Does Kendra Scott jewelry tarnish?

The plating can wear and the brass underneath can then react with skin. Keeping pieces dry and wiping them after wear extends the finish substantially.

Is Kendra Scott real gold?

The mainline is 14K gold plating over brass, with some 14K gold-filled pieces. The separate fine jewelry line uses solid gold.

How do you clean Kendra Scott jewelry?

A dry or barely damp soft cloth on the metal only. Avoid jewelry dips and ultrasonic cleaners — both strip plating and can loosen or discolour set stones.

Where is Kendra Scott jewelry made?

The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and manufactures overseas, with the in-store Color Bar assembly done on site.

Kendra Scott

Austin-born fashion jewelry built around cut natural stones.

Base metal: Brass, some 14K gold-filled
Finish: 14K gold plating and rhodium
Stones: Natural and dyed stones, glass, drusy
Typical price: $50–$150
Founded: Austin, Texas, 2002

A gold-plated band with green corrosion spreading along the outside where the plating has worn through to the brass. — How gold plating over a brass base ages once the finish wears through.

Our take

The most recognisable American fashion jewelry brand of the last two decades. Excellent gifting, colour and customisation — but it is brass under the gold.

Kendra Scott built a national brand on one recognisable idea: a faceted stone in a plain bezel, offered in dozens of colours, at a price that makes it an easy gift. The Elisa pendant and Danielle earrings are the pieces most people picture.

It is the rare fashion brand with real retail presence — its own stores, plus Nordstrom and Dillard's — which is why so many searches for it are people standing in a store deciding whether the price is fair.

What Kendra Scott actually makes

Fashion jewelry first: pendants, drop earrings, stacking rings and bracelets, refreshed constantly by colourway rather than by silhouette. There is a smaller fine jewelry line in solid gold with real diamonds, and a Color Bar customisation programme in stores.

The company also runs licensed and collaboration collections, which is why searches for things like a Dolly Parton line or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders pieces show up alongside the core catalogue.

Materials and whether it tarnishes

The mainline pieces are brass plated in 14K gold or rhodium. Brass under plating is the important detail: once the plating thins, the base metal underneath can react with skin, which is where the green-finger reports come from. Some pieces use 14K gold-filled, which is a much thicker gold layer and lasts considerably longer.

Care matters more here than with a steel-based brand. Keep it out of the shower and off before workouts, wipe it after wear, and the plating lasts years rather than months. The fine jewelry line, being solid gold, has none of these issues.

Is it worth the price?

For what it is — a designed, widely stocked, giftable piece with real stone in it — the mainline pricing is defensible but not cheap. You are paying for the design, the brand and the store experience, not for the metal content.

The brand discounts heavily and often, and runs an outlet section. Very little in the mainline catalogue needs to be bought at full price.

Where it stands

What works

Instantly recognisable designs with genuine stone
Enormous colour range, easy to match or gift
Available to try on in person across the US
Separate solid-gold fine line if you want to upgrade

What to know first

Brass base means plating wear shows on skin
Mainline prices are high for plated brass
Not shower- or gym-safe
Frequent sales make full price feel like a mistake

Best for: Gift buyers and anyone who wants colour and recognisable design more than metal value.

See current Kendra Scott pricing

Prices and stock change constantly, so we do not print them. Check the current range directly.

Check price

Common questions about Kendra Scott

Does Kendra Scott jewelry tarnish?: The plating can wear and the brass underneath can then react with skin. Keeping pieces dry and wiping them after wear extends the finish substantially.
Is Kendra Scott real gold?: The mainline is 14K gold plating over brass, with some 14K gold-filled pieces. The separate fine jewelry line uses solid gold.
How do you clean Kendra Scott jewelry?: A dry or barely damp soft cloth on the metal only. Avoid jewelry dips and ultrasonic cleaners — both strip plating and can loosen or discolour set stones.
Where is Kendra Scott jewelry made?: The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and manufactures overseas, with the in-store Color Bar assembly done on site.