No matter who you are or what your personal take on fashion may be, looking good without overspending tends to be a primary concern. Well, that is of course unless you have endless disposable income to play with, but as this doesn’t apply to 99.9% of the population, we’ll focus on the real world.

Much as they may deny it, most women would love the opportunity to splurge on the most outlandish and expensive jewellery on the market. Realistically however, gazing through the Cartier store-front is the closest most will ever get to blowing five-figures on a whim, but this doesn’t for one moment mean you have to compromise your overall look, simply due to budget restrictions.

According to the experts at Bella Fashion Queen, there are so many ways and means by which buying budget accessories can make you look like you spent a fortune on your outfit. It’s all about replicating the look of genuinely luxe accessories and add-ons, without actually having to go and pick up the overpriced branded variety.

Here’s a look at just a few tips on looking a million dollars while spending pocket change…or thereabouts:

1 – Non-Shiny or Matte Metals

The problem with shiny metals when it comes to accessories is that even close up, it’s difficult to tell the difference between expensive metals and completely valueless metals. In fact you’d have a hard time knowing what was simply painted plastic, which is precisely why matte metals and those without shiny surfaces in general never fail to look classy and sophisticated. The matte finish really is the in thing right now when it comes to accessories, so if you’d like to amp up the impact of your look, consider toning down the shininess.

2 – Think Small

Here’s the thing – realistic as it may be, there isn’t a chance in hell that anyone is going to believe that enormous stone dangling from your neck is in fact a real diamond. If it was, you have more money than the Queen of England and God combined…which of course you haven’t. As such, it’s instantly obvious that what you’re wearing is a cheap and mass-produced imitation of something no real person could ever afford. By contrast, when and where you adorn yourself with rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets and so on with much smaller, perhaps even humble-looking stones, it’s almost impossible to distinguish them from the real thing. And what’s more, toning things down in such a way also increases overall elegance.

3 – Wear One Colour

The same also goes for the colours of the stones you choose to wear as while there’s much to be said for the beautiful visual impact of combining a whole bunch of different coloured stones, this once again simply confirms that none of them are real. The simple fact of the matter is that it’s largely unheard of to see those with tens of millions of dollars-worth of jewels about them rocking diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds all the same time. Instead, it’s far more elegant and convincing to choose one colour and wear it as effectively as possible.

4 – Favour Style Over Trends

Just as is the case with all clothing across the board, genuinely incredible jewellery never goes out of fashion. The same also goes for even the cheapest of accessories on the market as there is a very big difference between buying into temporary fads and selecting accessories that have been and will continue to be universally relevant for decades.

5 – Pick Up a Pearl

The fact that pearls don’t tend to be worn as often these days as other precious stones is precisely why they represent such a fantastic choice when accessorising.  Of course, this doesn’t for one moment mean you have to shell out (no pun intended) the eye-watering price of real pearls as in the eyes of almost anyone you’ll ever meet, it’s largely impossible to tell the difference. And again, to wear a single pearl or just a couple of pearls here and there gives a much greater image of sophistication and expensiveness than wearing 350 pearls that are obviously fake.

6 – Go Minimal

Last but not least, you’ve probably noticed a theme of minimalism throughout this entire article and that’s exactly the mind-set you should be looking to get into. The reason being that unless you are Mr. T, nobody is going to be fooled into thinking any of the accessories you are wearing cost more than a few pennies if you are wearing 12kg of bracelets and bangles. By contrast, if all you are wearing is one extremely elegant bracelet and an understated yet perfectly coordinated necklace, who’s to know they aren’t in fact real diamonds you’re rocking?