Although the stones are less stringent than say, sapphires or emeralds, it’s all about your personal preference—your wardrobe, your lifestyle and your budget. For Lo the benefits of semi-precious stones are tremendous. They include:

Affordability: Semiprecious stones don’t break the bank the way precious stones do, and they come in different shapes, sizes and colours.

Durability: Semi-precious stones may not be as hard as diamonds, but they are still very resistant to indentation.

Imperfection: With precious stones, the need for perfection is very high, but with semi-precious, the flaws add to their charm.

Easy aftercare: Semi-precious stones can be wiped clean with damp cloth and look good as new.

See also: Looking Sharp: 9 Standout Jewellery Pieces From Chopard

Real amber will float in water. To test whether you have bought real or fake, place the stone in one litre of water and dissolve 140 grams of salt in it. If the stone is real, it will float. If it’s fake, it will sink to the bottom. Real amber is lighter than fake, if you have pieces that are the same dimensions. Real amber should ideally be clear but streaks and cloud formation inside wax amber are deemed interesting by some.