A good piece of jewelry can mean a great deal to you. It can be a beautiful accessory, a beloved memento or even a durable investment. Sometimes it takes a little learning to get the most out of your jewelry, though. These tips can point you in the right direction for buying, selecting and maintaining really excellent jewelry.
Many people see jewelry labeled as sterling silver plated and oftentimes think they’ve hit the jackpot when they purchase it at a very low price. In this case unfortunately, you do get what you pay for. This type of jewelry only contains a very thin coating of sterling silver on top of a cheap metal which can usually be identified as copper. The jewelry will eventually tarnish and cause the copper to show through underneath with enough wear.
Your jewelry should be durable and long-lasting. When purchasing your next jewelry item, focus on buying a quality, well-made piece. You can tell when jewelry is of high quality, due to the excellent craftsmanship. The jeweler should be able to give you a history on the piece, like who crafted it and where the stones came from if there are any. Making sure that it is high-quality will ensure that it lasts forever.
Compare lots of diamonds before you settle on one to buy. Look at what you want very closely, and keep that in mind so you can compare it with other diamonds you look at. However, be mindful that there are fraudulent ways to make the diamond look better than it is.
If you own hemp jewelry, never wear it in the shower or while swimming. Exposure to water will greatly reduce the lifespan of your hemp pieces. Always remove your jewelry prior to water related activities, and avoid wearing it on very humid days as well. This will keep your special pieces looking great for a long time.
Use a cloth dampened with a solution of water and a few drops of dish-washing liquid to clean your pearls. Lightly rub each pearl with the cloth, and allow them to air-dry. Never soak pearls, as doing so can cause massive damage to the integrity of the gem. Keeping your pearls clean ensures a long life for them.
Take proactive steps to minimize the number of times that you have to clean your jewelry. When getting dressed, put your jewelry on after you apply perfume and makeup. This will prevent the residue of these products from leaving a film on your jewelry. Also, remember to remove your jewelry before cleaning and doing other housework.
Educate yourself about the gems you have in mind before going to make a new purchase of jewelry. You need to know what questions to ask in order to avoid being taken advantage of by a jeweler. Nothing feels much worse than being ripped off for something you thought was a high quality product.
Once you have decided that you are going to purchase a piece of jewelry and are ready to start shopping, consider taking a friend or family member with you. This way, you have someone else to bounce ideas off of and another viewpoint for the items you are considering.
While it’s easy to point the finger at the metals in your jewelry causing your skin irritation, it could be as simple as the jewelry needing a good cleaning. Since bacteria and dirt can build up on your jewelry causing irritation, a warm water and gentle soap cleaning is recommended to rid the irritants and hopefully the bad reaction as well.
When purchasing jewelry, you should spend plenty of time comparison shopping within your price range so that you can get the best-quality jewelry available. Jewelry is one of those commodities where quality matters a great deal. A modest but well-crafted piece is a better buy than something which is extravagant but shoddy.
You can actually earn money off of your gold bracelets and necklaces without giving them up entirely. A few inches clipped off the end of the chain can be valuable, but still leaves you with a usable piece. If the chain is real gold, and there’s a lot of excess, you can make a couple hundred dollars without losing anything you need.
When buying jewelry for someone that you care about make sure that you buy something that suits them both in color and style. This is important because it would come across as you not paying attention to their likes and dislikes. You want to make your purchase a special one.
When considering jewelry for your wedding be sure that you shop for it in plenty of time for your wedding date. This is important so that you not only get the best prices for it but also to ensure that it is available for you with plenty of time to spare.
If you want to wear a necklace from your childhood years without looking immature or old-fashioned, layer it with larger, more modern necklaces to create a grouped look. A small heart pendant or simple cross adds personality to a bevy of other necklaces, whether they have something in common or not.
If you are purchasing a ring, engagement or just for fun, you need to be aware of the person’s ring size. You can do this by tracing the inside of the person’s ring on a postit note and then take it to your jeweler so they can size it based on your trace.
Hopefully, the information in this article has expanded your jewelry knowledge a bit. Almost every piece of jewelry is a potential treasure, but you will treasure your jewelry that much more if you have the savvy to treat it wisely. You can save money, make intelligent selections and enjoy longer-lasting jewelry if you take the time to educate yourself on the subject.
