjana jewelry below.
About Gorjana Jewelry
Started as a family jewelry business by Gorjana and Jason Reidel, Gorjana Jewelry is based in Laguna Beach, California. “Inspired by the natural beauty of Southern California”, Gorjana is primarily focused on everyday women’s jewelry.
Most of Gorjana’s jewelry lines go for a style that’s both casual and sophisticated but the keyword that best described most of them is “layering”. Layering, as a stylistic choice, has been around for a while, but Gorjana takes it to the next level, giving you endless options to layer your jewelry.
Gorjana’s jewelry is not 100% solid gold, with the focus being on gold-plated metals. This does help bring their prices down to a more affordable level. And with the plating itself done very well, the end result looks as good as solid gold would.
With the main point out of the way, let’s briefly go over the different types of Gorjana jewelry and their specifics.
Types of Gorjana jewelry
1. Gorjana Rings
Gorjana’s ring collections include both metal-only rings and ones with various types of precious stones. Many of Gorjana’s ring designs are simple and easily recognizable while others are quite unique. Most have a very elegant and stylish feel. Engravings are an option for those who want them too as are bespoke rings.
Thanks to Gorjana’s relatively affordable prices, virtually all of their rings are intended for everyday wear. As gold-plated jewelry, they are also fairly easy to fix after knocks and scratches too.
Gorjana’s rings are not advertised as engagement rings and this jeweler doesn’t have a separate engagement ring line, in case that’s what you’re looking for. Gorjana does have some beautiful diamond rings, however, they can very well work as engagement rings.
2. Gorjana Necklaces
Most of Gorjana’s necklaces successfully thread the line between contemporary and vintage styles, as most yellow and rose gold jewelry usually do. Depending on the design, some of them look like expensive statement pieces while others are more casual and dainty.
In Gorjana’s necklace catalog you can find chain links, layering sets, gem necklaces, and even astrology coin necklaces and other interesting styles.
3. Gorjana Bracelets
This brand’s bracelets also come in multiple different styles although most of them are various types of link bracelets with a few solid bracelet models. There are some gemstone and pearl bracelets in between the many gold chainlink models too in case that’s what you’re looking for.
We usually like gold-plated bracelets less than other types of gold-plated jewelry because bracelets are very easy to knock and damage. That being said, Gorjana’s gold platings are high-quality and quite durable.
4. Gorjana Earrings
Designed for everyday wear, Gorjana’s earrings are our favorite part of their collection. Lightweight and comfortable, most of their earring styles can be worn continuously. The gold-plated design is perfect for earrings as they are usually out of harm’s way.
Style-wise, Gorjana’s earring collection includes various earring styles from studs and classic hoops to climbers, huggies, and others.
Pros and Cons of Gorjana jewelry
Every jewelry brand has its highs and lows and Gorjana is no exception. Even as a multi-million dollar jewelry company available in 1,000+ retail stores, including 18 retail stores of their own, Gorjana is not for everyone’s taste. Here are the main pros and cons of this brand you’d want to keep in mind:
Pros:
- Affordable mid-range prices
- Free domestic shipping in the US
- Free returns
- Jewelry repairs
- Durable and good-looking gold platings – much better than many other cheaper gold-plated jewelry brands
- Good warranty policy for replacing or repairing damaged jewelry
Cons:
- Gold-plated jewelry isn’t to everyone’s taste as many people view it as less prestigious than solid gold jewelry
- While some Gorjana ring designs can work as engagement rings, the brand doesn’t have a dedicated engagement ring collection
- Gorjana gold and gemstones don’t seem to be as ethically sourced as other brands’ jewelry, such as Monica Vinader
- Some jewelry pieces are a bit too delicate for everyday use even though they are advertised as such
Gorjana FAQ
1. Is Gorjana 100% gold or is it gold-plated?
Almost all of Gorjana’s jewelry pieces are gold plated with the exception of their silver, gemstone, and pearl jewelry. Gorjana’s gold plating is very high-quality and durable, however, and the company always uses good 14k or 18k gold for its items.
2. Is Gorjana nickel-free?
All of Gorjana’s yellow gold, rose gold, and silver platings are 100% nickel-free so they are guaranteed not to trigger any nickel allergies and skin irritations.
That being said, the brass bases for most of Gorjana’s jewelry do have nickel in them. With the platings being as thick as they are, however, that nickel isn’t meant to ever come into contact with your skin. Gorjana’s platings are quite durable and last for years too. Even as the plating starts to wear off, however, you can simply repair the jewelry and keep the nickel-including brass core away from your skin.
3. Does Gorjana jewelry tarnish easily?
Gold doesn’t tarnish and so Gorjana’s 14k and 18k gold platings are very much tarnish-proof. Brass does tarnish, however, and Gorjana’s jewelry is made with brass cores.
This means that once your jewelry’s gold platings start to wear off and expose the brass underneath you can expect to start some green tarnish after a while. The way to avoid or fix this is easy – get your jewelry back to the jewelry store for repair and replating.
Still, Gorjana’s gold platings are quite durable and should last you for years (with the right care) before you have to do that.
4. Is Gorjana’s jewelry ethically sourced?
Details on Gorjana’s sources for either their metals or their gemstones are sparse. This leads us to believe that some or most of the brand’s materials aren’t very ethically sourced. And, indeed, people looking for ethically-sourced jewelry usually go for brands such as Mejuri, Soko, ABLE, Catbird, Nisolo, and others.
We can’t be definitive about the sourcing of Gorjana’s materials, however, so it could be that their materials aren’t outright “unethical” either.
5. Gorjana jewelry shipping and return policies
The brand offers free shipping in the US, including Puerto Rico, and orders typically take no more than 3 to 7 business days. International shipping can take up to two weeks or even a month and costs a flat rate of $15 for any destination worldwide.
The bigger draw is that Gorjana has a 30-day money-back return guarantee for any unused jewelry. Whether you want a refund or a replacement, this return policy eliminates any possible problems that could arise from improper shipping, mistaken orders, or unsatisfied expectations.
Is Gorjana Worth It?
If you’re looking for affordable and good-looking gold jewelry that’s worth its price tag, Gorjana is definitely a good option. The quality of the craftsmanship, the design variety, and the easily accessible prices all make Gorjana well-deserving of its reputation.
All is not perfect, of course, as some pieces are a bit too fragile, and gold-plated jewelry is not highly valuable as precious metals. Those drawbacks are largely offset by the good prices and great warranty, return, and repair policies, however. That, together with the generally fast and responsive customer service of Gorjana makes this brand a very good and safe bet for everyday, quality, gold-plated jewelry.
