Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
1. Why are your prices so affordable?
Fine jewellery has a long-standing reputation for luxury, and most well-established fine jewellery brands, luxury houses and renown independent designers surely prefer to benefit from it. Running a luxury business is expensive too, especially with a team, venues, and events to support. As a result, honest jewellery prices can surprise consumers.
Like the art industry, the fine jewellery industry is highly sophisticated, and one has to be a true expert to fully understand its intricacies and pricing. While precious metal prices are relatively fixed, gemstones offer far greater flexibility. Quality gems are available at a range of prices, from the astronomical to the modest. Counterintuitively, ethical gem suppliers commonly charge a fair price, and a lower price does not necessarily indicate poor quality or unethical mining practices. Rather, it takes knowledge, expertise and wit to find the best gems at the best prices.
I prefer not to tell customers convincing fairytales about gems to justify higher prices. Instead, I offer quality, handcrafted, beautiful fine jewellery directly from the craftsperson who created it, at a fair and honest price. The price may look too good to be true, but this approach matches my personal values, even if it defies industry norms. Luxury can be affordable indeed, because a price tag does not really define value.
Because my prices are already significantly lower than, frankly, those of most competitors, I have little room for discounts, so I prefer to keep my prices non-negotiable. Consequently, Valeria's Secret fine jewellery holds its value really well, making it a great investment. You simply never overpay when you buy Valeria's Secret fine jewellery.
The secret is out! Fine jewellery doesn’t have to cost a fortune. It’s the best-kept secret in the trade: buy straight from the maker.
2. Do you use real gold / platinum? How do I know?
I use only 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.
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.
3. Do you use real gems? How do I know?
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.
These days there is a lot of confusion around lab-grown gems, so let's clear it up: lab-grown gems are genuine, real, and natural gems, sharing the same optical, chemical, and physical properties as their mined counterparts. They are widely used by luxury brands too because lab-grown sapphires are real sapphires, lab-grown-diamonds are real diamonds and so on. In fact, even gem experts often can't tell the two apart without specialised equipment. Therefore, I often compare lab-grown gems to IVF babies because if you ponder about it, they indeed share a lot in common. Valeria's Secret offers both natural mined and lab-grown gems, because you don't have to pay a premium for an identical gem just because of its origin. Counterintuitively, what actually drives up gem 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 quality of gems they are using is any different.
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.
4. What do I do if I have issues with the order or jewellery?
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.
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.