The Best Fine Jewelry Under $500 to Gift, According to Our Jewelry Collector
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If there’s something I know a thing or two about, it’s fine jewelry; I’ve been a collector for a third of my life. To be considered fine jewelry, a piece must be in a metal like gold or sterling silver (with nothing plated) — and gemstones are optional but encouraged. It’s an investment, but it’s better than vermeil. If you’re looking to gift a fine-jewelry piece to someone, I pulled from my mental Rolodex of fine-jewelry brands — brands we’ve written about before, brands I’ve tested myself, and brands that have been recommended to me by other collectors (as I’ve done in previous years) — for this roundup of the best fine jewelry under $500. I made sure to include special pieces that anyone would be happy to unwrap for the holidays. As of now, everything here should arrive in time for Christmas, but as some pieces are made to order, you want to order accordingly. For more of our jewelry coverage, check out our guides to the best hoops and studs.
Gifts I think are the best
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It’s a tiny but mighty shiny alphabet charm.
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The understated diamonds should please the minimalist in your life.
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Senior writer Dominique Pariso gets her jewelry at Costco for its prices; these hoops feel special.
Charms and pendants
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Catbird started making its alphabet charms in 2004, and depending on the letter, each has a total carat weight between 0.015 and 0.049 (which is a lot smaller than the average engagement ring diamond’s size of a full carat).
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Part of Catbird’s Pointelle Diamond Tennis line — which is cheaper than its Tennis line — the charm includes a mix of baguette- and brilliant-cut diamonds.
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Instead of getting their birthstone, get a loved one’s — as ma-eum means “heart” in Korean.
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Personalize it with a single initial (so “your recipient knows you actually thought about your gift and didn’t just run to the mall in a Christmas Eve panic,” as our writer Kat Gillespie points out).
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Yeah It’s Jewelry — best known for its custom nameplates — uses a pantograph machine from the 1970s for its in-house engraving, with fonts ranging from old-fashioned cursive and or modern block.
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Inspired by the watch chains named after Prince Albert, this has bezel-set, rarer-than-usual Montana sapphires on both ends of the T-bar.
Earrings
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Some gold at Costco can be cheaper than scrap value, explains senior writer Dominique Pariso. Compared to much of the hoops-market, these feel like a steal, especially for the diamond-cut finish.
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“I especially appreciate that Costco lists out the weight of each piece in grams so you know exactly how far your dollar is going,” Pariso says. This is approximately 2.47 grams, if you’re one to measure with a scale.
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Here are exactly six round, lab-grown diamonds — each approximately 0.16 in total carat weight, ranked a G-H in color and VS in clarity, or “near colorless” and “very slightly included” respectively, according to the Gemological Institute of America.
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Getting a flat back in can take a couple of tries (I’ve been told to follow Catbird’s helpful instructions before: “Insert the backing first and then fasten in place with the front of the earring. Give a little push to make sure it’s properly closed”) — but you’re free of the customary, poking butterfly style.
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New York deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff previously described Stone and Strand’s offerings as “classic, everyday, not-particularly-statement-making pieces.” Just take these bamboo studs, which you could miss at first glance — but not on the second.
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Antiques dealer Erica Weiner once said Wwake toes “the line between architectural, mathematically precise geometry and riotous organic forms.”
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F. Miller’s Fran Miller wears her Tiny Egg studs daily: “I don’t really remove my studs so, for me, the perfect earring is one I can sleep in comfortably.”
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“Once you know the visual vocabulary to spot a Ted Muehling, you’ll see them everywhere. The identifier is that they are perfect,” writes illustrator Joana Avillez. As is the Stone Rice.
Bracelets
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There’s space for a maximum of nine characters on Catbird’s Cygnet bracelet, and you can capitalize two of them.
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Mociun sourced these seed pearls from the Tennessee River — and they’re threaded on a silk string (which helps with any rubbing).
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Mejuri Multi Gemstone Station Bracelet
Unlike the traditional station bracelet, Mejuri’s has a birthstone (opal, aquamarine, etc.) in the middle of diamonds.
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It’s a celebration of diamond cuts, with a marquise, baguette, and round brilliant.
Rings
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Ames Weaver’s Ring
Just as the title implies, the Weaver’s Ring mimics lacework.
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J.Hannah’s rendition of the cigar band is bigger than normal — the brand’s tall size is 15.5 mm. x 12.5 mm. to the regular’s 9.2 mm. x 7.4 mm. size.
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Designer Owen Dunton Ellerkamp was a florist for Alex Crowder — as I learned from last year’s Secret Strategist Gift Guide.
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The surface of the garnet cabochon in the Isolde signet resembles a Jolly Rancher; it’s juicy.
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Our writer Kitty Guo couldn’t resist California Dirt’s “fluid, curved, nature-themed” pieces, and says the Adivinia ring as “really solid and capable of taking a beating,”
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The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
