Frequently Asked Questions

Fine jewellery has a long-standing reputation for being a luxurious product, and surely most well-established fine jewellery brands, luxury houses, and independent designers do not want to miss the chance to benefit from this. Running a luxurious business is undeniably expensive too, especially if one has a team or venues to support. However, honest jewellery prices can be surprising to consumers.

 

While precious metal prices are relatively fixed, there is a lot more flexibility with gemstones. Quality gems are available at a range of prices, from the most astronomical to modest. Counterintuitively, ethical gem suppliers commonly charge a fair price for their gems and lower prices do not necessarily indicate poor quality gems or unethical mining or practices. All in all, fine jewellery industry, like the art industry is highly sophisticated and one has to be a true expert in order to fully understand all the intricacies and pricing.

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I prefer to stay away from telling customers convincing fairytales about gems to justify higher jewellery prices. Instead, I offer them to buy quality, handcrafted, and beautiful fine jewellery pieces directly from the craftsperson who created them at a fair and honest price. The price may end up looking too good to be true but this approach perfectly matches my personal values, even if it defies industry norms. Luxury can be affordable, because a price tag does not always define value. However, I end up not having much room for discounts because my prices are already massively reduced compared to most competitors, and I prefer to keep them non-negotiable. Consequently, Valeria's Secret fine jewellery holds its value well, making it a great investment because you do not overpay when you buy it.

I only use solid high karat gold and platinum. Solid metals are the most pure, valuable, and recyclable materials that can be used in jewellery-making. They also allow for the most ethical and traditional ways of crafting fine jewellery. In line with industry standards, all my fine jewellery is hallmarked.

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If you ever have any doubts about authenticity of your jewellery, you can always consult with 3rd parties, such as your local jewellers, pawnbrokers, and any other specialists, often free of charge or for a small fee.

This question is by far the most frequently asked. And I could not believe how often I have heard it asked even in Harrods (London, UK) fine jewellery section. Fine jewellery by definition implies the use of ONLY real gems. It is costume/fashion jewellery that allows for glass crystals or cheap simulants and non-precious base metals. Occasionally, dishonest retailers/individuals might try to sell simulated/glass jewellery for the price of precious gems. However, apparently, this is not industry standard. In line with industry standards, all my fine jewellery is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity specifying the gems and their basic characteristics.

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These days there's a lot of confusion around lab-grown gems, so let's clear it up: lab-grown gems are real, genuine gems, sharing the same optical, chemical, and physical properties as their mined counterparts. They are widely used by luxury brands too. In fact, even gem experts often can't tell the two apart without specialised equipment. And I often compare lab-grown gems to IVF babies because if you think about it, they indeed share a lot in common. Valeria's Secret offers both natural mined and lab-grown gems, because you shouldn't have to pay a premium for an identical gem just because of its origin. Contributively, what actually drives up prices in the jewellery industry has less to do with the gem quality or rarity and more to do with branding — luxury houses often charge more for their fine jewellery because of the brand name, celebrity endorsements, or exclusive design patents, not necessarily because the gem quality is any different.

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If you ever have any doubts about authenticity of your jewellery, you can always consult with 3rd parties, such as your local jewellers, pawnbrokers, and any other specialists, often free of charge or for a small fee.

If you have any concerns about your delivery arriving late or the jewellery itself, please contact me as soon as possible.

 

In over 5 years of running the business internationally, I have had 100% of parcels delivered to the addressees. It may sound better than the average statistics, but I do care about my customers and the jewellery that I create by ensuring that I fill in the recipients' details and customs declaration forms correctly and by following up on delayed parcels with the postal services. Your purchase is covered in most cases and the only thing that is required from you is to timely and clearly communicate with me about any concerns or unexpected issues.

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I will do my best to assist you reasonably and within my abilities if you have any concerns about Valeria's Secret fine jewellery. Please don't hesitate contacting me if you need advice on aftercare.