In order to end up with the choker best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.
Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of chokers are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in a choker.
Research the market: Choker essentials
The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the choker market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:
Types: Choker widths range from narrow to very wide; broad enough to enclose most of your neck. Chokers can have one or more pendants suspended from them and may be matched with a set of earrings.
You can choose from gold, silver, white gold, platinum, precious or semi-precious stones, pearls, colored beads, glass, enamel, velvet, leather, wood and Perspex.
Styles: A choker design can be clean and simple or ornate and elaborate to match the situation. For everyday wear, a simple choker with a minimum of glitz and glitter is probably appropriate for most people but elegant evening events demand more ostentation with pendants glittering with rhinestones or diamonds. Simple elegance can be achieved by using pearl chokers or thin wire chokers threaded with colorful stones.
Designs can also be native Indian, Victorian, retro 1920s or 1960s or contemporary.
Sizes: Most chokers have adjustable fasteners although some may be sized and will require fitting by adding or removing links in the choker chain. Chokers are also available in sizes to suit men's necks as some modern dress styles demand a choker as part of the outfit.
Cost: Chokers made from base metals, silver and semi-precious stones can be found at the inexpensive end of the market, whereas gold, platinum, rubies and diamonds could cost you 500 times the price.
Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself
Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a choker. For example, will you use the choker only for your wedding day, or do you want something you can wear everyday?
You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.
| Have I owned a choker before? |
| | If you have, work out what you did or didn't like about it. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to find something better, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found unsatisfactory. |
| Am I buying for myself or for someone else? |
| | When it comes to jewelry, taste is an important issue to consider. We all know what we like but your taste and the taste of the wearer may vary. If you are buying for someone else, try to find out what type of jewelry they like to wear - a person who likes diamonds may not like a leather choker. |
| What are the proportions of the wearer's neck? |
| | People with long, thin necks can get away with wearing just about any style of choker because they have the display space available. Those who have shorter, wider necks will be better served by a narrow choker or a choker with a pendant that is displayed with the help of a low-cut neckline on their dress. A wide choker on a short neck only makes the neck look even shorter, removing any semblance of elegance, so these should be avoided. |
| Does the wearer have reactions to certain metals? |
| | Although most jewelry is designed to use materials that will not cause an allergic reaction, some of the more exotic chokers made in the depths of Africa or on the Indian subcontinent may contain base metals that have not been selected so carefully. |
| How much will a choker cost? |
| | Choker prices vary depending on the materials used and the reputation of the designer, so it is worth working out the budget you can afford. |
Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.
Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of chokers and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.
Video Links
Buyz123.com Research Links:GeneralWhat is a choker?The choker necklace definedNeckline enhancing jewelry tipsTypesBeautiful bridal chokersOpal choker and othersAntique chokersStunning ruby, sapphire and gold choker