Costume Jewellery vs Fine Jewellery: What You Are Paying For

Fine jewellery is precious metal and, usually, precious stones. Costume jewellery is everything else: brass and plated metal, glass crystal and faux pearl. Neither is better; they do different jobs. Designer costume jewellery, from houses like Alessandra Rich, sits in between on price and is bought for design and scale rather than material value. This is the plain comparison: what each is made of, what it costs, how it wears, how to look after it and what it is worth later.

Key facts

• Fine jewellery: gold, platinum and sterling silver, with diamonds, precious stones and real pearls; value tied to material.
• Costume jewellery: brass, plated alloys, glass crystal, faux pearl and plastic; value tied to design and maker.
• Designer costume: for example the Alessandra Rich FW26 pieces, made in Italy in hypoallergenic toned brass with glass crystals and faux pearls, $530 to $1,370 at Coveti.
• Wear: plating can dull with perfume, water and friction; solid gold does not.
• Resale: fine jewellery holds its material value; designer costume holds value only when the house and design are collected.

Materials

Fine jewellery is made from precious metal, 18 carat gold, platinum and sterling silver, set with natural and lab-grown diamonds, precious stones and cultured pearls. Costume jewellery uses base metal, usually brass, plated in a gold and silver tone, set with glass crystal, faux pearl and plastic. Good costume jewellery uses a hypoallergenic base and a thick plating; the label should say which.

Price

Fine jewellery is priced from its materials up: the weight of gold and the stones set the floor. Costume jewellery is priced from design and making: a large, intricate piece made in Italy by a fashion house costs more than a small gold stud and much less than the same piece in gold. The Alessandra Rich jewellery is a good example: statement-scale earrings from $530, which would be several times that in solid gold.

Scale and design

This is where costume jewellery wins. Because the material is not the cost, the designer can make a piece as large and as theatrical as the design wants: a violet crystal collar, a pearl fringe earring, a gold-tone flower the size of a brooch. That is why the statement pieces in fashion are almost all costume, and why houses design them alongside the clothes.

Wear and care

Fine jewellery can be worn every day, in water, for decades. Costume jewellery needs more care: put it on after perfume and hairspray, keep it out of water, wipe it after wear and store each piece on its own. Treated that way, good plating lasts for years.

Value later

Fine jewellery keeps a floor value from the metal and stones. Costume jewellery is worth what collectors will pay for the maker and the design; vintage pieces from the big 20th-century costume houses trade well, most others do not. Buy costume jewellery to wear, not to invest.

Which to buy

Buy fine jewellery for the pieces you wear every day and want to keep for life: studs, a chain, a ring. Buy designer costume jewellery for the statement: evening earrings, a collar necklace, the piece that finishes a dress. The necklaces and earrings at Alessandra Rich are made for exactly that.

Buying at Coveti

Every piece is authentic and checked before dispatch. Delivery is by insured express courier; most regions ship Delivered Duty Unpaid, so local duties and taxes are payable on delivery. Jewellery is final sale under the Coveti returns policy, so read the materials line and the fastening before you buy; belts can be returned within 14 days of delivery, unworn and with the security tag attached. Full terms are in the logistics and returns protocol.

Designer costume jewellery at Coveti

1. Multi-Pearl Earrings in Pearl, $530

Made in Italy.

2. Flower Drop Earrings in Gold, $620

Made in Italy.

3. Round Metal and Crystal Earrings in Crystal and Gold, $620

Made in Italy.

4. Crystal Necklace with Bow in Crystal and Silver, $700

Made in Italy.

5. Pearl and Gold Necklace, $700

Made in Italy.

6. Pearl Earrings with Fringes in Pearl and Silver, $740

Made in Italy.

7. Pearl and Crystal Earrings with Pendant in Pearl and Silver, $830

Made in Italy.

8. Crystal Earrings with Heart Pendant in Crystal and Gold, $1,000

Made in Italy.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between costume and fine jewellery?

Fine jewellery is precious metal and stones; costume jewellery is base metal, plating, glass crystal and faux pearl. Costume is priced on design, fine on material.

Is designer costume jewellery worth it?

If you value the design and scale, yes: you get a statement piece made by a fashion house at a fraction of the price of the same design in gold. It is not an investment.

Does costume jewellery tarnish?

Plating can dull with perfume, water and friction. Put it on last, keep it dry and store it alone, and good plating lasts for years.

Is costume jewellery hypoallergenic?

Some is. Look for a hypoallergenic base metal on the label: the Alessandra Rich FW26 pieces list hypoallergenic toned brass.

Is Alessandra Rich jewellery fine jewellery?

No. It is designer costume jewellery: hypoallergenic toned brass, glass crystals and faux pearls, made in Italy.

Can you return costume jewellery?

It depends on the retailer. At Coveti, all jewellery is final sale.

Read next

Alessandra Rich jewellery | how to wear clip-on earrings | materials and care

More Alessandra Rich guides at Coveti

Jewellery | Earrings | Necklaces | Belts | How to wear clip-on earrings | How to style a tassel belt | Gift guide | Who is Alessandra Rich | Polka-dot dresses | Fall Winter 2026 edit | Size guide | Price guide | Shoes. Shop the full Alessandra Rich collection at Coveti.

Sources and method

Checked on 12 October 2026. Facts about the house come from the sources below; prices, counts and stock come from the live Coveti catalogue on that date and change with the season.

• alessandrarich.com, Fall Winter 2026 collection: jewellery and belt product pages (materials, fastening, made in, lookbook look numbers)
• Coveti, logistics and returns protocol (delivery, duties and returns)
• Coveti product data for the 336 Alessandra Rich pieces on sale on 12 October 2026 (prices in USD, compositions, sizes, seasons)

Gemma Deeks is Fashion Editor at Coveti. Prices, stock and counts on this page were checked against coveti.com and alessandrarich.com on 12 October 2026.