Jewelry: what does it mean to you? By reading this article you will learn to recognize the difference between good quality and bad quality. Understanding jewelry is as simple as function and preference. Check out the following tips to learn some of the answers to jewelry questions you may not have even known you had.

Use a polishing cloth for all of your jewelry pieces. This is a chemical-free method to maintain the appearance of your fine jewelry. Polish your jewelry with a two-sided polishing cloth as you might buff a lovely glass. Use one side of the cloth for polishing, and reserve the other side for shining it afterward.

You never want to use bleach, ammonia, or any other cleaning solvents that are not designed specifically for cleaning jewelry. Harsh chemicals will dull your stones and dissolve the enamel on your jewelry.

Never store your jewelry in open air or humidity. A drawstring bag or closed box offers the best protection from moisture in the air. All metals will tarnish if they are subjected to too much air and humidity. Precious metals can often be polished to remove most tarnish. Non-precious metals often have a single coat of metal. Therefore, polishing them can remove the coat and show the copper that is found underneath.

Sterling Silver

When you go shopping for sterling silver jewelry pieces, take with you a magnet and a monocle. You can detect fake sterling silver with the magnet, since non-precious metals are drawn to magnets. If your silver is sterling, you will also notice a mark on the piece. This mark might state .925, sterling, or ster. If the piece of presumed silver is not marked, be skeptical that is real silver. It could very well be a fake.

Know which kind of stone you are buying with your jewelry. The three different types of stones are natural, imitation and synthetic. Imitation gems are made out of glass or plastic; natural and synthetic gems both consist of real gemstone. Natural gemstones are mined, while synthetic gems are artificially grown.

Every piece of jewelry should last you a life-time. When selecting jewelry, a reputable jeweler is indispensable to ensuring you get quality items. You can tell when jewelry is of high quality, due to the excellent craftsmanship. A jeweler should know about each piece he sells, including the person that made it, the origin of precious stones or other materials and other history, such as previous owners for antique or estate pieces. When you are looking for jewelry of the highest quality, it is important to be careful in your choice, as you want something that will last a lifetime.

If you wish to keep a piece of jewelry looking fantastic, preventing it from tarnishing is important. Exposure to water can affect the finish, so avoid it. If you let some metals get wet too often, they can tarnish, rust or become dull. To protect your jewelry from exposure, apply a single coat of clear nail lacquer to its surface.

Pay attention to the quality and type of gemstones in a piece when you’re looking at buying new jewelry. Any stones that you choose should go with your skin tone and reflect your personality. Neutral colored stones go well with many different outfits. It’s a waste of time buying something that you won’t wear regularly.

Think about ordering custom jewelery if you want to make an original gift to someone who counts for you. If you buy something that will go along with their personality it will show them you thought about them!

Doing this will not only accentuate your waist, it will also act as the accent piece for your outfit. Either put it near your hip or near the middle of your waist.

Determine whether or not your stone received a treatment, and what kind, prior to purchasing it. The various treatments that gems are given means that they need to be cared for differently. If you use the wrong cleanser because you are uneducated about the gem, you could strip off the treatment and even damage the stone.

When selling jewelry via the Internet, be sure to develop attractive and persuasive imagery of the pieces. This is quite key since your customer can not physically see and feel the jewelry when purchasing it online. Photograph jewelry in a setting that concentrates the viewer’s attention solely on the jewelry; avoid distracting backgrounds.

Take your jewelry off before you go swimming. The life and luster of your jewelry can be damaged by the strong chemical chlorine. Salt water is just as bad as chlorinated water. Taking it off before you swim will protect your jewelry and keep it looking beautiful for years to come.

Don’t buy jewelry just because of its brand. Most people will not really know where you discovered the piece. Sellers try to get you to buy brand name jewelry just because it is more expensive. You can find good, quality jewelry from a number of different brands.

Have gold bracelets and necklaces? Make some money with your jewelry without giving it away. Consider removing excess portions of gold or silver that will not affect the overall piece. If you have a number of real gold pieces, you can earn a couple hundred dollars with this method.

Use these tips whenever you purchase a piece of jewelry for your personal collection or to give as a gift. You should save money and know how to select the ideal piece. Becoming a jewelry expert takes education about the art, and learning experiences.