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A Sustainable Gold Necklace, a Pre-Loved Dress & a Quiet Day in Manhattan

My sustainable shopping habits does not end with clothes, I am also looking to shop more sustainably for accessories and even furniture.  Much like handbags I have stopped buying cheap throw away jewelry. You think you are getting a deal when you buy inexpensive jewelry; but when you buy junk jewelry at $20 a pop it only lasts 6-8 months before the “gold” is removed and you are left with a crappy piece of broken down metal. I now only buy quality jewelry that is preferably, made sustainably and cruelty free. So I was over joyed when Au-Rate reached out to me, this was a brand that I could really get behind and they are based right here in New York, Brooklyn to be exact. 

The piece I am wearing is the Geometric Hamsa necklace. A Hamsa is an open palm generally thought to be the right hand, and is supposed to offer protection and ward off the evil eye. So, it is a no brainer I chose this piece, we could all use a little protection in these trying times. Au-Rate uses only 14- and 18-karat gold, pearls from Japan and the South Sea and S1-Clarity diamonds. So you can be rest assured the materials are cruelty free as well as excellent quality. But the best part? The beautiful, contemporary, on trend designs. I love when a company hits all the marks for me: sustainable, locally made, gorgeous designs, and relatively affordable. The pieces range from $100 to up to $680 if they include diamonds.

I am excited to drop in to one of their stores here in New York, but for those who do not live near one of their stores they have free shipping, home try-on, and a life time warranty.  So if you are in the market for good quality, beautifully made, sustainable jewelry be sure to head on over to Aurate.com

Much like the last week’s post my look is a combination of pre-loved and new items. The super on-trend trench dress is from Banana Republic and I got it at a second-hand thrift shop in North Port, Long Island. I paid $26 for it, and it even had dry cleaning tags on it, how cool is that? I paired it with my cheeky red Hello Kitty bag from PINKO and the dad like scuba sneakers are from Micheal Kors. The sunnies are fast fashion and are from Forever 21 I believe, and the ring is hand-made and from Italy.

I shot this look with Elle of the Elle Diaries who took these photos. It was a nice quite day in Manhattan as most people had left the city for the shores. After the shoot we had a lovely dinner at a sidewalk cafe and with the sunny skies and low humidity it was a wonderful way to end the day.

Photos of me by Elle, jewelry photos, art direction and photo manipulation by moi

Disclosure: This post features products received in exchange for review. All thoughts are entirely my own.

63 comments

  1. So lovely that you’re dedicated to sustainability! We can all learn from this. Gorgeous look – especially the sunglasses xx

    http://www.qustomquinns.com/blog

  2. I absolutely love your bag babe! Such a cool pop of colour x

    http://carmelatte.co/bridal-beauty-preparation/

  3. I really like the dress!

    Federica
    http://www.federicadinardo.com

  4. I love Au-Rate!

    Jennifer
    Effortlessly Sophisticated

  5. That’s a very beautiful piece, dear! All your pictures are amazing.
    Adi xx | http://www.fancycorrectitude.com

  6. Yes to truly be sustainable we must go beyond just our clothes but all aspects of our lives. I stopped wearing cheap jewelry a few years ago and Aurate is one of my favorite resources for building up my collection of classic and sustainable jewelry. This is a fab outfit! You always d a great job of combining pre-loved and new with your looks!

  7. Love this chic look and I love aurate jewelry.

    xo
    Pinksole

  8. You look perfect in this styling, I love your necklace 🙂

  9. I love shopping at consignment stores. You found the perfect gem and adore how you styled it. Agree with you on the jewelry, Will check out Aurate.com

    Xx
    Nikki
    http://www.nikkilivinglife.com/blog

  10. Ooo that brand sounds so good, and the piece you’re wearing is beautiful!

    http://www.sundaydahlias.com

  11. Love that pretty necklace! It’s so important to consider our impact on the planet with what we do and the companies we choose to support. You whole outfit is really cute too!

    xx Jenifer
    https://www.theevolista.com/better-vacation-pictures/

  12. Pretty necklace. Love the bag as well.

    http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com

  13. This dainty necklace looks very gorgeous on you! I do love to invest in good quality pieces too, as you can wear them over and over again.

    xx Simone
    Little Glittery Box

  14. You look great!
    I love everything in your outfit.
    Nice sneakers.

    Ann
    https://roomsofinspiration.blogspot.com/

  15. Love this delicate necklace! I also adore this chic shirtdress. Amazing look!

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

  16. This is such a cool outfit, Allie! I love your dress and all of your accessories! That necklace is absolutely beautiful. Hope you have a wonderful week! XXX

  17. Love your dress and how you styled it! Also gorgeous accessories!

    jointyicroissanty

  18. This necklace is very beautiful and it is so precious that it is sustainable. Loving your outfit too Allie, xoxo

    https://SatinOfLux.com | Fashion Blog by Dess

  19. You look great in this outfit! Love that pre-loved BR dress, and how you paired with those shoes and bag. And of course, that necklace is super awesome. I so agree that it’s better to pay for quality stuff than to keep buying cheap ones, you know? That Hamsa necklace looks lovely. I am a total believer in wearing amulets:)

  20. Allie, I just got one of their rings and it’s lovely. Can’t wait to share it on the blog. And I’m loving your bag.

    http://www.ohtobeamuse.com

  21. Such a pretty piece- and love how you’ve styled this look. Those sneakers are TOO DAMN COOL!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

  22. Hello allie
    I usually buy silver jewelry, the price of gold is probitive nowadays !!
    From time to time I buy some jewelry but very seldom only if I like the piece very much.
    I think we have to be more conscious in our consumption !!
    But you are very beautiful, the bag is gorgeous! And the jewelry is very delicate, just like you !!!

    xoxo

    marisasclosetblog.com

  23. I like your shoes Dear:*
    Kisses:*
    New post -> http://WWW.KARYN.PL

  24. Such a beautiful necklace, I like design and story behind it. Also I really like your outfit, it is casual, cool and chic in the same time. Thank you for inspiration.

    New Post – http://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2019/06/dolce-gabbana-antology-3-limperatrice_25.html

  25. I can’t agree with you more, you are perfectly right and we should all stop and reflect on this matter.
    P.S: your look is very fashionable and the necklace is absolutely gorgeous in this combination.

  26. Loving your style !!! The sunglasses are amazing ~

  27. I’m all about the gold details! I think it’s pretty amazing that there is a push for sustainable jewelry as well. I hate buying cheap jewelry, not only because I am allergic, but because they don’t last long. Thank you for introducing this new website. I am definitely going to check them out right now! Enjoy your week!
    PerlaGiselle | iamperlita.com
    ♥ | INSTAGRAM

  28. Nice to be aware about this jewellery brand, that is such a cute necklace. Love your outfit and that bag is the cutest.

    http://www.busyandfab.com

  29. Beautiful necklace, and I love the fact that the brand is sustainable 🙂

    xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY

  30. I’ve been addicted to searching gold necklaces and pendants online because I badly want to buy another one for myself. I love the design of your necklace! 🙂 Btw, your shoes are so so cute! <3

    xoxo,
    SHAIRA
    http://www.missdream-girl.blogspot.com

  31. I had no idea what kind of process it takes in creating a piece of jewellery!
    Really love your bag as well <3

    LackaDaisy

  32. What a lovely necklace! I’m familiar with Hamsa sign and I like how it looks in a more geometric form. This is a beautiful necklace you got and it looks nice with this outfit. It’s a classical piece, I think it will look good with everything. AUrate seems like a lovely brand. I checked their site and their necklaces have a great elegance about them. The prices are great considering the value one gets for these beauties.

    I agree with what you said about fast fashion accessories and jewelry. Better to invest into something of better quality. Your devotion to ethnic and sustainable purchases is to be applauded. You’re right about fast fashion metallic fading away quickly. One can find decent quality ones, but one has to really look for it. I rarely buy gold anymore because of the robberies (I heard of several ladies being attacked for gold in Mostar). In fact, when our old home was robbed it was mostly the gold that the thief was aiming for and got away with. I only have a few gold pieces left. Maybe with this gold accessory trend they will stop because the thieves won’t be able to tell the difference between the fake and the real gold? I hope so.

    Your outfit is gorgeous. That pre-owned dress suits you so well and I love the sneakers you have paired it with. The bag is a beauty as well. I can’t decide whether I prefer the gold belt or the original trench one with this dress, both options are fab. You look fantastic in this styling. The photographs are wonderful.

  33. loving the dress sneaker combo this summer! And it goes perfect with that necklace

  34. This necklace is gorgeous, and I love that it is cruelty-free! Also that dress is absolutely amazing! Gorgeous styling!

    http://roadesque.com

  35. I am in love with this look and I enjoy how Aurate is sustainable as well!

  36. Love the safari dress on you, and so cute with the sneakers!

    House of Illusions

  37. I think sustainable fashion is becoming a trend, and I hope it stays forever! Such a great thing to do! I love this necklace too, it’s so sleek and simple, such a timeless piece. Love the dress too! Thanks for sharing, have a lovely day.

    Emily
    https://itsemilystephens.weebly.com/

  38. dress sneaker s the best combo…love the pop of colour
    http://www.stylebasket.in

  39. Gorgeous necklace and love the dress! Hope you are having a great week.

    Gemma x
    http://www.jacquardflower.uk

  40. I have heart of Aurate this necklace is stunning!
    xo Annie
    New England Romance

  41. I love fine jewelry! I’ve bought a few pieces from Mejuri and haven’t found that I needed anymore; I also believe in buying a few good pieces to last a long time. I’ve heard great things about Au Rate as well! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

  42. Dear Allie, you are so good in shopping sustainable! Love your pre-loved dress and also your necklace is wonderful as well as your bag and your shoes. In our home we have a lot of vintage furniture and partly we own them already since decades – and I still like them 🙂
    xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
    http://www.dressedwithsoul.com

  43. That necklace is really cute and I am loving the Hello Kitty bag you paired with it, Allie!
    Raindrops of Sapphire

  44. Great look! And thanks for visiting my blog!

    My blog: Street Style City

  45. I love the dress with the sneakers! great outfit!
    kelseybang.com
    4allthingsdisney.com

  46. That necklace is so cute! And it will go with anything! I’ve been working on investing in quality, classic pieces over the years. They are my go-to items!

  47. I love how conscious you are about your jewelry!! And loving this dress!
    xx jen
    http://lilthoughtswithjen.com/

  48. That’s such a cute little shirt dress and I like the bright red bag and gold accessories with it. Your necklace is so adorably dainty! I agree, it’s sometimes better waiting and saving up for a special piece rather than buying a lot of cheaper pieces that won’t last as long!

    Hope that you are having a good week 🙂

    http://awayfromtheblue.blogspot.com.au

  49. Outfit on point <3

  50. what a cool spots!
    love your post!

    https://www.itzytrendy.com/2019/06/new-jumpsuit.html

  51. Lovely style!! I like you sunglasses.

  52. That necklace is beautiful! I love how minimal it is but the meaning behind it is powerful. You’re right that it is better overall to buy good quality sustainable jewelry, especially since you’ll be able to own it for many years to come. I will definitely be checking out more of their pieces. And I love your outfit! The trench dress looks so good with the sneakers and pop of red of the bag!

    x Kara | http://karascloset.net

  53. Love those geometric gold earrings you have!

  54. Such a chic and edgy look dear! Love the combo, really pretty pop of red from the bag too.

    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

  55. I LOVE the Geometric Hamsa necklace! The meaning of Hamsa is to brings the owner happiness, luck, health and good fortune. It is an inspiration for me to get my own necklace as well.

  56. you look so glam! that little necklace adds a great touch to your whole outfit! 🙂

  57. OMG that necklace!!!

  58. What a beautiful necklace!! I also love that you paired the dress with the sneakers to create a more casual look! You look great!!!

  59. I really like the shoes you are wearing in the photos. What kind are they?!

  60. I love your outfit! I’m also trying to stay away from jewelry that is cheap and invest in higher quality pieces that will last! The necklace that you are wearing is beautiful!

    Tracy
    https://www.findyourdazzle.com

  61. Way to go Allie! You look amazing. I love this outfit when you posted it on Instagram. Effortlessly chic! That necklace is so lovely. Sounds like a great brand.

    https://www.missymayification.co.uk

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