Mixed in with all the costume jewelry and tacky pins often found at the secondhand shop, there is occasionally a genuine and beautiful piece. A lucky thrifter scored a gorgeous pendant at their local store.
Sharing a photo to Reddit in the r/ThriftStoreHauls community, one thrift shopper showed off the lovely jewelry they purchased. The picture shows a pendant with an intricate filigree design in 10-karat gold with a large purple amethyst stone set into it.
The original poster wrote: "I picked up this 10k gold and amethyst brooch/pendant at a thrift shop for $10 today."
Shopping at thrift stores is an enjoyable way to find new clothing, jewelry, and home goods while saving money (if you don't like to shop brick and mortar, plenty of apps are available to help you on your journey).
Even if you only purchase a small number of items at the thrift shop, you can save around $100 a year. CouponFollow reported that some shoppers could save around $1,700 a year by choosing secondhand.
Luxury online resale store myGemma wrote about the many benefits of buying pre-loved jewelry. Choosing thrifted items is affordable, and you may be able to find high-quality items for a fraction of the price. It's sustainable, too.
"By buying used jewelry, there will be less demand for new pieces to be made which would have otherwise strained the environment and extracted resources," myGemma explains.
Gold mining is an industry that strips land and can harm workers and the communities surrounding the mine. In fact, Earthworks' No Dirty Gold campaign found that "producing gold for one wedding ring alone generates 20 tons of waste."
By purchasing secondhand, you are giving items new life and helping reduce the environmental impact of the jewelry industry. Plus, you can find unique and affordable pieces that may come with a fascinating backstory.
People on Reddit loved this find.
"Gorgeous!" one person said.
Someone else commented: "Awesome."
"So pretty." wrote another Redditor.
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