How to Identify Quality Handmade Jewellery: 7 Things to Check

Quick Answer: Quality handmade jewellery shows consistent finishing (no sharp edges or rough spots), secure stone settings, appropriate weight for the metal, even plating or surface treatment, and closures that work smoothly. The single most reliable indicator: a maker who can tell you exactly what materials were used, how it was made, and who made it. Anonymity is the enemy of quality in handmade jewellery.

You have picked up two pairs of earrings that look almost identical. One costs ₹200 and one costs ₹1200. Both look similar in the photo. How do you know if the more expensive pair is genuinely better — or just more expensive? Knowing what to look for closes that gap between price and value immediately.

1. Check the Finishing

Turn the piece over and examine the back and edges. Quality handmade jewellery has no sharp edges (they should be smoothed and polished), no visible glue blobs, and consistent surface treatment — the gold plating should be even in colour, not patchy or thin at the edges. Rough backs, visible file marks, or uneven surfaces indicate rushed finishing. The back of the piece is where makers cut corners most often.

2. Test the Weight

For the metal claimed, the piece should have appropriate weight. Gold-plated brass should feel substantial — not hollow or tinny. Sterling silver should feel heavier than similarly-sized base metal. Very light pieces for their size often indicate thin plating over lightweight base metal or hollow construction. Weight does not always equal quality, but surprising lightness is a warning sign.

3. Check Stone Settings

Gently press each stone with a fingertip — it should not move. Any rattling, clicking, or rotation indicates a loose setting. Check that all stones are at the same height (flush or consistently raised) — uneven settings suggest poor quality control. In prong-set pieces, all prongs should be the same height and properly curved over the stone. Missing or bent prongs are a quality failure.

4. Test the Clasp and Closures

Open and close every clasp, hook, and closure. A good clasp should open smoothly and click closed with a satisfying, secure feel. Lobster clasps should spring back positively. Earring hooks should have a gentle curve that keeps them in the lobe — too open and they will fall out. Screw backs should turn smoothly without resistance or slipping.

5. Assess the Plating Quality

For gold-plated or silver-plated pieces, check the edges and high-wear points (where fingers grip the piece most often). These spots show thinning plating first. If plating is already thinning or showing base metal on a new piece, the plating is too thin for durability. Good gold plating on brass should be at least 2–3 microns thick — pieces from quality makers will specify this; fast-fashion pieces typically do not.

6. Ask About Materials

A maker who cares about quality can tell you: the base metal, the plating metal and thickness, the type of stones (natural, synthetic, glass), and the surface treatment. Vague answers (“gold-coloured metal”, “crystal stones”) are a sign of a maker who does not know or does not want to tell you. Specific answers (“22-micron gold over brass, freshwater pearl, knotted silk cord”) signal a maker who has made deliberate material choices.

7. Look for Marks of the Maker’s Hand

In genuine handmade jewellery, look for slight irregularities that indicate human making: hand-hammered texture, slightly varying stone sizes in a multi-stone piece, brush strokes in hand-painted enamel. These are features, not defects. Perfect, machine-like uniformity in a piece sold as handmade is a warning sign — it likely was not handmade, or the handmaking is very superficial (machine-made components assembled by hand).

FAQ

How can I tell if jewellery is hand-hammered or machine-made?

Genuine hand-hammered metal has irregular, organic-looking marks — no two hammer strikes are identical. Machine-hammered or machine-textured metal has a regular, repeating pattern. Under close examination, machine texturing often shows a tile-like repetition; hand work shows variation and spontaneity.

Is more expensive handmade jewellery always better quality?

Not necessarily — price includes the maker's reputation, brand overhead, and story as well as pure material and craft quality. However, very cheap “handmade” jewellery is almost always a quality compromise. The quality-price relationship is more reliable at the higher end than the lower end.

What is the difference between handmade and hand-finished jewellery?

Handmade means the piece was formed primarily by hand from raw material. Hand-finished means mass-produced components were assembled or finished by hand. Both are valid, but they are different things. Many Indian fashion jewellery brands use cast or stamped components that are hand-assembled and hand-finished — this is not the same as a piece made from scratch by an artisan.

How long should quality handmade jewellery last?

Quality gold-plated brass jewellery with 2+ micron plating, worn with reasonable care (avoiding water, perfume, and chemicals), should maintain its finish for 1–3 years of regular wear. Sterling silver lasts decades. Fine gold lasts indefinitely. If a piece loses its finish within weeks of purchase, the plating was inadequate.

At KANSYA, every piece is made by hand in our Kolkata workshop and we can tell you exactly what materials were used, by whom, and how. That is our standard for quality — and what we think every jewellery buyer deserves to know. Explore our handcrafted jewellery collection.