Kate Spade, founded in the year 1993 by the husband-wife duo from the Spade family, is an American luxury fashion brand. The brand’s male line of products is known by the name of Jack Spade. The company had very humble beginnings, with Miss Spade being unsure of her career. Kate Spade was started with the main product being the handbags. Soon, the company gained traction, and other products such as apparel, accessories, jewelry, etc. were introduced. Presently, Kate Spade is owned by Tapestry Inc., with the takeover being completed in the year 2017. Most of the items from Kate Spade jewelry are not made of real gold but are gold-plated. In the gold-plating process, golds of lesser purity ranging from 10 karats to 18 karats are generally used. Accordingly, the prices are much more affordable too.
Why does Kate Spade not use real gold?
Although the company has never mentioned anything about it, there might be several reasons as to why Kate Spade refrains from using real 22k or 24k gold and opts for gold-plating instead. They include:
- US jewelers argue that ornaments made with 14k gold are the strongest. They won’t bend and are more resistant to water and weather changes.
- The prices are also much higher for using real gold. Gold-plating allows the customers to have pretty much the same feel like real gold but at about 50% lower prices.
- It might be plainly due to the market in which Kate Spade sells. In some countries of Asia like Saudi Arabia, India, etc. gold ornaments below 22k aren’t considered real gold. But in the USA, the obsession with higher percentages of gold is not that much.
- Gold-plating ensures that even if a jewelry item is lost, the losses would be much less severe.
The Alternative to Using Real Gold
As already mentioned, Kate Spade uses gold-plating to make its jewelry items. In this process, the jewelers make use of technology to deposit a thin layer of an expensive metal on more durable metals like copper or zinc. Not only does this make the jewelry items more durable, but also allows the designers to implement their designs more easily.
Gold ranging from 10 karats to 18 karats is used for the purpose of gold-plating. Higher gold percentages usually mean more shiny, gorgeous products. Naturally, the price of an 18k gold ring would be about 1.5 times more than that of a 10k gold ring.
Raw materials used at Kate Spade
In addition to gold-plating, Kate Spade uses a host of other raw materials to make their jewelry items. They include:
- Sterling silver
- Stainless steel
- Diamonds and other precious stones
- Copper.
The Verdict on Kate Spade Jewelry
Kate Spade has cemented its name as one of the most affordable and best-in-class luxury brands in the US. The jewelry items look dazzling, are durable enough, and also offer great value for money. Kate Spade also has a great customer support service and any issues are addressed quickly.
Thus, if someone is looking for quality jewelry at reasonable prices, Kate Spade might be the answer for them!
Conclusion
We have seen in this article that Kate Spade jewelry items are usually not made from real 22k or 24k gold, but are gold-plated using lower purity gold. The process allows Kate Spade to offer their jewelry items at an affordable price and also, make innovations in the designs.
However, there might be a few cases in which real gold jewelry items are available for sale too and the customers are advised to take a look at the product description before buying to know about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question. Are Kate Spade jewelry items worth the price?
Kate Spade has made a name for itself as an “affordable luxury” brand, making Kate Spade items fairly more expensive than its competitors. The brand has become renowned for producing quality items at affordable prices. The designs are the best in the market and so are the quality of raw materials used.
Question. What are a few of the payment methods accepted at Kate Spade?
Kate Spade accepts payments from all of the major sources. Credit and debit cards from VISA, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted over here and so are the third-party payment apps like Google Pay, PayPal, etc. In some cases, “Buy Now, Pay Later” services like Affirm and Afterpay can also be used for payments at the stores.
Question. What is the return policy at the stores?
Kate Spade’s return policy allows customers to return any unworn jewelry items to the stores within 30 days from the date of purchase. Any damage to the jewelry may cause the return request to get canceled. The refunds are usually made to the source from where the payment was made.
