Once again, I fail at being a girl

[emony]

I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to anyone here that I am not really "down with the kids" in terms of things that are trendy or fashionable. My cousin's 21st birthday is coming up in mid March, and, considering that: a). it's her 21st, b). there was a point when we weren't sure she'd live to see it, and c). she's really spoilt anyway, she's asked us to get her some Tiffany jewellery.

Maybe it's because of my aforementioned lack of downness re: the kids, but to me this just looks like something a chav would get from Argos for his girlfriend for their 1 week anniversary. It's not even proper silver, it's sterling silver, but because it's made by Tiffany (via Elizabeth Duke) it costs £220! Here is an Argos one that looks, to me at least, pretty much that same, but costs £30.

Here's another thing she wants: a charm to go on the bracklet. It's .. it's a little sterling silver cube padlock. That costs £90! Seriously.

Am I just being old and curmudgeonly? Am I not properly appreciating the value of the craftsmanship of the small slave-labour children working in the Tiffany factories in south-east Asia?

I just don't understand it.

Comments

[whatthebananas.livejournal.com]

I have seen people who have managed to make that kind of jewellery look classy (although I'm fairly certain theirs isn't from anywhere more expensive than Accessorize) but those people seem to be quite rare and I don't quite know how they do it. Maybe it's all about the clothes they wear it with?? But mostly I agree, an awful lot of fashion jewellery at the moment DOES look remarkably like the bad stuff from Argos...

[emony.livejournal.com]

You're probably right - jewellery can look totally different depending on what it's combined with. Perhaps with the right outfit this sort of thing will look really nice. Perhaps.

[flatlanddan.livejournal.com]

You're not just being old and curmudgeonly or not appreciating the value of *cough* craftsmanship. It's silly to ask for it. Is there anything else on the list??? I'm guessing not.

I'm horrible for asking for two or three things for my birthday/christmas and then being really dissapointed when no one gets them for me. But then I'm asking for things in the £30-£40 range and not that £220 range.

My question is, how upset is she going to be that you don't get her the £90 charm and get her something else? The £220 would be out of the question for me, but I might stretch to £90 if it was something that I thought would completely make her birthday.

[emony.livejournal.com]

Well, there are a *range* of Tiffany charm bracelets, and a range of charms to put on them. But that's it. It's for all of us to get, not just me, so the price - while still more than my fairly tight-fisted family would usually pay - isn't quite that horrendous. It's more that it's just something totally beyond comprehension. Why would she want it? Why??

I suppose I'm just going to have to resign myself to that fact that she is, basically, a pretty well-off, well educated, World of Warcraft playing chav.

[searingidolatry.livejournal.com]

eBay is your friend for just-as-good-as-the-real-thing Tiffany jewelry. I've got quite of few of the less-chavvy pieces and love them.

[emony.livejournal.com]

That's a good idea. I may have to look in to that. Thanks :)

[niennah.livejournal.com]

While I don't think the Tiffany bracelet is worth that crazy price, I have to say I see a huge difference between the two. If someone got me the Tiffany one, I might wonder why they thought I'd want a charm bracelet, but I'd think to myself that at least it's got links small enough not to look crass. If someone got me the Argos one, I couldn't even pretend to be happy. Ugh.

So they're different, yes, but possibly not £190 different.

[emony.livejournal.com]

If they both came in identical black boxes with no packaging and no labelling, and the Tiffany one didn't say "Tiffany" anywhere on it, do you think you'd react the same? Perhaps not the Argos one I linked above, it was pretty hideous after all. But if it was something like this (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2228062/Trail/C%24cip%3D1500011826.Jewellery%2Band%2Bwatches%3EC%24cip%3D1500011872.Fashion%2Bjewellery%3EC%24cip%3D1500011877.Charm%2Bbracelets.htm), or this (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2160883/Trail/searchtext%3ECHARM.htm) or maybe this (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2233545/Trail/searchtext%3ECHARM.htm)?

That said, I do know what you mean. Tiffany as a name does mean something, so even if the piece itself isn't what you might choose for yourself, you can appreciate that it might be something worth having if you like that sort of thing. I suppose my main point is just that I totally don't understand why she would want one, Tiffany or otherwise, or why she thinks it's worth so much money!

[niennah.livejournal.com]

The second and third ones, yes, absolutely. The first one possibly not. I don't think I'm some kind of jewellery afficionado or anything, but I own a good bit of it and you can see these things, you know? Like... like getting to know wine! Or a good backhand in tennis!

As for why she'd want one of these, I have no idea. Charm bracelets have no charm as far as I can see. Hur hur. ;D

[emony.livejournal.com]

Hehe :) Well, maybe she just knows something I don't. Maybe they're uber-fashionable among the young trendy things of Newcastle. Who knows. I suppose as long as it makes her happy, it doesn't really matter what I think of it, and it'll certainly be something she remembers getting for her 21st for the rest of her life.

[kangaruth.livejournal.com]

Well, the Tiffany's thing is about labels, and I'm not really sure I get those. It is much nicer than the Argos ones, anyway.

Her taste in jewelery aside, I'm sure you could get something similar (in design and in quality) locally for less (though maybe not for £30), and be supporting local craftsmen in the process. I know in Lancaster there are several such shops, or you could search online. (For example, here is an Orkney designers' charm bracelet (for £75), although the "Scottish" charms on it probably aren't what she's looking for...

Also, I always thought Sterling silver *was* "real" silver...

[emony.livejournal.com]

If it were for me, or anyone else apart from her, I'd definitely look for something classy and local or at least non-label, but for her I think part of the "charm" (arf arf) is definitely the Tiffany name.

Sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver, 7.5% other stuff, usually copper. For jewellery-making purposes, I think it is "real" silver, as apparently silver itself is too soft to do anything useful with. I suppose with that, I just sort of associate silver jewellery with not being able to afford gold or white gold or whatever. I expect the gold Tiffany things cost a fortune though!

[slb44.livejournal.com]

Nope. You're being sensible.

[emony.livejournal.com]

I am generally quite good at that. ;) Thanks.

[slb44.livejournal.com]

Yes! You are. *g*

[annajaneclare.livejournal.com]

Wow. Charm bracelets ain't what they used to be, are they? Those charms look really boring.

[emony.livejournal.com]

They're not very inspiring, no. But she's not really the sort to go in for little razor blades or anything, so I suppose boring is what she's after.