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Monica Vinader is one of the most famous modern “success stories” in the jewelry world. A former indie jewelry artisan, working from a tiny workshop attached to her family’s home in Spain, today Monica Vinader is the famous jewelry brand of the biggest Hollywood celebrities and British Royal family members.
And yet, Monica Vinader jewelry is still relatively affordable. So, is this brand just a pop cult? Is Monica Vinader’s jewelry worth your attention?
About Monica Vinader Jewelry
This Spanish self-made jeweler started in 2006 like many other indie artisans – roaming the craft fairs, selling her handmade wares, and experimenting with new designs in the meantime. Her first breakthrough came in 2008, in the heart of the economic recession, when she created her now-famous Fiji bracelets.
Monica followed her breakthrough bracelets with various other ring, necklace, and earring designs inspired by her travels in South America and the Far East.
What made her jewelry successful in those financially-challenging times, however, were the very low and accessible prices she had put on her items. Monica Vinader sold then – as she still does today – her jewelry pieces for a wide price range anywhere between tens and thousands of dollars. This means that Monica Vinader’s catalog always has something for everyone and even the more affordable pieces are still made in unique and eye-catching designs.
Monica Vinader manages to afford such low prices by using vermeil as her primary jewelry metal. Essentially, vermeil is gold-plated silver. While not a particularly prestigious alloy for high-end jewelry, it does ensure accessible prices. With this alloy as a base, the more expensive Monica Vinader jewelry pieces can include diamond pieces and other gemstones too.
Types of Monica Vinader Jewelry
Bracelets
The signature item group of the Monica Vinader store is her bracelets. With the Fiji bracelets launching her career to the celebrity stratosphere, Monica Vinader’s bracelet catalog now sports lots of other designs too – various link bracelets, mixed bangle sets, her famous friendship bracelets, and many others.
The vermeil metal ensures a soft and lightweight, as well as affordable bracelet. The obvious drawback is the fragility of such a bracelet but that’s offset by the low cost.
Rings
Monica Vinader’s rings are less popular compared to the brand’s other item groups but that’s not due to a lack of quality or diversity. Monica Vinader’s rings come in a great variety of designs and styles – eternity rings, stacking sets, signet rings, hammered rings, cross rings, large gemstone or diamond rings, melee diamond rings, and many others.
Most of Monica Vinader’s rings use the same gold-plated silver vermeil metal or just pure sterling silver. This makes them less durable than you’d expect from a fine jewelry brand but with prices in the tens or hundreds of dollars, that’s to be expected.
So, while Monica Vinader’s rings aren’t really suitable for engagement rings or wedding bands, they are excellent for fresh everyday or seasonal ring wear.
Necklaces
Monica Vinader’s necklaces and pendants have become very popular over the last few years. Most chains are thin and long but there are some interesting thicker and shorter options too. The beautiful handmade pendants at the end of each necklace are the showstopper here as they come in lots of unique and fascinating designs while maintaining an affordable price.
Earrings
The gold-plated silver vermeil metal is perfect for earrings as this type of jewelry usually stays out of harm’s way anyway and the metal’s softness isn’t a problem. This, coupled with Monica Vinader’s unique earring designs and gemstone choices, makes her earring collection a very tempting and accessible choice. Probably the most famous earrings on Monica Vinader’s catalog are her green Siren Wire earrings made popular not long ago by Kate Middleton herself.
Anklets
A less common jewelry type in most jewelry vendors, Monica Vinader’s charm anklets come in several interesting styles. Thin, elegant, and sexy, they are all in the 2-digit price range too.
Men’s Jewelry
Monica Vinader didn’t miss on including a men’s jewelry section in her catalog after her breakthrough. However, most of the items there are unisex rather than strictly men’s jewelry. There’s nothing wrong with unisex jewelry, of course, as long as that’s what you’re looking for. If you want strictly men’s jewelry, however, aside from the occasional Baja bracelet, most items in the men’s catalog may not be to your liking.
Materials Used in Monica Vinader Jewelry
Monica Vinader uses the following materials in their jewelry:
- Gemstones – Since the start of the jewelry brand, gemstones have been a major aspect of Monica Vinader. The company has committed to ethical sourcing, with every natural gemstone being certified by the Gia. The company is also a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council, which means that they are regularly and stringently audited to ensure that they are following ethical, social and environmental practices. These gemstones are hand-selected and then hand-set into the jewelry settings.
- Precious Metal – Monica Vinader uses 100% recycled gold vermeil and solid sterling silver in their jewelry items. This gives the luxury and sophistication of precious metals at a much more affordable price point. However, this also means that the jewelry isn’t as durable as they would be if made with solid gold or platinum.
- Diamonds – The diamonds used in Monica Vinader jewelry are responsibly sourced and are compliant with United Nations resolutions. These stones are chosen for quality and sparkle. The brand also uses colored diamonds in some of their collections.
- Leather – The leather products offered by Monica Vinader are made using responsibly sourced leather from the UK, following regulations as set out by the Leather Working Group. All their leather items are hand cut and stitched, for best results.
Durability of Monica Vinader Jewelry
Monica Vinader has a 5-year warranty and a lifetime repair service for their jewelry, highlighting their commitment to quality. The brand also highlights how to take care of their jewelry.
We find that Monica Vinader jewelry tends to last a very long time, due to their high quality. However, it’s important to give them regular care and avoid harsh chemicals, ultrasonic cleaners or needless exposure.
It’s best to take off Monica Vinader jewelry when showering, swimming or engaging in vigorous activity. This is just best practice for any type of jewelry anyway.
Pros and Cons of Monica Vinader jewelry
Pros:
- A relatively affordable and approachable jewelry collection that includes anything from low-cost seasonal jewelry to high-end luxury items.
- Many unique handmade designs which can’t be found in other jewelry vendors and collections.
- Very popular and trendy designs that bring together everyone from the British and Holywood royalties to everyday people and teens.
- Great return and refund policies – 100 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
Cons:
- The gold-plated silver vermeil metal in most of Monica Vinader’s pieces is rather soft and isn’t too durable.
- No engagement rings collection.
- While the brand has been popular and trendy for over a decade, gold-plated silver isn’t exactly a “prestigious” metal if that’s what you’re looking for
In Conclusion – Is Monica Vinader Worth It?
As long as what you’re looking for is pretty, handmade, unique, affordable, and trendy everyday jewelry, then, yes – Monica Vinader’s jewelry pieces are definitely worth the price. With myriad one-of-a-kind designs and lots of very creative choices, Monica Vinader deserves her spot in the jewelry-world limelight.
Add the affordable prices and wide price range, as well as the good refund and return policies, and Monica Vinader’s jewelry is worth it in that sense as well.
This jewelry brand doesn’t really work as heritage or high-value jewelry, however, but it’s not supposed to. It’s for the modern, stylish woman (or man) who wants to express themselves through jewelry.
