I discovered a new brand that makes owning delicate gold jewelry actually affordable

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• AUrate is a direct-to-consumer site that is making fine jewelry more accessible and transparent.
• Its ethically sourced and real gold rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are beautifully simple and add a touch of luxury to your everyday life.
• You can get many of these pieces for under $500, making them a great gift option.

When you go jewelry shopping, you pretty much have two options. The first, fine jewelry, is way out of your price range, and you can only lust for it behind a carefully polished glass case as the boutique associate watches you from the corner of his eye.

The second is cheap jewelry you can get at any retail store that's just painted gold or silver and that you could care less about losing. Since I don't have sensitive skin that reacts poorly to less-than-pure substances, I tend to go for the latter and have a healthy collection of Forever 21 and H&M jewelry. I really wish I could own and cherish fine jewelry, but I can't justify paying a few month's rent for a ring.

Sophie Kahn and Bouchra Ezzahraoui recognized this wide open gap and jumped headfirst into it by starting their affordable fine jewelry company AUrate. Just as the direct-to-consumer model has disrupted many other industries, it's proving to make total sense for the slow-to-change traditional fine jewelry industry.

When you shop at AUrate, you're getting the fair price, no high wholesale markups attached. According to AUrate, traditional jewelry can be marked up to 20 times the cost - that's a ton of money you could be putting elsewhere.

AUrate not only interrupts the chain to get you lower prices, but also ensures materials are sourced ethically.

Materials are sourced in accordance with high standards of social, environmental, and human rights practices, while diamonds and pearls are purchased from conflict-free regions. It's a guilt-free buying experience, for your wallet and your conscience.

The jewelry itself is beautifully classic and wearable. I personally wore my solid circle necklace ($250) every day for a week because it just went with everything and was the perfect simple finishing touch. Made from real 14k and 18k gold (a couple ways you can tell is by looking for a stamp that marks the karat weight and if it's not magnetic), the rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings all look and feel amazing. Whether you feature it as a dainty standalone piece or layer pieces on top of each other, the jewelry is elegantly versatile.

As you shop for jewelry this Valentine's Day, look to AUrate for affordable luxury, gorgeous simplicity, and ethically made pieces. See some of the jewelry from AUrate for yourself below.