<p>@saintfan I doubt that the ring is “heirloom” worthy. That’s what the OP wants. And for it to be something that will be passed on and on, it will cost a lot at Tiffanys</p>
<p>That’s just not true . . .</p>
<p>You are welcome to graciously have other suggestions without dissing my gift</p>
<p>And then there’s this . . .</p>
<p>Holly: You know those days when you get the mean reds? </p>
<p>Paul: The mean reds, you mean like the blues? </p>
<p>Holly: No. The blues are because you’re getting fat and maybe it’s been raining too long, you’re just sad that’s all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you’re afraid and you don’t know what you’re afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling? </p>
<p>Paul: Sure. </p>
<p>Holly: Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany’s. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that’d make me feel like Tiffany’s, then - then I’d buy some furniture and give the cat a name! </p>
<p>My STRONG advice is to NOT even look at jewelry stores. EBAY, consignment stores (surprisingly some have estate pieces for less than the melt value!), and I know people are leery of on-line stuff, but I have bought things at:
<a href=“http://www.lindaroberts.com/”>NameBright - Coming Soon;
<p><a href=“NameBright - Coming Soon”>NameBright - Coming Soon;
seems like it fits your description</p>
<p>which were good value.</p>
<p>But those places are a great place to look and find the style and sorts of things YOU like. It is free to look.
Also, don’t know if you have them in your area, but for our family, it was a tradition when we went to Reno, we would ■■■■■ the pawn shops. I just wore a beautiful BEAUTIFUL pearl necklace to a wedding that my DH bought be at a pawn shop in Reno. He negotiated the price down until he could pay for it with his winnings, LOL, but it is 30 years later, a treasured piece.</p>
<p>$200 is a small budget for an heirloom-worthy jewelry item. There are some thought after pieces that are not gold or silver yet they keep both their monetary and sentimental values well. Take Chanel costume earrings, for example…</p>
<p>Be very careful with jewelry on ebay. Places like Yoogi’s Closet and Fashionphile have some nice pieces and offer decent return policies on jewelry. </p>
<p>Funny but I never associated “heirloom” with a specific monetary value. I thought it was something characterized by the time in which it had been in the family. Something being passed down from generation to generation. Could be a christening or wedding dress, a piece of embroidery or a candy dish for that matter. </p>
<p>I should have been more clear NOT to buy at EBAY either, just to look to see what you like.
Thanks for catching that Bunsen</p>
<p>I’ve heard good things about Gemvara. Here’s a link to their gifts under $250:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.gemvara.com/b/gifts-under-250/”>http://www.gemvara.com/b/gifts-under-250/</a></p>
<p>Here’s Tiffany’s gifts $300 and under:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/CategoryBrowse.aspx?cid=563629&mcat=148207&lppromo=RPT557#p+1-n+10000-c+563629-s+5-r+-t+-ni+1-x+-pu+-f+-lr+-hr+-ri+-mi+-pp+”>http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/CategoryBrowse.aspx?cid=563629&mcat=148207&lppromo=RPT557#p+1-n+10000-c+563629-s+5-r+-t+-ni+1-x+-pu+-f+-lr+-hr+-ri+-mi+-pp+</a></p>
<p>When I graduated college, I went to a jeweler and had a custom piece of jewelry made that I love and had a stone that matched my school’s primary color. It was above $200 but I could’ve easily kept it under $200 with a different stone shape or by using silver instead of gold. That’s something to consider. </p>
<p>I do have to give a shoutout to Gemvara. I really loved their stuff when I was looking for an engagement ring. </p>
<p>I have to put a special plug in for lab-created jewels. They’re generally much cheaper and no one can tell the difference (no matter what some jewelry snobs tell you). </p>
<p>Romani’s suggestions are spot on. You will probably get more bang for the buck with a pendant (if you already own a chain) or a ring, since earrings usually require double the stones and work. </p>
<p>I don’t know where you live but wanted to echo the advice of others. Sterling silver from Tiffany’s can be very nice. Obviously has gone up since I purchased but I have a silver cuff that was a little over a hundred when I purchased it. Vintage jewelry is very affordable…if you do your homework. And with dealers you can do a little bargaining. What is your best price? versus This isn’t what I had in mind…it’s ugly but I could be talked into it.</p>
<p>If you have a discount jewelry store you may be able to get a pair of small diamond studs for around $200-$300 with moderate quality diamonds and for small earrings that should be fine.</p>
<p>I know many young people don’t think pearls but my daughter for her HS graduation got a string of pearls and a matching bracelet which she loved. Pearls can be affordable and last forever. Look at some of the modern multi-colored pearls they have today.</p>
<p>Here is the link to Ross Simon’s web site page that lists some offerings in the $100-$250 range. Really something for everyone here:
<a href=“http://www.ross-simons.com/jewelry/all/pearls,price-100-250/navigate.jsp”>http://www.ross-simons.com/jewelry/all/pearls,price-100-250/navigate.jsp</a></p>
<p>I like these earrings and they are quite the bargain:
<a href=“http://www.ross-simons.com/products/797673.html”>http://www.ross-simons.com/products/797673.html</a></p>
<p>Gemvara does seem to have a very wide selection; Tiffany has more than I expected in the price range as well (if you like silver). Happy shopping!</p>
<p>Here is just jewelry under $300</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/CategoryBrowse.aspx?cid=563632&mcat=148204&lppromo=RPT559#p+1-n+10000-c+563632-s+5-r+-t+-ni+1-x+-pu+-f+-lr+-hr+-ri+-mi+-pp+”>http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/CategoryBrowse.aspx?cid=563632&mcat=148204&lppromo=RPT559#p+1-n+10000-c+563632-s+5-r+-t+-ni+1-x+-pu+-f+-lr+-hr+-ri+-mi+-pp+</a></p>
<p>Thank you so much for the advice everyone. I’ve been browsing the websites everyone linked!! I just wanted to clear a few things up</p>
<p>-This may be an unpopular opinion, but I really dislike pearls. Although some of you linked beautiful pearl earrings and necklaces, they just aren’t for me
-$200 isn’t a huge budget, but heirloom to me doesn’t mean expensive. It means a piece that I got for a special reason and that has a story, ex: “Grandma got this for her 21st birthday, she was in the middle of recovering from a grueling surgery, this piece made her happy, etc…” That’s a true story btw!
-Following up on that, I am recovering from surgery so going to jewelry stores is a bit difficult right now. I do LOVE the idea of having a custom piece though…I’ll have to consider it. 
</p>
<p>The Tiffany silver pieces are really lovely.</p>
<p>I think a good string of pearls will cost well over $200. Mine were closer to $1000, and they are a shirt strand, nothing special.</p>
<p>If you wear sterling silver rings, they don’t seem to tarnish. I’m wearing one now that I polish once in a blue moon. It just doesn’t tarnish when I’m wearing it.</p>
<p>What about some kind of bracelet?</p>
<p>Both of my kids got something from Tiffany under $200 for their 16 birthdays, they both love what they got. But I’m not sure they know where the jewelries are.</p>