Mason & Madison Co.

What to know about shopping at Mason & Madison Co.

Mason & Madison Co. is a New York fashion jewelry label working almost entirely in PVD 18K gold-plating rather than solid gold. That is worth knowing up front, because the product names lead with "18K Gold" and the distinction matters for both price and care. Necklaces are the bulk of the range, running from fine mother-of-pearl and pearl pendants to the chunky curb and wheat chains the brand is best known for, with bracelets, stacking rings, earrings and coordinated jewelry sets alongside them.

Sets are how the store merchandises itself, and they are also where the standing offers sit. The recurring promotion is money off a set rather than a percentage off a single piece, usually with a gift added and a minimum order value attached. That makes the offer worth more if you were buying a matched necklace-and-earring combination anyway than if you only want one item.

Gifting drives the calendar here. Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and the Christmas run are the peaks, and the bundles are packaged to be given rather than repacked, which is the main reason sets outsell individual pieces in those windows.

Two practical notes. Plated jewelry needs different care from solid gold, since perfume, chlorine and prolonged moisture all shorten the life of the finish. Put pieces on last, after fragrance, and take them off before swimming. And the brand advertises a lifetime warranty, so read what it actually covers before relying on it, because warranty terms on a plated finish usually treat ordinary wear differently from a manufacturing fault.

— MoneySaverCodes Team