You will never have enough information about jewelery. Even a seemingly trivial mistake could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. This article provides several practical tips about jewelry. With these tips, you can steer clear of potential pitfalls and have the best experience possible with buying, giving, and maintaining jewelry.
Do not use any chemicals on your jewelery stones. Doing so can destroy enamel finishes, while clouding stones and crystals.
If you are shopping unmarked sterling silver jewelry, then by all means bring a magnet. If the piece you are examining is not silver and is made from non-precious metal, it will be attracted to the magnet. True sterling silver will also have a mark on it to indicate its quality, such as “.925” or “ster”. Silver jewelry that lacks a hallmark may be a fake or composed of other metals.
Do they often wear hoop earrings, or stud earrings? Do they show a preference for white or yellow gold? This will give you a good idea of where to start when purchasing that special item.
Ask about insurance from your jeweler before purchasing a new piece. This is so that if something happens to your piece, you can return it to have it replaced or repaired. Some jewelers have insurance policies that cover lost of stolen jewelry, also.
If you are wanting to collect costume jewelry, you should ensure you are aware of its condition. While normally is a beautiful investment, a piece of costume jewelry that is in poor condition is not worth buying. Make sure you have a piece that is in excellent condition, because this will be a lot more fruitful for you down the road.
Costume jewelry has different, specific care requirements. These pieces are often put together with glue, which does not last as long as other methods. Don’t let them go under water or clean them with strong chemicals, or you could dissolve the glue. Use a gentle cloth, like microfiber, to clean it. One wet, then another, dry. This helps keep costume jewelry looking sparkling clean and new.
Keep your jewelry unsoiled by only putting it on after all of your makeup has been applied. All the grime and dust from your makeup attracts jewelry. Therefore, putting on jewelry beforehand can make the piece look dingy. It is especially important to follow this tip for necklaces and earrings.
Know what you want to do with jewelry prior to purchasing it. Having a lot of never worn jewelry is not necessary. As you shop for jewelry, try to envision whether you can see yourself wearing a piece with your current wardrobe.
Selling jewelry online requires you to capture stunning images of the piece. This is very important since customers cannot handle the jewelry in an online transaction. Make sure you take a photo of the jewelery in a place that will focus on it and not the background.
A diamond’s cut, as well as its clarity, are considerably more important than size in determining value and appeal. Keep the individual you are buying the diamond for in mind.
Avoid steam saunas and dry ones. Sweat, heat and water, can all damage jewelry. Even if permanent damage does not occur, wearing your jewelry during these activities increases the need to clean it.
It is crucial that all bracelets and necklaces have good clasps. If your chains and pendants with costly gems do not have secure clasps, you may lose them. If you have expensive or heirloom items, invest in a safety clasp. It is common to have two or three clasps for expensive jewelry.
Do not buy jewelry based solely on the manufacturer or brand name. Many designer pieces are of the same quality than other, more affordable baubles. For example, if you opt for a ring from Cartier, you are actually paying more for the name than you are for the piece itself. There are excellent quality jewelry pieces from various brands.
If you do decide to purchase an expensive item of jewelry, try to choose a piece that won’t become outdated and can be worn for years ahead. Quality of the design is not the only thing you should analyze when purchasing expensive items. You also need to determine if you are going still going to want to wear the item in the future. Something that is cool and trendy now might not look so stylish in a couple of years. Look into buying something that will not go out of style.
You can make money from any gold bracelets and necklaces you have, without having to sell your entire pieces. If there is excess gold on the piece, remove that extra, then sell that while retaining the piece itself. By clipping a little off of several chains you can make several hundred dollars.
If you choose a big, elaborately detailed piece of jewelry, pair it with simple clothing. Wear solid colors to bring attention to a fabulous item of jewelry.
A beautiful stone that many do not know about is Alexandrite. Depending upon the lighting levels, the stone may appear alternately green or purple. Alexandrite is usually found in earrings, rings or pendants.
Show your significant other how much you are in love by surprising them with jewelry. Any woman would be melted by receiving a surprise jewelry gift. The joy for you will be in watching the amazement show on her face when you give her the box.
Well, it’s easy when you know how. This article has just touched on a few of things that you should know about this very rewarding hobby. There is much to learn, but at least you’ve now got a few good ideas to put to work.
