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The term “affordable” can be a bit confusing at first. We don’t mean “cheap” or “inexpensive” but rather jewelry that isn’t overpriced, is worth its money and is generally in a price range that most people would be able to afford with relative ease and a bit of planning at most.
Affordable doesn’t have to mean low quality. There are many excellent brands and retailers that offer fantastic jewelry pieces at affordable prices without compromising on quality.
We’ve listed 8 of the best jewelry brands in the USA today in terms of the affordability and value for money they offer. In curating this list, we focused on product quality, product range, customer experience, after-sales policies, and shipping and delivery.
1. Mejuri
We’re starting off with a brand that’s become exceptionally recognizable in social media as of late – Mejuri jewelry. Notorious for its gorgeous chunky and wavy designs, Mejuri offers affordable but also high-quality jewelry pieces of all types. And while huge diamonds and gemstones aren’t their style, Mejuri also has a great collection of unique engagement rings that combine captivating diamond ring designs with reasonable price tags.
2. BonBonWhims
Created around Y2K, BonBonWhims is a unique jewelry brand that may not be for everybody but offers great value to its target audience. With most pieces on the site selling for no more than $150, you’d be surprised to find out how many of them are made out of high-quality 18K gold.
The Dessert Remix rings and the Evil Love necklaces are especially famous, there are a lot more great things you can find in their store.
3. Ana Luisa
For a great mix of whimsical playfulness and a classical style, Ana Luisa offers fantastic demi-fine designs that can work for any occasion – from high-value pearl drop earrings to everyday yet delicate and gorgeous rings in the 2-digit price range.
The brand achieves that marriage of quality and affordability by using demi-fine vermeil jewelry, i.e. sterling silver plated with a thick layer of gold, but also by using recycled metals. This also makes Ana Luisa a great choice for the more environmentally conscious of us.
4. WWake
If you’re looking for a gorgeous but affordable fine jewelry collection covered with high-quality colored gemstones, WWake is the way to go. Most of their rings, bracelets, earrings, piercings, charms, and necklaces are covered with pearls, emeralds, opals, diamonds, sapphires, moonstones, and tourmaline, while still made of high-quality gold and maintaining prices around or below $200.
5. Bychari
A great jeweler that offers both high-end and affordable everyday pieces, Bychari differentiates between the two by listing the more affordable options under “Essentials” in each product type’s category.
For example, here are Bychari’s quite moderately-priced “essential” rings collection, and here are their fine rings. As you can see, the former still offers great quality while the latter is also reasonably priced considering the higher-quality materials.
6. Studs
Studs is probably the first vendor you should take a look at if you’re after ear jewelry in every form. As a jeweler that specializes in earrings, Studs have every style from simple or subtle, to elaborate and statement earrings. Big and small, with gemstones or metal-only, all their studs are both fun to explore and quite light on the budget.
7. Yam
Yam is a great New York brand that expertly threads the line between the classy and indie styles. The brand offers lots of different and colorful statement jewelry pieces that can simultaneously be quite subtle with the right outfit and style.
To add to the seemingly contradictory characteristics of Yam, the brand is also quite affordable while being made in very high quality.
8. Catbird
We’ll finish the list with another brand originating from New York City – Catbird. This little SoHo jewelry store specializes in jewelry designs that are as intricate as they are minimalistic.
From their pearl and diamond necklace charms to their diamond-studded tennis bracelets, it’s worth noting that many Catbird pieces can go into the 4-digit price range but are still more than merely affordable for the great quality and value they offer.
Wrapping Up
With online jewelry retailers being able to offer exceedingly better service with every passing year, it’s become easier than ever to look for jewelry that not only fits your preferred style and is of great quality but also isn’t grossly overpriced and fits as nicely in your budget as it does on your finger.
Still, with the market being as overstocked and competitive as it is, it’s easy to feel lost and overwhelmed for a bit at first. Hopefully, the 8 suggestions above have given you a good starting point in your search for your ideal jewelry piece.
