There is no such thing as being too informed about jewelry. If you make just the wrong mistake, you could lose a great deal of money! What follows are some common sense jewelry tips that will help prevent you from making these costly mistakes. These tips are here to help you have a better understanding of prices and avoid common mistakes.
Steer clear of ammonia, bleach or other strong chemical solvents when you need to clean these items. You can turn your stones this way and it will eat away the enamel on the pieces.
Jewelry Pieces
Be careful on how you store all of your jewelry together. It is best to use holders, compartments, boxes, and hooks so that everything is kept separate. Avoiding piling your nice jewelry pieces into one big heap in a box. This does damage to jewelry pieces, which are often fragile. Necklaces lumped together can get tangled up into a knotted ball.
Jewelry is best stored in an area with low humidity. A drawstring bag or closed box offers the best protection from moisture in the air. Certain metals will be tarnished when exposed to humidity or air. Precious metals are able to be polished and retain their luster, but the non-precious metals have a coat, and polishing will cause the metal under it to show through.
When purchasing sterling silver, take along a good magnifying glass, along with a small magnet. Imitations will be attracted to your magnet. This is an easy way to recognize quality. Another way to tell if a metal is sterling silver is to check for a hallmark stamp, for example .sterling, .ster, or .925. If there is no marking on the piece, it may not be sterling silver.
Identify the kind of stone in every piece you consider. Gems can be natural, imitation or synthetic. While natural and synthetic stones are the real deal, imitation stones are made to look like a real gemstone, but could be anything from colored glass to plastic. Natural gems are those that are actually from the earth, whereas synthetic ones are made in labs.
Have shopping companions when you shop for diamonds. Look at the pieces up close before purchasing them, and be sure to compare them to others. Some diamond sellers use misleading practices to try to increase the apparent quality of their merchandise, so you should be wary of these tactics.
Before committing yourself to a piece, do research to determine which styles are hot and which are not. If there is one thing better than a beautiful piece of jewelry, it’s finding that jewelry at a great price!
Try wearing the item for a little while to see if it is comfortable and hangs correctly. Doing this also tells you how well it stands up to normal daily wear.
Costume Jewelry
Take good care of your costume jewelry. Many of their settings are glued instead of set. Don’t immerse costume jewelry in water or use chemicals on it. To properly care for it you need to use a cloth dampened with warm water. After wiping make sure to use another cloth to thoroughly dry it. Doing so will keep your jewelry looking its best for life.
If you are presenting a gift to someone who has their own unusual style, look for an item of jewelry that is in line with their clothing and lifestyle choices. You want the piece to match the person; unique people deserve unique jewelry.
See if your gem has had any treatments prior to buying, and if so, which treatments. You will have to treat different gemstones with different kinds of care. You can easily damage your gem, stripping the former treatment off, by cleaning it with the wrong solution.
When you want to sell jewelry on the Internet, you should try to show it off in an attractive way. This is particularly important when selling jewelry online, since the buyer can’t inspect the piece in person. Photograph jewelry in a setting that concentrates the viewer’s attention solely on the jewelry; avoid distracting backgrounds.
A diamond with brilliant clarity and a perfect cut can be more attractive, not to mention more valuable, than a stone that is larger but flawed. You must also consider the personality and preferences of the gift recipient.
This applies to dry and steam-filled saunas. The high levels of moisture and heat are very damaging to the jewelry.
If you want to spend a lot of money on some jewelry, then make sure to buy a piece that will last a very long time. While the price tag does frequently denote the quality of a piece, you should also consider whether a piece is crafted in a timeless style. Something that is cool and trendy now might not look so stylish in a couple of years. Try and find classic items that never go out of fashion.
Real Gold
If you really want real gold pieces, high gold prices might be one of the only things to worry about. If you decide you must have real gold jewelry, you may want to save money on the karats instead. The best combination of price and quality is an 18k piece made without less than 75% pure gold.
Onyx and crystal can be wonderful jewelry options. You don’t have to waste money to get great results.
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.