Mass-produced jewellery has become a staple of the high street, with many fast fashion retailers stocking a variety of costume and semi precious jewellery. The convenience, availability and price point of mass-produced jewellery is all too tempting and you can quickly find your jewellery box full to the brim with poorly made pieces. 

Thankfully, there is a way to avoid the inevitable mountain of tangled tat and develop a jewellery collection that even The Queen would envy. In this guide we’ll share our top five reasons to support independent jewellers by opting for jewellery that has been expertly handcrafted rather than produced on a mass scale.

See below our top 5 reasons to support independent makers:

The material value of handmade jewellery often exceeds that of mass-produced jewellery which is frequently made of cheaper, more readily available materials like steel, copper and plastics. Although mass produced items can be made using precious metals, the quality and consistency of the materials used can vary greatly. Handcrafted jewellery usually features precious materials, from gold and silver, to semi-precious stones and diamonds. The quality of the materials combined with craftsmanship is what makes handcrafted jewellery truly valuable.

If you’re trying to be conscious with your purchases, handcrafted jewellery is the best way to ensure that your next piece is both ethical and sustainable. As independent jewellers run a much smaller operation, it is easier for jewellers to trace where their materials come from and how they are used. Independent jewellers also benefit from being able to use local sources and suppliers, meaning your pair of earrings could not only benefit the jeweller, but also their local community.

The design of mass-produced jewellery is dictated by consumer habits and trends in fashion. Unfortunately this leads to an abundance of copycat pieces or uninspired, outdated designs. When you support independent designers, you are supporting talented craftspeople with innovative and unique approaches to centuries old techniques. Like artists, independent jewellers leave their signature on every piece that they create, making for an incredibly diverse marketplace and leaving us spoiled for choice.

As handcrafted jewellery is made on a smaller scale, there is more time available to allocate to each piece. With more time, jewellers can afford to scrutinise every aspect of your item, resulting in jewellery finished to perfection every time. During the mass production process, it is not guaranteed that every piece will be inspected to the same level or at all. It is too easy for imperfect or faulty jewellery items to pass through quality control where it often ends its journey as waste. 

Handcrafted jewellery is a thing of magic. There is nothing more incredible than seeing an idea you have translated into gold or silver. With mass-produced jewellery it can be impossible for you to customise each item or have a say on the design. Independent jewellers offer jewellery lovers the ability to create a piece that is meaningful, sentimental and exclusive to you.

Independent jewellers continue to ensure that handcrafted jewellery keeps evolving, with each craftsperson bringing new ideas and methods to the forefront. Finematter makes it easy for you to find conceptual, ethically sourced, sustainable handmade jewellery to suit all tastes and occasions.