Accessory or Jewellery? What's the Difference?

Accessory or Jewellery? What’s the Difference? 

The terms “jewellery/jewelry” and “accessory” are often used interchangeably, but is there a difference? The answer is yes! And we’re going to take a deep dive into what exactly is the difference, and how it affects your purchasing decisions.  

Accessories 

An accessory is defined as “a thing which can be added to something else in order to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive”. The term has a broad range of meanings but for the purpose of this blog, we will deal with fashion accessories. Fashion accessories include anything from hats, bags, rings, belts, bracelets, necklaces... the list goes on. But one important factor to consider is that precious metals are not used in making an accessory. They are often relatively cheap to buy, and have a large supply. Accessories are usually made from metals such as brass and stainless steel. These metals are then plated in gold, silver or rose gold and are advertise as “gold-plated jewellery”. The most important question for a consumer to ask at this point is, what metal is plated? This determines the quality and value of the accessory you are buying. For example:  

• Brass 

Brass is one of the more popular metals used to make accessories because it is affordable, ductile and strong. Brass has a gorgeous golden hue and as it ages, it does so with grace giving a beautiful vintage look. 

However, often we don’t realize we are purchasing brass because it has been plated in either silver or gold colour. In the short term, this won’t cause many fashion issues but over time the plating will fade and the brass colour will start to protrude.  

Over time brass will tarnish and form a greenish layer known as patina. This happens due to the oxidation of the copper element in the brass. Brass is not water resistant and should not be worn in the shower, pool or sea.  

Brass is non-hypoallergenic, meaning that if you have allergies or skin sensitivities, brass jewellery may not be a good fit for you.  

• Stainless Steel 

Stainless steel is becoming increasingly popular as the base-layer in plated accessories. Stainless steel is often advertised as being waterproof, tarnish free, durable and hypoallergenic, but there is an astricts next to this statement. 

*stainless steel is an alloy that comes in many different compositions, and each composition has different properties, for example: 

• Stainless steel grade 202 is composed of Chromium (16-18%), Nickel (0.5-4%). It has low corrosion resistance and prone to rust, tarnish. 

• Stainless steel grade 304 is composed of Chromium (18-20%), Nickel (8-10.5%). It is commonly used and has medium corrosion resistance.  

• Stainless steel grade 316L is composed of Chromium (16-18%), Carbon (0.085), Nickel (10-14%). It has high corrosion resistance and is non-allergenic.  

When buying plated jewellery the base material is rarely advertised, and the composition of the base material is rarely known. While some stainless steel jewellery are durable and hypoallergenic, that is not the case for all compositions of the metal.  

Although the base metal itself may be durable, the plating colour will fade with time and the base metal will begin to protrude.  

As a consumer you will get good value for money if you purchase stainless steel accessories as they tend to be well priced, but they do have some quality issues and are not as valuable as precious metals. 

Jewellery 

Jewellery is defined as personal ornaments, such as necklaces, rings, or bracelets, that are typically made from jewels and precious metals. The major difference between accessories and jewellery, is that jewellery is made from precious metals including gold, silver and platinum and/or precious stones including diamonds, rubies, sapphires.  

Of course, the major drawback of purchasing jewellery is the price tag. Jewellery is expensive to purchase relative to the accessory alternative. However, the benefits of investing in jewellery far outweigh the negatives.  

• Jewellery is high quality and extremely durable. It won’t lose its colour over time and is suitable for sensitive skin. 

• Precious metals and jewels are prestigious and for good reason. They are absolutely beautiful and the rarity of them adds to their allure.  

• Jewellery isn’t just a beautiful addition to an outfit, but it is a great investment and store of wealth. The idea of holding tangible, timeless assets that have been valuable for millennia feels both safe and prestigious. Investing in gold and precious metals is a great way to diversify a well-balanced portfolio of assets and hedge against risk. 

Final Thoughts 

Accessories are fun and playful, relatively cheap and dress up an outfit. If you do your due diligence and source high-quality accessories you will get value-for-money. However, these are not as valuable as gold, platinum and other precious metals, accessories are not an investment and do not act as a store of wealth. Accessories are not prestigious and don’t contain the same beauty as jewellery. Your final decision as a consumer depends on what you are looking to buy; an accessory to wear over the short to medium-term, or a piece of jewellery that will gleam and shine for a lifetime.