12 affordable jewellery brands, worn and rated for style and quality

From hoops that won’t tarnish to chains that won’t break, these elegant gems are the best demi-fine pieces around, whether you’re treating yourself or spoiling a loved one

Anyone who has spent their teenage years scrubbing green marks off their fingers and wrists will be all too familiar with the perils of cheap jewellery. No one wants hoop earrings that tarnish on their first wear or flimsy chains that break easily. You’ll just end up spending more and sending things into landfill.

Finding well-made, beautifully designed jewellery around the £100 mark used to be almost impossible, but there has been a boom in the mid-range market over the past decade. London has emerged as a centre for demi-fine (the term for jewellery that sits between fine and high street), as designers frustrated that the only options were flimsy costume pieces or fine diamonds and stones started to make the jewellery they wished they could buy.