3 Reasons to Buy Jewelry This Lunar New Year
Written by Annabelle
February 5, 2019
Happy Lunar New Year!! Some of our team members here at QJR are busy celebrating the holiday- with shiny baubles, of course! But whether or not you're actually celebrating Lunar New Year, that doesn't mean you can't buy jewelry during this time. In fact, we highly recommend taking advantage right now- here's why.
Reasons to Buy Jewelry During Lunar New Year:
1. Gold Purity
Gold that's sold on the market is rarely pure gold. The unit of measurement that determines gold purity is called karat, and it's out of 24 parts. You may have seen items sold on the market as 10k, 14k or 18k gold. That simply means the item is a certain percentage of gold; for example, 10k is 10/24 gold, or 41.6% gold. The rest of the mixture consists of other metals that are hard in consistency, providing structure to the jewelry.
It's important to keep this in mind, because in Western countries such as the US or UK most gold is 10k-18k. This means that the jewelry is a lighter yellow color, and less pure. While it may be more durable, you're also not paying for a certain percentage of gold per gram.
In Asian cultures, people prefer to wear high karat gold. This can range from 22 to 24k, which is 91.6% to 99.9% solid gold! Now, you might be wondering how to purchase this type of jewelry- but no worries; Menē is an American-based company that exclusively uses 24k yellow gold in their designs, and they use ethical sourcing as well! Now that's what we call a win-win.
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2. Craftsmanship:
High gold purity is great for the consumer, but there are other things to take into consideration when buying 22k+ gold jewelry. The higher the gold content, the softer the metal, which means it gets increasingly more difficult for the craftsman to work with. 22k-24k gold pieces of jewelry that exhibit great detail and design are rare and worth their weight in craftsmanship.
The prestigious Hong Kong jewelry company Chow Tai Fook (周大福) definitely has a dominance in goldsmithing. Founded in 1929, the company has a reputation similar to Tiffany's in China, and after decades of operation they are unrivaled experts in fine gold jewelry. They were the ones to establish 99.99% gold as a standard of jewelry manufacturing in Hong Kong; this quality of gold is commonly referred to as chuk kam (足金), a Cantonese term for high-quality gold. It goes without saying that their sau gong (手工 ) or handiwork is top-notch as well; making it worthwhile to check out their stores in the U.S.
3. Lunar New Year Sales:
This is the real big reason to go shopping during Lunar New Year! In Asian cultures, it's traditional to give gifts that bring good fortune during this time, and gold definitely qualifies! All of the major brands such as Chow Tai Fook will be having a New Year sale, allowing you to purchase high-quality bling for a lower price.
If you're looking for more traditional European brands, Cartier is also celebrating with a selection of items for Lunar New Year, with a lot of their signature nail bracelets in yellow and rose gold. Pandora and David Yurman are also jumping onto the year, offering inspired charms and pendants in 18k yellow gold.
While Lunar New Year is a holiday with strong cultural ties to people around the world, it's also an excellent time for a jewelry lover to hop on and snag some investment-worthy pieces for their collection. Why wait until next year to get yourself a 24k gold piece? Comment below on which designer tickles your fancy!
