If you feel the price of gold jewelry has gone up lately you are absolutely right. When the world is in turmoil (and unfortunately it currently is), gold prices rise – and it can become an issue if you dream of having a personalized piece of jewelry made. Fortunately, there are several ways to manipulate the price a little, enabling you to still make your dream come true:

✨ 1. Use your old gold!

Do you have a small collection of old jewelry which, for one reason or another, just never gets to be worn? In that case it can actually help pay for your new piece of jewelry! We deduce the value of the gold from the finished piece of jewelry. AND: If your gold has sentimental value to you, we can melt it down into your new piece of jewelry, thus creating something completely new but already imbued with history and soul. Read more about how we calculate here.

✨ 2. Choose a lower karat
– it’s not as bad as it sounds

Yellow gold comes in several varieties, always alloyed with silver and copper, and it’s the amount (measured by weight) of pure gold which determines both color, price and hardness:

• 18 karat: The deepest golden color – although a little soft, which can mean that very thin rings under 1.5mm CAN be bent out of shape. ¾ of the metal is gold (750 out of 1,000)
• 14 karat: A beautiful gold color and somewhat harder – the literal golden middle way. Just over ½ of the metal is gold (585 out of 1,000)
• 8 karat: Has the lightest shade of gold and is by far the cheapest option – while still containing real gold. 1/3 of the metal is gold (333 out of 1,000)

✨ 3. Consider a synthetic diamond

Natural diamonds are the right choice for many. But if you really want the big bang for the buck, synthetic (lab-grown) diamonds which look (and sparkle!) exactly like the natural ones - but at a fraction of their price. However, therefore also with a very low resale value. Read more about synthetic diamonds here.

One last thing – and this is important:

Although gold has become more expensive, I haven’t! My hourly rate for designing, drawing and building your jewelry is the same as always. In other words: You still get unique craftsmanship, magical design and personal guidance – just with a few smart tricks to keep your budget in check. Find inspiration on the page here – and write to us at design@castens.com if you want to talk about your jewelry dreams. We’re ready to help!