Automic Gold Blog

What are you paying for when you pay for fine jewelry? People ask why fine jewelry is so expensive, yet are willing to shell out thousands for a designer bag, no questions asked. Leather costs a fraction of what fine metals and real diamonds cost, so why do we pay a 12x markup? It comes down to the power of big corporations.
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There are almost no big corporations in the jewelry industry, most makers are independent, small- to medium-sized businesses. We don’t put money into advertising campaigns to convince you that a 10x markup is worth it, but as a reward we are trusted less than big brands selling overpriced leather or clothing (industries with generally lower ethical production standards).
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No matter how high the high-end fashion, clothing will never hold its value compared to fine gold and diamonds. When you buy Automic Gold, you are investing in a luxury that lasts...

Picture this: a plus-size person walks into a jewelry store, looking for a simple ring with a unique design. Five minutes later, they’ve found the perfect piece—it’s delicate, it’s well-made, and it’s unlike anything they’ve seen before. When they try to put it on, it barely fits their pinky ring. They ask for a larger size and are told that’s the biggest they’ve got. That sends the message that plus-size bodies are less deserving of beautiful jewelry. And retailers should be ashamed of that message.

Do a quick Google search for “plus-size jewelry” and it’s limited to fashion brands—with no jewelry-making expertise—swimming out of their lanes. But if you’re looking for handcrafted, minimalist jewelry? The options disappear. Instead of running from the scarcity of items available in larger sizes, we decided to do something about it.

The majority of America wears plus sizes—and millions of people are sick of being...

More than two thirds of American women wear plus sizes—and that’s not taking into account the men and non-binary folks who fit into that category. Even so, only about 2.3 percent of women’s apparel caters to those sizes; the number drops to .1 percent for luxury retail brands. When it comes to jewelry in plus sizes, the choices are relegated to fast-fashion clothing brands dabbling in the world of accessories. Excluding Automic Gold, fine jewelry in a full range of sizes doesn’t seem to exist.

So why are so many high-end retailers against being truly size inclusive? According to an op-ed in Business of Fashion, “Fashion, as a system, as a force, as commerce, as logic and as belief, is all about exclusion.” The article goes on...

From Shortest to Longest

The Biggest Pendant Goes to the Bottom

I recently got an email from a marketing agency that was preaching about the effectiveness of marketing to LGBTQ audiences, and how the LGBTQ community was a new target audience brands could utilize this season.

That got under my skin. Even before I started Automic Gold, I used to see pride stickers show up on facades of shops squarely on June 1st. And every year I had the same question: where were you the other 11 months?

I appreciate that companies are voicing their support for LGBTQ community. It’s a step that makes acceptance a reality and equality a realistic goal.

But I would love big brands to show their support just as visibly and loudly throughout the year.

And If You Have To...

1. Go beyond heteronormative cisgender couples being happy on beaches in your marketing. Hire queer non-white models. Hire fat queer models and disabled queer models....

Multi-pierced ears are so fun to style. You can stick to one statement look, or switch up the earrings for a myriad of fresh looks. 

Here's my advice and some ideas on how to style the earrings!

Go from big to small, or from long to short.

Start with the biggest or longest earring closer to your face, and go with smaller or shorter earrings as you move up the earlobe. That way you build an elegant graduated look.

And, if you want to bring a bit of punk energy, switch the order in opposite direction - from smallest to largest further away from the face.

If you're not sure what style to choose - stick to one metal.

Continue reading >

Cleaning plain real gold jewelry is very easy - just use water, soap, cloth or a soft brush.

 Note of caution: be careful not to drop your valuable piece into the sink! You can put a cloth over drain to prevent anything from falling down the drain.

First - if the piece is extra dirty you can leave it to soak in mix of soap and water overnight. That is essentially like a pre-wash.

If the piece got scratched up with use, use our polishing cloth to polish visible parts of the metal. Press hard when you polish. If scratches are serious and still don't go away - take it to a jeweler for a re-polish.

For gold jewelry with diamonds or cubic zirconia stones, steps above apply all the same. But in this case, be...

"A particularly famous jewelry brand's" gold earrings start at $500 a pair. Our comparable Bar Earrings are $149. Yes, they charge more for that famous name, but it's almost 4 times more expensive. Should we price our products higher and give you a mind-blowing 70% off coupon?

I believe that's wrong. A "fake" discount (that was included in the price) works because our minds are tricky. But in no way does it feels honest to me.

That's why I made a decision from the start not to leave room for a discount in our prices.

Why we don't do sales.

I am selling solid gold. It won't spoil like produce, won't fade after cleaning like clothes, and won't devalue like a certain fancy iGadget in September.

Price of gold was $35/ounce just a 100 years ago....

Gold-Plated

Value: Usually the cheapest option. Contains real gold, but very little (about one gram of real gold in one pint of solution can be used to plate thousands of pieces!). Cheaper jewelry will have a very thin plating which wears off fast, but some higher quality brands will have a thicker plating with an additional protective coating to help it last longer.

How to find: Will have no quality mark on the jewelry, but may have company name/logo stamped.

Gold-Plated over Sterling Silver

Value: Still gold plated metal, but with valuable sterling silver. Sterling silver is a sought-after material ($0.57 per gram*) while still being very affordable compared to gold ($43.40 per...

Hi!

Al here, founder of Automic Gold. I want to share with you my story: how I started working in the jewelry industry and why I design my own jewelry.

I migrated into the USA in 2009, when the world was going through a finacial crisis and I couldn't find a job for a really long time. I didn't have any relatives or friends here, so I was really desperate. The only job I could find at the time, was giving out fliers for a jewelry store. So I took it. I was paid $4 and hour :/ I didn't know it was illegal at the time, but I still did it.  After this I was working as a jewelry store clerk, as assistant to the manager and then the store manager. And right now I have my own business. Yayyyy! American dream, right? (no sarcasm...