What is the difference between handcrafted and mass produced?

Many people are not aware that there is a difference between handcrafted and mass produced jewellery. There is in fact a marked difference between the two and that is that one is work hardened for better and durable wearing and one is not. When Kay works the metal, the molecules in the metal compacts together and gets stronger and harder to bend, compared to mass produced that is not work hardened and much easier to bend, which allows handcrafted jewellery to wear far better and last longer, so long as your piece of jewellery is looked after. It is also noticeable that a handcrafted piece tends to have a better polished surface. Claws that hold the gemstones in place are very important to have them work hardened so that there is very minimal chance of your treasured gems from falling out, which can leave you very upset and frustrated.

There are short term and long term costs involved with the difference of handcrafted vs mass produced. Mass produced jewellery is cheaper in the short term but in the long term you face the reality of paying for the repair of the piece in question. If you wear a mass produced piece of jewellery constantly, it will wear out much quicker and therefore you end up potentially facing a hefty repair bill which may exceed the price you paid in the first place. If you decide to pay more for a properly constructed handcrafted piece of jewellery and wear it constantly, you have a much less chance of having your piece repaired as the metal is much stronger and much more durable.

If you decide to buy jewellery overseas, keep in mind that a very large percentage of jewellery is mass produced and you take a big risk.

If you are a more discerning person who doesn't mind paying for quality, Kay suggests that it is much safer to have a piece of jewellery handcrafted in Australia by a qualified skilled professional and also have the reassurance of purchasing properly graded authentic gemstones coming from credible merchants to Australian standards.

Chains

Chains are another interesting topic. Kay recommends to avoid any jewellery that is hollow, especially neck chains and bracelets, as they tend to dent and cannot be repaired successfully. If you can afford to purchase a neck chain or bracelet that is solid, Kay urges you to buy one as it will last much longer and you wont have to worry about any repairs.

You can notice the difference in weight of hollow vs. solid. Feel the weight of the piece in your hand remembering that gold is a heavy metal.  If it feels unnaturally light, it is hollow.
Other types of neck chains to avoid are ones that you cannot bend very far and ones that have very fine links.  These types of chains cannot be repaired successfully and have the potential to leave a stiffened part of the chain due to the solder, which is used for repair, uncontrollably running further from the broken area.

If you decide to purchase these types of chains, Kay suggests that you wear your chain on special occasions only and away from young children.  Toddlers love things that glitter!