THE Bubble necklace

So I decided today to blog about a recent purchase -- one that I mulled over for nearly a YEAR before deciding to pull the trigger, so to speak. And that purchase would be the J. Crew Bubble necklace. Not the bubble-inspired necklaces on eBay or etsy, I'm talking the one that costs $150. The one that makes you ask yourself, 'are those folks at J. Crew CRAZY?' Or, 'am I crazy for even CONSIDERING such a purchase?'

I often read about bubble necklaces on my favorite blogs. Many bloggers love them, and of course, some hate how they look. Bloggers who love the bubble are divided on whether the price tag is worth it. I thought I would weigh in and give my own thoughts and experience on this controversial (LOL!) topic. I preface this to say that these are just my thoughts and opinions, and I'm sure others may respectfully disagree. I don't mean to offend anyone!

My very first bubble necklace was purchased from eBay about a year ago. From China, I'm sure. I thought it was a great deal, just $15 with shipping and it looked really close to the ones I saw in J. Crew. It had the same smooth, large size stones, it felt heavy, and the metal looked like it would last more than a month. I was happy with my purchase. However, I have yet to wear the necklace outside of my house. It's not that I worry or care that people would know it was a fake. In fact, it looks so close to the real deal that it would probably fool most. But for whatever reason, I have yet to wear it with an outfit.

Fast forward to a few months ago when I started frequenting J. Crew like every week. (No seriously, it's sometimes TWICE a week.) I always admired the bubble necklaces in the case in the middle of the store. And it always seemed like the colors would get better and brighter each month. The bright yellow, the deep red, the colorful green, the white.... I could go on. The one I always loved was the turquoise blue. I looked on eBay and etsy but those necklaces never could hold a candle to the one in store, at least in my eyes. The faceted stones looked cheap, the metal looked brittle. For some people that might be OK -- and that is fine -- but in my eyes, you get what you pay for.

Now, is the J. Crew bubble worth the $150 I paid? Of course not, but I am happy with my purchase. Here is why. 1) I bought the necklace from a reputable store, so should I have a problem, I know where to take it to complain. I was comforted by the fact that the store associates in the store said that no one who has purchased the necklace has ever come back to the store with a problem. 2) Like my LV bag, the necklace is somewhat of a status item and as such I am excited to wear it. The necklace is something I have wanted for a long time and saved up to buy. I already have worn it twice! 3) I managed to save at least a few bucks by using the purchase as an opportunity to open a store card. 4) It is one of the few J. Crew items that seldom if ever goes on sale. 5) It is timeless as the store has been selling these necklaces like hotcakes for the last few years. 6) I'm happy my money is supporting a US brand and not eBay counterfeiters. And even some (not all) of the etsy sellers are getting their bubbles in wholesale bulk from China, so be careful.

Anyway, here is my "pretty"

LOVE!!