All Things Desiderate ... Blog

Sharing the story of Helen Vaughan, a lovely Desiderate customer, with permission from her four daughters. 

It was only after her death that we discovered what we meant to Helen Vaughan. To us, she was a valued customer, who was clearly enjoying shopping with us. Our pick and pack team would spot her name and address on another order and say ‘Helen’s shopping up a storm again!’ 

The loyalty of our customers means the world to us, and Helen was nothing if not loyal! 

But we had no idea of the full extent of the story. In June 2022, the orders stopped. And then we heard from Helen’s daughter Lisa. And she wanted to let us know how we brought her a lot of pleasure in the last months of her life.

What is gold vermeil? 

Gold vermeil is a popular metal used in jewellery. Gold vermeil features a sterling silver base material and plated with gold that is at least 10 carats. To be officially titled gold vermeil in Australia, the gold plating needs to be at least 1 micron thick.

To officially join the gold vermeil club, a piece must have: 

• a sterling silver base material with 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other materials such as brass or copper 
• be plated in gold that is at least 10 carats - which is 41.7% gold content 
• have gold plating that is at least 1 micron thick 
• a perfect parallel parking record 

(Okay, the last one is sketchy, but the top three criteria are very strict.)

Check out our new jewellery virtual try-on tool and enter the draw to win a $100 gift voucher! We are super excited about the rollout of our new jewellery virtual try on tool. 

Just quietly, we think we are the first Australian jewellery retailer to feature this technology on our website. (We were never first in anything back in high school so it’s a big deal for us!) 

In case you missed it, the virtual try on tool is the next best thing to trying on our jewellery in person. 

And to celebrate the rollout of our technology across the Desiderate product range, we’re giving you the chance to win a $100 gift voucher every month.

Our customers often ask us ‘Why don’t you make adjustable rings?’ 

We know that you like the idea of adjustable rings, as it eliminates the problem of getting the wrong ring size. This is especially important if you are purchasing a gift — it’s not easy to buy someone a ring and get the sizing right! 

Another reason people like adjustable rings is the flexibility. If your hands tend to swell with heat or exercise, you like the idea of being able to change your ring size accordingly. So yes, we understand completely why you like adjustable rings! 

Unfortunately, adjustable rings are problematic because

It's been challenging learning new skills after being mostly a stay at home mum for a while and I've found that I love learning new things, putting my brain to work and developing computer skills.

Also I love looking at the beautiful gems all day, being part of a team and getting to know our customers.

Rose Quartz is definitely my favourite gemstone, I love that it represents love, all kinds of love. Family love, romantic love and importantly love for yourself and looking after ourselves. The colour is gentle, beautiful and it makes me happy.

Cleaning your jewellery! 5 things you need to know

Don't dull your own sparkle – clean those gems!

Maybe you racked up an Afterpay account that makes you bank account shriek, just a little, maybe you've collected a treasure trove of jewellery beauties over a series of birthdays – your pieces are your bling and you love them. Keep them shiny and safe by cleaning them, the right way.

Every girl needs to know how to shine her jewels because nobody got time for dull gems.

Desiderate's ground breaking new Virtual Try On system will change the way you shop! You can actually see how it looks, on you, just like trying it on in a shop, amazing, right?

Our new Virtual Try-On system uses the camera technology on your device to capture a real-time image of how a product will suit you when it’s being worn. This is a game changer and I'm super excited to be one of the first to offer it to you. Why buy jewellery from another online store when you can virtually try our pieces on?

Sure, chocolate tastes delicious… but once it’s gone, it’s gone.

When you gift jewellery to your loved ones this Easter, you’re giving a gift that will last well past the long weekend. It’s not just enjoyed for a day or two - it’s a gift that will last a lifetime.

Looking for gift ideas this Easter that don’t include chocolate? We’ve got you covered! We have compiled a list of reasons why jewellery is better than chocolate.

Individuals with April birthdays are said to be work-oriented, passionate, hard working and loyal folks, which makes them a handy friend to have.

If you're lucky enough to be born in April, you will likely already know that the April Birthstone is none other than the Diamond. This stone is known for its durability and healing powers, with the Diamond birthstone being a beacon for longevity, strength, beauty and happiness. What a stone!

The downside to this beautiful stone? Diamonds are extremely rare and as such, are extremely expensive.

This Valentines Day celebrate your own love for you. Buy your own Valentines gift. Forget the cheesy card though. That's not right. Don't buy yourself one of those.

You ARE allowed to think of yourself you know? You can buy your own Valentines present. Really. I give you permission. 

Don't be secretly disappointed when you don't receive something you deserve, take the pressure off and buy it for yourself.

You can do it anytime, any day of the week.  How fun is it when you can’t sleep so you turn on your phone and you start seeing fashion or jewellery ads pop up and next thing it’s 2 am and you are the proud new owner of three rings, 2 x pairs of shoes and an Air Fryer!

Just takes your mind off the insomnia for a brief moment in time, helps balance out that serotonin to help engage back to sleep.

If you’ve found yourself googling ‘Where to find plus size rings in Australia’ or are looking for hints and tips on how to shop for large sized rings for women, you’re in the right place.

Here at Desiderate, we offer top quality silver rings to fit fingers of all sizes – rings for small fingers, rings for large fingers, and everything in between. Many of our customers have been told in the past that it can be difficult to find rings for ‘fat fingers’, but we do our best to cater for everyone!