When it comes to jewelry on the market, we have an oversaturation of costume jewelry, and a lot more affordable options, made of either brass or stainless steel. That’s if you don’t get the barely gold coated pieces that rub off in three wears! there is a small corner of the internet where a different kind of jewelry is sold. On @rsvp_ug, we find an array of carefully curated pieces which have more to it than meets the eye. The gold is real, the gemstones aren’t rhinestones, and the pearls are fresh water – not plastic.
The prices take some adjusting when you’re used to slaying on a budget of UGX 30,000 or less, but once you understand what’s happening, a new dimension of shopping is unlocked. one which is not based on impulse, but intention. The pace is slower, unhurried. When you find that pair of earrings that speaks to you – the one which you can see yourself adding to your everyday office look, or the bracelet that would bring a smile to your best friends face, then you can make the call.
I spoke briefly with Ethel, the proprietor of the brand, about what rsvp is all about, and it was an eye opening conversation. She took me through the more traditional beginnings of the store, as it was a physical location. Selling clothes and other jewelry, Ethel was fine until COVID came by and shook up the scene. The digital marketer decided to use her professional knowhow to transition into a fully digital business with a website and social media pages.
“I used to sell the brass jewelry at some point actually, but decided to pivot because this kind of jewelry is a lot more exciting,” she explained. “The design options are more interesting, they’re unique pieces.” these pieces are sourced from all over the world – Denmark, France, Britain, America and soon the Middle East and India. The last two sound exiting, because you can always guarantee good gold pieces from that region. I find that they usually prefer more full 24 carat gold, unlike the West where you’ll find a saturation of 14 and 18 carats instead, since the yellow is subdued with a bit of silver, copper and zinc.
Some of the gemstones on the page are cubic zirconia, a material I have been curious about for a while. It is a much more affordable option to natural diamond, but I wondered, how easy is it to identify? According to Ethel, a trained eye can tell, “They both sparkle, but one does so more than the other.” The one that could give her a bit of trouble identifying is a lab grown diamond. These are so similar to natural diamonds that they can pass on refractive index, hardness and even certain diamond tests. The only difference is the price tag. Lab grown gemstones are more pricey than cubic zirconia, but much cheaper than natural diamond.
There’s an ethical element in the mix, because natural diamonds are rarely conflict free. Ethel believes it is a matter of due diligence, where the retailer can make sure these pieces are ethically sourced. given that the site mostly carried different kinds of gemstones other than diamond – that topic was dropped.
“Fashion – dressing up, feeling good should be fun. It doesn’t have to be expensive.” she clarifies, “you can thrift and look great, I myself still wear other types of jewelry all the time.”
When it comes to pieces that fly off the shelves, Ethel identifies that pearls are a crowd favourite, as well as rose gold. Many of her clients love to get a staple wardrobe piece from her collection. “Functional, but pretty pieces they can wear every day.”
Her personal favorites from the collection include a minimalist pair of gold twist hoop earrings as well as a necklace with a mosaic Mother of Pearl disc in rose gold.
The ones I am looking at include a pretty trio of pendants as well as a pearl necklace.
atwiine@satisfashionug.com
