Thanks AUrate for sponsoring this post!
When it came to pierced ears, I was a bit of a late adopter. My mother never had good luck with pierced ears, prone to sensitivity and infection, my sister, eight years my junior jumped at the chance to get her ears pierced as soon as my mom let her, and that was promptly followed by an infection. So you can see why I wasn't super eager to try it out for myself.
Eventually, at the tender age of 20, feeling let down by the complete discomfort of clip on earrings, I took the plunge, headed into a Claire's, and got my ears pierced. A whole new world of accessories had opened to me, and I celebrated with a stop at So Good Jewelry - a mecca of glitzy and inexpensive earrings. I'm pretty sure they are no longer in business, and I'm even more certain that if they were I would no longer shop there. The decor was an explosion of bright pink with animal print carpeting, and I've since developed a sensitivity with my ears which keeps me from buying anything other than sterling silver, gold, or gold vermeil.
Thankfully my love of jewelry has never once faded, but has, gratefully, evolved. Now I try to fill my collection with high quality pieces, and I'm always delighted to discover and share companies like
AUrate, which focuses on making fine jewelry without concessions, crafted from high quality durable materials, 14 and 18 karat gold, pearls sourced from Japan and the South Sea, and the use of only S1-clarity diamonds on every piece, which are all handmade in New York.
AUrate's pieces are simple, timeless, and completely wearable. Since my
gold circle earrings have arrived, I've put them on nearly everyday. They are small enough that I can wear them comfortably, and of course have no reaction to the metal.
Because AUrate sells directly to the customer, they are focused on honest pricing, which means that
earrings in 14 karat gold would cost $550, instead of something like $1,200. The icing on the cake (aside from free shipping and returns) is that AUrate wants to give back, and are currently working to help develop the literacy of students in New York. For every purchase made, AUrate
donates a book to a child in need.
When it comes to pieces I'm confident I'll want to wear forever, I don't mind investing in quality, and I know there are more pieces from AUrate I want to add to my collection.
