How We Research
Every guide on Lustre Journal is researched the same way: from primary sources where possible, compared across sellers, and written so that a reader can check our work.
Where our information comes from
We start from primary sources: grading standards from gemological laboratories such as the Gemological Institute of America, hallmarking and labelling rules, care guidance from trade bodies, and the published terms of retailers and brands. For brand reviews, we use publicly available information about a company's history, its published product lines, and its widely reported market position, including brand-recognition surveys such as those published by YouGov and company reports where they are public. We do not rely on a single retailer's description of its own products, and we do not reproduce a brand's marketing claims as facts.
How we handle prices
We never publish an exact price as a fact. Prices are reported as typical ranges, qualified with words such as typically or around, and dated as of November 2026, because exact prices change constantly and vary by retailer and by region. A range is compiled by comparing several independent jewelers and reputable online retailers. If we cannot establish a range from more than one source, we say so rather than inventing one.
What we will not publish
- We do not publish invented review scores, star ratings, sales figures, or test data. If we have not measured something, we say so.
- We do not present ourselves as representing any brand, and we make no claim to be a brand's own website. We use no brand logos and no product photographs.
- We do not publish sponsored content or paid placement. We accept no payment for coverage, and we have no commercial relationship with any brand mentioned on this site.
- We do not publish affiliate links at present. Our Affiliate Disclosure explains what will happen if that changes.
A note on images
Photographs on this site are real photographs, not illustrations: free stock photographs from Pexels, hosted locally on this site. Each photograph shows a generic category of jewelry — a ring, a bracelet, a necklace — and is not a photograph of any brand's product. We use no brand logos and no product photographs. Photographers are credited on our About page.
How often we update
We review our guides when the facts change: when grading standards are revised, when a brand changes a product line or a policy we describe, or when a reader reports an error. Price ranges are dated, and a range that is more than a year old should be treated as a rough guide rather than a current figure. Each guide shows its publication date, and significant corrections are noted on the page.
How to report an error
If you spot a mistake, email lb702031584xc@gmail.com or write via our contact page. Tell us the page, the statement, and what you believe is correct, with a source if you have one. We check every report, and we correct errors promptly. For a significant factual correction, we update the article and note that it was corrected.
Who writes the guides
All guides are written by Alex Carter, the editor of Lustre Journal. Read more about him and about the site on our About page, and read our full standards in our Editorial Policy.