I don't talk a lot about my jewelry obsessions here on the blog, but I luckily come from a long line of jewelry lovers (some of my most prized possessions were handed down to me by my grandmother). Recently, after discarding a bunch of my fashion jewelry during my move into the Airstream, I've decided to no longer purchase cheap mixed metal or gold plated jewelry. Cheap jewelry is pretty much an equivalent to fast fashion for me since I only wear them once or twice. I find that I'm not good at putting on (or taking off) jewelry every day. If I'm going to wear something, it has to be something I can wear 24/7 (as in during showers, swimming, or manual labor with the Airstreams), which means the only pieces I really wear are the ones that are solid gold. So when I stumbled upon VRAI (formerly known as Vrai & Oro), I was interested. Vrai & Oro is trying to do what Everlane does for clothes: make things ethically, with transparency and simplicity.
Now they don't tell us exactly how much it costs them to make their jewelry but it does seem that there is a minimal mark-up to their jewelry as they claim. For example their diamond bezel necklace (with a 0.1 carat diamond) goes for $260 (in 2021 it is now $325) while Tiffany's diamond solitare (0.08 carat) goes for $800 (in 2021 it is now $950). Having owned both, the only real difference I would say is that the chain from Vrai & Oro is slightly daintier (ie has less total gold in it). I also ordered Vrai & Oro's vertical bar necklace (no longer sold) and their diamond bezel bracelet. I'm a huge fan of their simple styling and the quality of their products. So if you're interested in quality solid gold jewelry (in white, yellow or rose gold) then definitely give Vrai a shot (plus they have a 30-day return policy if you're not satisfied). And as usual this is a completely unsponsored review! {January 2021 update: And they now have a VRAI promo referral link which will give you $75 off your first purchase (and I would also get $75 off so thanks for tempting me to buy more of their stuff lol—this Tetrad ring is calling my name).}
P.S. If you're interested in something on their site that's sold out, click on the link to leave your email to notify you when the product is back in stock. I've noticed that they will offer the item first to those on that waitlist before they show that the item is in stock (ie I was able to purchase the vertical bar necklace even though it said it was out of stock on the website).
P.P.S Another bonus of buying solid gold as opposed to gold-filled is that you can always sell off your real gold jewelry if you want/need to lol (though for not nearly the same price for what you bought it for).
P.P.P.S Also I purchased their thick band ring (no longer sold) and their baguette diamond bezel ring. I love both rings but especially the thick band ring which is wide but actually quite thin and lightweight. The diamond baguette ring is cute and dainty but there's no actual sparkle to the diamond due to the cut (some people may prefer that though). But I also find the setting to have quite sharp corners and you have to be careful not to scratch yourself with the ring when wearing it (I've already done that twice).
{January 2021 Update: It’s been over 4 years since I’ve written this post so I thought I would update it with thier new name (now only VRAI), their new prices (which of course went up in 4 years), the updated names of their products, and some new links. I’ve also since added affiliate links but have not changed any opinions of their products or their brand. Since this post I purchased a pave ring about 2 years ago (also no longer sold) and that’s actually the only Vrai piece left in my collection (the rest I was able to sell quite easily on eBay). I also want to add the Vrai now only use sustainable man-made diamonds thus reducing their need to mine the earth for their raw materials and their carbon footprint. Of course there’s some controversy over these “synthetic” diamonds but I think it’s a step in the right direction. Also just because they’re man-made it doesn’t make their jewelry cheap.}
Please note that this portion of the post contains affiliate links that could result in my earning a small commission - at no extra cost to you - if you click and make a purchase. Thank you for your support!