Why Ethan Brodsky Started ORO DISTRICT

ORO DISTRICT started with a problem I knew personally.

Growing up, I always loved jewelry. But when I started buying it for myself, I kept running into the same two choices: the jewelry I really wanted was too expensive, while the affordable options often felt cheap, wore poorly, or even left my skin discolored.

I remember wearing inexpensive jewelry that turned my neck green. That experience made me realize how hard it was to find jewelry that looked and felt premium without paying traditional fine-jewelry prices.

That frustration eventually became ORO DISTRICT.

Building Better Jewelry at a More Accessible Price

I founded ORO DISTRICT in 2018 with a simple goal: offer jewelry with materials that will last and not cost a fotune.

I wasn't interested in creating another disposable fashion jewelry company. If I was, I would have opened a mall kiosk. This was something much bigger. I wanted to be known as the store where people are not getting ripped off.

I wanted to focus on the details customers may not immediately notice in a product photo: the metal underneath the finish, weight, clasp, stone setting, polish, construction, and how the piece actually feels when you wear it.

Those details still guide how we select and develop jewelry today.

Handmade in Arezzo, Italy

Our jewelry is handmade in Arezzo, Italy, a city known for its long tradition of jewelry manufacturing.

Depending on the piece, the process includes hands on casting, chain assembly, hand set stone settings, polishing, and a thorough quality inspection.

I remain closely involved with the products we offer because I believe a jewelry company should understand the jewelry it sells. All inventory is carefully inspected in-house and will not be shipped to the consumer unless it meets our strict quality control standards.

Materials Matter

My own experience with low quality jewelry is one reason materials are so important to ORO DISTRICT. Growing up, I had always wanted a gold chain but could never afford one. I thought there had to be an affordable solution but anytime I thought I found one, the chain would tarnish or turn my neck green. 

Our jewelry is nickel free, and we offer premium options including 925 sterling silver. Our sterling silver products are stamped 925. 

We also offer gold vermeil over sterling silver, along with 14K and 18K gold options.

I want customers to understand exactly what they're buying. Jewelry terminology can be confusing, and learning the differences between materials, construction, weight, and finishes makes it much easier to recognize real value. 

Every Piece Goes Through Quality Control

Every ORO DISTRICT piece is inspected before it ships.

We check overall quality and weight, along with details such as the finish, construction, stones, and clasp.

Our inventory is kept on hand and shipped from the United States, which gives us the opportunity to inspect our jewelry before it reaches the customer.

That quality-control process is something I take seriously.

Learning From Thousands of Customers

Since 2018, ORO DISTRICT has served thousands of customers, primarily men.

Over the years, I've learned a tremendous amount simply from the questions customers ask:

• What chain width should I buy?
• Should I wear a 20-inch or 22-inch chain?
• Will this turn my skin green?
• What does 925 mean?
• Is gold vermeil better than regular plating?
• How heavy should a quality chain feel?
• Which chain works best with my pendant?

Those real customer questions are also why we're putting more effort into educational content.

I don't want ORO DISTRICT to simply tell people what to buy. I want customers to understand jewelry well enough to make a better decision. Someone who doesn't know the ins and outs about jewelry can easily be tricked by the wording and I want to inform people so they can make educated decisions.

Listening to Our Customers

We're also using customer feedback and surveys to better understand what buyers care about.

In one survey of 500 ORO DISTRICT customers, 320 respondents—64%—said they believed stainless steel lasts longer than silver.

That doesn't scientifically prove one material lasts longer than another, but it does tell us how customers perceive durability and what matters to them when choosing jewelry.

We'll continue using customer feedback alongside our hands on experience to create more useful jewelry guides. At the end of the day, we are trying to educate the public so they can stop getting ripped off.

Still a Family-Owned Company

ORO DISTRICT remains a small family-owned business.

Whether someone is spending $75 or $10,000, I want them to feel like they're buying from people who actually care about the jewelry they sell and the customer receiving it.

That's why service, honest material information, quality control, and a 14-day return policy remain important parts of our business.

What ORO DISTRICT Stands For

The reason I started ORO DISTRICT hasn't changed.

I loved jewelry. The pieces I wanted were often too expensive, and too many affordable alternatives disappointed me.

So I wanted to build something better.

Today, ORO DISTRICT is focused on making handcrafted Italian jewelry accessible to more people while maintaining the details that make jewelry feel luxurious. Here at ORO, we have the piecee for everyone.

As we continue to grow, I'll keep sharing what I've learned about men's jewelry, materials, chain construction, sizing, care, Italian craftsmanship, and the questions our customers ask every day.

— Ethan Brodsky
Founder, ORO DISTRICT
Founded in 2018