*I received two items for free in exchange for two Instagram posts but this blog post is not sponsored (in fact they don’t even know I’m writing this).
Recently I had the enlightening experience of being asked to promote Mejuri for the holidays on Instagram (even though I have a relatively small Insta following). I know I wrote awhile ago that I was done with costume jewelry because in some ways they’re like fast fashion (something pretty to wear but not something that will last), especially when compared to fine jewelry (which I know I’m so so so lucky to have received from my grandmothers and mom). But I decided to make an exception this time because 1) I’ve been wanting an ear cuff for awhile now but I’m not about to spend the big bucks on a solid gold one and 2) I wanted to know what it was like to be a part of the marketing machine that is Mejuri. In a lot of ways they remind me of the watch brand Daniel Wellington, which blew up because they gave so many influencers on Insta a free watch for a plug.
What it’s like to be a Mejuri affiliate
Mejuri sends out a very generic email asking if you’d like to participate in their promotion. The email includes a link where you can pick your item from a menu of select pieces (about 4 to choose from) and outlines their posting guidelines. They tell you what they want to see in the caption (in this case a promotion of their sale), what they want to see in the picture (no other jewelry), and the date you need to post by. I have to say that overall it was an interesting experience to be a part of the Mejuri program but everything was a tad impersonal and felt quite corporate. But I feel jewelry should be personal and meaningful, since these are items that are meant to be cherished. Translating an impersonal experience into a personally meaningful post was a bit challenging for me, which is why I guess I resorted to humor instead. I seriously didn’t think I was going to be asked again for another gifted item (especially since my post got 40 likes—an all time low). But surprise surprise they asked me again in December. I couldn’t resist because they happened to offer the Bold Link Chain, which is exactly what I’ve been jonesing for (thanks to being influenced by Jennifer Fisher and her long link chains). We’ll see how long this partnership lasts considering my minor influence on Insta lol.
Review of Mejuri Items
Even though I don’t personally purchase gold plated jewelry anymore, gold plated jewelry can be just as meaningful as the solid gold kind when purchased for the right reasons and occasions. Gold plated jewelry also can last as long as you take care of it (don’t wear it in water, wipe it down after wearing, and taking it off every night). Also if you really love it and want to keep it forever, jewelry can be replated in gold. So if you’re going to get a fun bauble for yourself as a reward or request it as a gift, you can’t go wrong with Mejuri. Each item comes wrapped carefully in a box and a canvas pouch, so when you’re unboxing it, it feels incredibly special. The jewelry is sturdy and has a nice weight to it. This isn’t your cheap H&M jewelry hanging on a plastic tag and stacked on rods. And this isn’t the kind of costume jewelry meant to be thrown away or dumped in a Goodwill box when you tire of it (December 2020 Update: I sold one of my Mejuri pieces on ebay and got about 70% of the price). I should mention that Mejuri also sells solid gold fine jewelry for really decent prices and I have been tempted by their stuff from time to time.
The croissant dome ear cuff that I received first is a great fashion piece that adds a little flair to the ear. It’s easy to put on and works well with any other gold earring you might have on. It stays put so you can rest assured you won’t lose it, but it doesn’t pinch the ear either (but to be totally transparent I only wore it for 3 hours at a party and not all day). {Edit: I wore it all day yesterday and it was just as comfortable—no pinching at all. This makes me want to get another ear cuff from them…}
The second item I chose was the bold link chain. It’s a beautiful necklace with some weight to it. Like I said above, this necklace fulfills my craving to try a Jennifer Fisher type of chain necklace without breaking the bank.
I do admire Mejuri for being open about the factories they work with (detailed here). The jewelry business can be quite shady (blood diamonds anyone?) so having factories that are part of the Responsible Jewelry Council where they are audited and held to ethical standards is definitely a step in the right direction. Mejuri also has a two year warranty on their jewelry which is pretty unheard of. And to tell you the truth, in the time it took me to write this post (over several weeks) I’ve come to change my mind about Mejuri. I think their prices and quality are really good, so even if you’re looking for something like a wedding band, you should definitely check out Mejuri. I also love that they offer engravable jewelry and they engrave it for free. Personally I really want this signet ring, this boyfriend bold chain, this bold chain ring, or this single diamonds line mini hoop. Looks like I know where I’m going to shop the next time I’m looking for a piece of jewelry to mark a special occasion!
{Update: I went to the soft opening of their store in SF (Hayes Valley) yesterday and I gotta say I’m pretty impressed with the quality of their jewelry as well as the graciousness of their staff. I also came away with a long list of other items I want to buy but I gotta hold off for now because of financial responsibility lol.}
{December 2020 Update: So after writing this post I’ve had several inquiries as to how exactly I got Mejuri’s attention. Unfortunately I don’t know how they found me, especially since I have a fairly low follower count on Instagram. But I have been writing this blog for about 6 years now and do show up on Google search for certain topics. My best guess is that since my blog has been around for awhile, it shows up on some kind of index for Bay Area blogs. And because they were looking for Bay Area affiliates back when they were opening a store in SF that’s how I popped up. If you’re interested in working with them I suggest reaching out to them with a media kit.
Also I wanted to add that for the first time I’ve purchased something from them that I had been eyeing: their Dome Ring. I wanted something bold but simple and this beauty is just the ticket. As for all my other gifted Mejuri items, they’ve held up great with no tarnishing or signs of wear. I’ve heard from others that some of their gold vermeil items tarnished but I since they have a 2 year warranty on their items I suggested they touch base with Mejuri to see what they could do. Also I didn’t purchase my ring during their Black Friday sale though I should have since that’s the only sale they have all year and it’s a pretty good one (10% off for one item, 15% for 2, 20% for 3+). If you’re eyeing something from them and can wait, I would suggest waiting for their sale (which is what I intend to do next year). Also if you have Rakuten, you usually can get a bit of cash back with Mejuri purchases.}
{January 2021 Update: Got my Mejuri ring and I looooove it. It’s easily my favorite piece and even though it’s gold vermeil and not solid gold I don’t mind one bit (especially this is the type of ring I would normally put on for occasions and not wear everyday—for everyday stuff I would still recommend getting solid gold). But for $60, this ring feels like it should be at least $160. It has a beautiful weight to it and it just feels really nice. But I’ll update this post with how it wears over time (and I hope it fares well!).
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