Ive always had a thing for rings. The thing is, I’ve always had a thing for the real thing when it comes to jewelry. It’s hard because, especially these past few years, I’ve not been able to splash out on a fancy ring. But sometimes it’s nice to wear a statement ring, or two or three. One day I’ll be like Wendy Brandes and be able to wear the real thing with statement rings, but for now, for now, I’ll wear the cheap stuff. It all started with a random trip to H&M and I saw this big giant turquoise plastic ring. It was $2.50 so I figured, why not give it a try? It’s a darling ring. Then today, on my way home, I stopped off at Picnic a boutique on Polk Street for a visit, and found this circle ring, for pretty cheap $18. We’ll see how these go. Maybe I’ll change my mind about costume rings…Maybe?
When it comes to jewelry, do you wear costume jewelry, or do you go for the real thing?
{ 51 comments }
Both real and costume jewelry are fun! Its just a matter of finding things you love
I love costume jewelry rings, but what I don’t love are the really crappy cheap ones. Anything with an adjustable band is out. It can be fake as long as its sized.
.-= Annie Spandex´s last blog ..Nashville Is Flooded =-.
ug, i hate adjustable ones! i didn’t see, but the circle one is actually adjustable.. and it kind of itches after a while. what is that?
both!
.-= Bettye´s last blog ..more new items in the shop…. =-.
My mother tried for YEARS to get me to wear the real stuff…no such luck…. I’m ALL about the costume jewelry. Give me Noir, Tarina Tarantino, indie designers… even the pieces I want from Wendy are on the more playful and less serious side…
haha, i can just imagine this! i bet you have all kinds of extravagant pieces!
I love costume jewelry (in addition to Wendy’s lux collection, of course)! I had a turquoise ring I used to wear all the time that would garner tons of attention <3
mmm turquoise rings.. i really want one. now i have a craving.
I like both options and I looove my Wendy Brandes swear rings…they were worth every penny! But I’ve become cautious about going too cheap with costume statement rings because they tend to tarnish faster than other types of costume jewelry, especially the ones from F21.
.-= lisa´s last blog ..Lisa’s Most Coveted List =-.
I like to keep a mix of whimsical and sensible jewelry in my collection so I can accessories according to my mood.
I REALLY like that H&M ring… wishing we had one in Salt Lake *sigh*….
.-= shauna´s last blog ..Tangled Trees =-.
i have the exact same issue as you do. i want to own the real thing, but i generally can’t afford it! then, even if i have the money it’s really hard for me to take the plunge because they’re so tiny. i’d rather get something big, like a coat or a fancy dress. the fake stuff is cool, but you have to remember to only wear them one day in a row or else they stain your fingers.
have you seen those rings made of vintage sterling silver spoons? best of both worlds, perhaps?
.-= calivintage´s last blog ..i never… =-.
oh yes, the rings i love start around $3k yikes! there’s a lot you can do with that cash, but at the same time the real thing will last a loooong time. but good point about the wearing the ring two days in a row…and washing your hands, that brings up a whole new ring drama… i’ve left so many rings on sinks it’s not even funny!
i am mad for jewelry, and none of it is “real” jewelry. i have a huge collection of costume jewelry, and i think i’d die if any of it went missing. yes, that may sound shallow and redonk, but i just love it. i am sure i sound like a goon. long live jewelry and mORE mORE mORE, please!
oh my goodness you don’t!
I do both. If you do it tastefully, you can fool everyone and make the costume jewelry look real.
.-= Tami´s last blog ..Givenchy Summer 2010 Makeup & Printed Lips Giveaway! =-.
oh, i’ll have to go accessories shopping with you!
costume jewelry but not too cheap. i find that jewelry is not something i tend to want to spend a lot of money on, i save that for shoes. (=;
xxx
t
.-= apparellel´s last blog ..lions, tigers and blog moves… oh my!! =-.
haha, well your feet are the hardest working part of your body!
Well, though I wish I could splurge on some of the real rings I see at NM, I just stick to my delicious costume jewelry finds (usually under $50). Banana Republic has some of my favorite cocktail rings….and they usually have coupons!
http://theaccessoreisjunkie.com
I love costume jewelry. I used to only wear Tiffany and I have a dozen Tiffany pieces but then I decided that I needed to diversify so now I wear costume jewelry more often than not. I wish I could wear Wendy B everyday!!!
smiles,
gina
.-= hiyaluv´s last blog ..Bodysuits. They’re back. Oh yes! =-.
i have a dozen tiffany pieces too!
I’m really good at losing jewelry (as in, I have no idea where I set my engagement ring down last week…) so I go for pieces at price points where I won’t beat myself up when I lose them.
.-= Flitryss´s last blog ..Blues and Bows =-.
I have the same problem! I don’t like water to get under the band, so I take my rings off whenever I wash my hands. Then I’ll walk away and won’t realize for days that I lost them! So little plastic things it is. So long as they’re not adjustable or elastic.
I love costume jewelry and totally agree with Tami – “If you do costume jewelry tastefully, you can fool everyone.” Regardless, I think it’s important to do costume right. If it’s too gaudy or looks cheap, you run the risk of looking tacky. You have to be cautious and choose pieces that have the right balance of inexpensive but good quality.
Check out Steve Sasco Designs. He sells some really fun movie and celebrity inspired costume jewelry that’s good quality. http://stevesascodesigns.com/
P.S. Absolutely love your finds Jennine!
I almost exclusively buy costume jewelry, and I have more pieces from H&M than I care to admit. I’d just rather spend my money on clothes and shoes, and I figure if you’re outfit looks put together enough, you can wear cheap jewelry and not look cheap.
All my real jewelry comes from my mom and grandma, and I do love it, but I’ll stick to costume for my own purchases.
.-= Marissa´s last blog ..Chariot Skates – Scary Stuff! =-.
I wear real (primarily handmade or vintage) and high-end costume, but then I’m an accessories buyer so I have access to some amazing stuff. There’s so much talent out there – I wish I could buy it all!
ooh that must be a fun job! i don’t know how buyers hold onto their paychecks!
For me it’s costume jewelery all the way!
I like big bold pieces, so costume jewelery is a lot more fun, plus I can buy waaay more of it and don’t have to cry too much if I lose a piece (I love jewelery, so I may still cry a little bit, lol)
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Tragic Kingdom =-.
Looking over my collection of jewellery I see that if it’s real, it’s usually small and tasteful(since smaller pieces are the ones I can afford). But if it’s costume jewellery I buy bigger pieces that make a statement but will still be current a few years from now.
.-= MarchMusings´s last blog ..Shiny sparkly things =-.
I have one really nice ring, a tungsten ring I got from a giveaway on my blog. Its so shiny and pretty. The rest of the rings I own are cheap cocktail rings from flea markets. But! I would love to have one really nice ring too, gosh I would love a Wendy ring
Nice post
.-= WendyB´s last blog ..Mother’s Day Jewelry Sale Today =-.
heh. i love you.
I like a bit of both. I tend to wear more costume jewellery in the day and real jewellery at night.
.-= Style Eyes Fashion Blog´s last blog ..Relaxing, Grown Up Style =-.
Hi!
I’m a ring lover myself and just recently posted a Polyvore set about them. Check it out on http://myfashion-notes.blogspot.com/2010/04/put-ring-on-it.html.
Love the circle ring!
kss
myfashion-notes.blogspot.com
i like to wear both usually. if i could afford the real thing it would be nice though!
.-= steph´s last blog ..super pleated clutch in cranberry reclaimed leather =-.
I love vintage costume jewelry! It’s affordable and looks unique. I tend to avoid trendy costume jewelry, but I’m such a magpie that sometimes it’s hard when I see something sparkly at F21 for like $4.
I like a bit of both… Some of the costume ones are more fun than the real ones!
Both of those are such fun! I have three rings that I wear daily, and they’re all the real deal … but my mix-it-up rings are all cheapies.
.-= Sally´s last blog ..Reader Request: Making Uncomfortable Shoes Wearable =-.
I have a stash of costume rings that I pull out whenever I want to add a bit of artsy-whimsical flair to an outfit! I adore the real thing of course, but being on a pretty strict budget, the only “good” rings I own are my two wedding bands and engagement ring.
Otherwise, I hit up all the cheap shops for some cute pieces to sport on my other fingers! 
♥ Casey
blog | elegantmusings.com
.-= Casey´s last blog ..birthday sale! =-.
This post has brought on a ring craving.
.-= Abby´s last blog ..MojiTea =-.
I do both – crazy bold and classy gold!
.-= Susu Paris Chic´s last blog ..Rock Chick =-.
I love costume jewellery particularly rings but of course I would end this love affair the moment I had the Wendy Brandes Marie Antoinette ring
.-= Make Do Style´s last blog ..All is forgiven =-.
I have no qualms when it comes to costume jewelry! Unfortunately with my earrings I HAVE to wear the real thing, or else I get an irritating allergic reaction. Your finds are lovely
.-= Maria at BachmansSparrow´s last blog ..Let’s test your recycling knowledge! =-.
Honestly, there are so many other things I’d rather spend my money on than “real” jewellery! The only trouble is that I fall in love with my jewellery, and I feel so disappointed when the coating wears off and it goes orange. I’m trying to choose more carefully to avoid copper.
I used to buy lots of costume jewelry but I ADORE wearing the real thing. It’s just such a different feeling wearing a big real gold and stone ring that actually has a history behind it (don’t all real jewels do?). I have stayed away from costume jewelry since I started making jewelry (not because I have a thing against costume jewelry, it’s just that everyone expects you to wear what you make) and now save up to invest in pieces from jewelers I admire, be it that they are well known or not. It’s more about the art now. And I have a thing for rings as well, I love making them and making them big
Hit me up if you’d like some custom work, I’m a fan of your blog and would love to create something for you.
.-= Cristina´s last blog ..I miss the beach =-.
I suppose by most people’s definition, all my jewellery is “costume”, since I loathe gold and only wear sterling silver in metals. I have maybe two pieces in handmade artisan silver that set me back a fair bit, but for the most part I’m happy with large but pretty reasonably-priced chunks of sterling, mainly from the better import shops.
I’m also allergic to nickel, so that really curbs most temptation I might feel to buy cheap mass market costume jewellery! I have occasionally worn a pair of, say, massive Le Chateau chandelier rhinestone earrings for a night out, but even wearing something like that for a whole workday would leave me with infected piercings and probably red itchy patches where they brushed my neck. I do have some fun glass and wood pieces, and I’ve been developing a kind of a thing lately for those HUUUUGE rings made of one single carved piece of acrylic – I think I’ve got three of them now.
I don’t like tiny jewellery of any kind (“why bother” is the thought in my mind) so unless I suddenly acquired both massive wealth AND a taste for gold, I’m unlikely to ever graduate to “real” jewellery. Something like a little number from the Duchess of Windsor’s collection – that would be my sort of thing. Not any miniscule bitsy of gold I’m ever likely to be able to afford!
I would LOVE to go all out Wendy B style…but for now it’s costume for moi as well. Sigh. Good thing there are so many cute options!
I like a bit of both, though most of what would be really expensive are heirlooms. *wipes brow*
I go for costume over the real deal any day.
.-= Bethany Bengtson´s last blog ..What I Wore Today {Kick, Back & Kook! edition} =-.
I can’t afford the real thing as much as I’d like so, for now, it’s all costume jewelry. I try to stay away from the fake looking ones, and you can actually find pretty affordable sterling silver rings.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..“Get Him to the Greek”: Get to It! Now! =-.
The main problem would be the budget, but then again there a lot of costume jewelries out there that really looks like the real thing. It would only be a matter of how you handle and wear it and not make it look fake.
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