The next generation of jewellery shoppers are looking for something real, but as analysts forecast they will never have the level of disposable income their parents did, when it comes to fine jewellery a balance has to be struck.

One of the early solutions to this problem was gold plating. Rather than plating base metals, brands chose to plate solid silver. This might seem like an unnecessary luxury to some, but the popularity of this trend was driven by a desire to buy into something real, a precious piece of jewellery, and silver plated with gold offered a much more affordable price point than solid gold.

Jenneifer Meyer shows off a selection of her delicate gold jewellery on her Instagram page.

While gold-plated silver jewellery continues to be popular, something confirmed by Stella Layton, the assay master at the Birmingham Assay Office in the UK, another way to give younger jewellery shoppers something real without breaking the bank is to use solid gold but in tiny amounts.

This delicate and dainty trend can be applied to all sorts of jewellery: barely-there chains with minuscule charms; super-thin rings, perhaps micro-set with diamonds; tiny studs. The trend applies itself best to yellow jewellery and the majority of examples you will find are in this alloy, with most US designers working in 14ct to hit the necessary price points.

The wafer-thin 14ct gold Lumiere necklace by Ariel Gordon has been set with three 1pt diamonds.

With gold price fluctuations hitting both consumers and jewellers, this is a trend that offers a flash of the real thing without incurring huge outlays for either party. Look out for TFL's upcoming new arrivals for some of these minimalist jewellery!

Adapted from www.jewellerynetasia.com