No matter why you are buying your jewelry, whether for yourself or as a gift, it is important to know the proper way to care for jewelry as well as buy and sell it responsibly. This article is going to show you great ideas for getting the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to jewelry.
Use a polishing cloth for all of your jewelry pieces. This is a very easy way to make them shine and not have to use any type of chemicals or solvents. Use the two-sided cloth to polish your jewelry as if you were cleaning glass. Use one side for polishing and the other for improving its shine.
Don’t use acetone, bleach, ammonia or turpentine to clean copper. This could cause the stone to change color or become dull in appearance, and it may eat away at the enamel on the piece.
If you are shopping for sterling silver jewelry, you’ll need a magnet and an eye for the real thing. When you do this, you become able to find fake pieces of any type of sterling jewelry. You can use the magnet because non-precious metals actually are attracted by magnets. True sterling sliver always has some sort of hallmark stamp on it, such as .925, sterling or ster. Be wary of pieces that lack any silver hallmarks, as this is an indication that they’re not genuine sterling silver.
Your jewelry should be durable and long-lasting. Get jewelry from a jeweler with a good reputation to be sure that it’s of high-quality. A valuable piece of jewelry will be well-made and feature superior craftsmanship. Ask the jeweler what the origin of the piece is, like the maker and the origin of the stones. When you chose a high-quality piece, you know your jewelry will last forever.
Before adding a piece of jewelry to your collection, research current trends. The one thing that makes a great purchase an outstanding one is getting a bargain on it.
It is important to think about the most effective methods of jewelry care. Each type of stone, metal, and setting requires different type of care. What can be beneficial to one type of stone can actually cause harm to another. For the best information on how to look after your jewelry, you should talk to a jeweler.
Putting on jewelry only after you have put on makeup and fixed your hair will keep it from being exposed to chemicals that could tarnish it. Makeup will settle into your jewelry making it look dull and dingy. Earrings and necklaces are especially prone to this kind of contamination.
See if your gem has had any treatments prior to buying, and if so, which treatments. The way to care for a stone differs greatly depending on how it was treated. You want to avoid unknowingly cleaning the gem with a chemical or solution that could strip off the protective treatment.
Avoid both steam and dry saunas. The high temperatures and damp environment can corrode the surface of your jewelry and cause long-term damage to the piece.
Make sure you look around for awhile when you decide you want to shop for jewelry. Every diamond is unique and they all have slight imperfections. When you see the diamond yourself, you may find certain flaws not to be that important. Also, each jeweler can price point a little bit differently based on the flaws. You should always shop around to find the best possible diamond for a price that you can afford.
When you are looking to buy someone a gift, you may consider getting a jewelry set. The larger jewelry stores will often give discounts on an entire set of jewelry. You could always break the sets up and give them as individual gifts. This way you can have a gift ready for someone months in advance and know that they will like it.
You may not have to sell your gold jewelry to get money out of your necklaces and bracelets. Carefully remove an inch or two from the piece, then sell that section. Just be sure to leave enough length so that you can continue to wear it. For an item that is made of actual gold, clipping off several chains can bring in over a hundred dollars simply by reducing the length of the jewelry.
For most people, jewelry has significant monetary and sentimental value. If you know how to properly care for your jewelery, you will be taking care of memories you will have for many years. Continue learning about jewelry care, and you’ll never have to retire another piece.
