Ever since I was little, I’ve loved to accessorize with earrings. Before my mom let me pierce my ears, it was clip-ons, and once I could get them pierced, my earring collection exploded with mostly inexpensive pieces that haven’t stood the test of time. Now, on a quest to upgrade my jewelry collection, I have discovered Aurate, a luxury jewelry brand that offers both quality and a price point I can love.
I started searching for something that was ultra-luxe, timeless, and something I could pass down to my daughter – ideally with minimal wear, tear, and damage because it’s made well, not cheaply, and with A+ materials. Friends recommended I look into Aurate’s collection.
Aurate is NYC-based and my version of “buy local”. That said, there are a ton of jewelry brands out there, which is why I set out to compare Aurate with two other well-known brands: Cartier and Mejuri. To make it interesting, I set a budget of $800. Here’s what you can get for $800 from each brand and what I ultimately went with:
$800 at Aurate got me quality, durability, and something special.
I’ve been wanting to get a pair of diamond huggies forever and Aurate has the absolute cutest pair that appear delicate on the ear, but have the weight, look and feel of high quality. The Forever Diamond Hinged Huggie Earrings in 14K Gold ($450 or $315 with my discount code) feature sustainable 14k gold and beautiful 1mm round cut diamonds, SI-quality, no less.
Next, for a piece that will never go out of style, you can’t go wrong with the Infinity Hoop Earring ($170 or $119 with my discount code). Wear as a pair or mix and match with another piece to put a twist on a classic. Aurate offers a lot of their pieces in gold vermeil for a more affordable option that’s still high-quality and ultra-luxe.
I still have room in my budget to add a Pair of Muse Gold Chain Earrings ($180 or $126 with my discount code). These are my personal favorite. I just love how unique these earrings are. Each of Aurate’s pieces is handmade and you can really tell with this pair of this stud and chain combination piece. They’d look great on their own or paired with the Forever Diamond Hinged Huggie Earrings or a simple pair of diamond studs.
Just for fun, I’ve included three more of my favorite Aurate pieces - all still coming in below $800
- The Toi & Moi Classic Ring, $235 – $165 with my discount code!
- Diamond Bezel Necklace, $350 – $245 with my discount code!
- Pearl Aura Beaded Necklace, $190 – $133 with my discount code!
All three pieces totaled $775 and $534 after discount is applied.
Here’s what $800 Gets You At Mejuri
I was pretty happy with my Aurate selections but I wanted to see what I could get at Merjuri, an affordable fine jewelry brand from my hometown of Toronto.
First up, their Pavé Diamond Huggie Hoops ($268) are similar to Aurate’s but they seemed a bit too flimsy and their diamonds measure 0.8-0.85 compared to Aurate’s 1mm diamonds. I want the diamonds to be dainty but not minuscule.
For some interesting textured hoops, I’d probably add the Charlotte Hoops ($448) but the design isn’t as refined or timeless to me. Merjuri has a gold vermeil option that would bring the price down considerably but it probably wouldn’t be something I would choose. Like Aurate, their vermeil is 2.5 microns thick, but it doesn’t have an anti-tarnish coating and there’s no lifetime warranty like Aurate offers.
Since I would want to choose the gold options with Merjuri, I don’t have room in my budget for a third pair of earrings but another second option would be the Beam Drop Earrings ($350). These were the most interesting earrings I could find at Mejuri. I do wish they had more shape to them rather than being straight beams though.
Here’s what $800 Gets You At Cartier
Cartier is one of my favorite legacy luxury brands and I didn’t have high hopes of finding much in my price range. Even so, I was expecting to find a bit more than what I did.
There are not a lot of pieces priced at $800 or below at Cartier. Actually, there’s only one item that qualifies. The LOVE Single Earring in 18K Gold ($590). It’s cute but this tiny stud is so simple and small–I wonder, what makes it any different or special, especially in comparison to paying (amazing) DTC prices?
The next lowest priced items are a small hoop version of the LOVE Single Earring or the Juste un Clou Earring, which are both over budget at $960 for a single earring. Again, so cute, so small, so… out of reach. I know it’s Cartier, but the price point seems unreasonably high for the size.
And the winner is…Aurate
No surprise, I decided to go with Aurate. For $800, I was able to find three gorgeous pairs of earrings that are timeless, high-quality, and come with a lifetime warranty. For me, quality, price, and customer support are the biggest factors I take into account when shopping for fine jewelry. But if you like a little more pizazz, I’m happy to report I also learned that Aurate is made by women for women (did you know Cartier was founded by men?) and only uses sustainable materials (like 100% real, recycled gold and ethically-sourced stones). I don’t think I need to say anything more.
