Jewellery can come in two distinct types – costume jewellery and ‘real’ jewellery. This means that the jewels within the piece are real and have been cut specifically to fit with the design. Of course, choosing jewellery with a precious stone will cost significantly more, and could even cost into the hundreds of thousands of pounds, depending what stone you select.
There are many different stones available, from diamonds and sapphires to rubies and emeralds. Some cheaper alternatives might include amber, amethyst, lapiz lazuli and topaz. The jewel you select will very much just depend on personal preference and the colours you like. It could also be influenced by pieces you see people wearing in the media – Princess Diana’s Ceylon sapphire ring has caused the popularity of the stone to shoot up.
The main thing to remember is to look after the precious stones you purchase. They should be carefully cared for and should be cleaned and polished gently on a regular basis.