Stress can take a lot of the fun out of shopping if you are seeking to purchase a costly jewelry piece. Jewelry is an investment, and you need the right information to help you make the most of your jewelry buying, selling or wearing endeavors. Naive shoppers can easily wind up spending more than is necessary. Read on for some tips on becoming a jewelry shopping pro.
Make sure to store your jewelry away from humidity and air. A jewelry box or drawstring bag out of a humid area is ideal. Certain metals begin to tarnish when exposed to 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.
Get a polishing cloth for your jewelery. This is a fairly simple way to achieve shine without dealing with solvents and chemicals. You use the special cloth to polish your jewelry just like you would polish your silverware. Use the side of the cloth that is designed for polishing to remove fingerprints, dust and other surface imperfections, and then use the opposite side to buff the jewelry and make it gleam.
To distinguish between real and fake, bring a magnet when you shop for sterling silver jewelry. Use the magnet to detect fake jewelry; real silver will not be attracted to the magnet, but the cheaper metals will. True sterling silver will also have a mark on it to indicate its quality, such as “0.925” or “ster”. If your silver is not marked, it could be because it is not real!
Make sure you organize your jewelry properly. Boxes, holders, compartments, and hooks are all valuable tools for storing jewelry safely. Don’t throw piles into a box. This can harm fragile and fine pieces, along with severely tangling necklaces with other pieces.
Find out more about the gems you look at. Ask about where they came from and to which category they belong. Gems can be natural, imitation or synthetic. You have to know that imitation refers to colored plastic. Natural comes from the ground, while synthetic ones are created in a lab.
Observe them and see what jewelry pieces the happen to be wearing, such as necklaces, earrings, or rings. Also take note of any metals or stones they seem to prefer. Once you are aware of their preferences, you will be in a better position to determine what to buy them.
Every piece of jewelry should last you a life-time. When you are ready to chose your next selection of jewelry, make sure you find a reputable dealer that will make sure that you find a high-quality piece. A high-quality piece of jewelry should be well-made and show superior craftsmanship. The jeweler should tell you about who made the piece and the origin of the stones. When you choose a piece of jewelry that is high in quality, it can become a heirloom that will last forever.
Inquire about insurance for your jewelry when you purchase it from a jeweler. If your jewelry becomes damaged, you can return it to the source and have it repaired. Some jewelers even offer insurance for jewelry pieces that have been misplaced or stolen.
You should always make an effort to properly care for all of your jewelry. Different styles of jewelry affect the way they need to be cared for; one type of metal will need a different treatment than another, for example. What can be beneficial to one type of stone can actually cause harm to another. If you’re not sure of how to properly care for your jewelry, seek advice from a reputable jeweler.
Costume Jewelry
Take good care of your costume jewelry. Costume settings are often glued-in as compared to set-in. Never immerse your costume jewelry or use harsh chemicals on it. Simply wipe it with a damp warm cloth, followed by a soft, dry cloth. This will keep your costume jewelry clean and shiny.
Collecting costume jewelry is a popular pastime, but if you wish to participate, be careful of the condition of the jewelry. Costume jewelry can prove to be a good investment, but also a costly one; keep in mind the pieces you wish to add to your collection don’t show too much wear. Compare pieces for quality, because good ones stay high or even grow in value over time.
For a special and personalized gift, have a jewelry piece custom made for your recipient. A unique piece to match their personality shows thoughtfulness and creativity, which is exactly what you want to express to a person you care enough about to buy jewelry for.
When buying new jewelry, carefully consider the stones. Choose a stone that reflects both your personality, skin tone and lifestyle. Neutral colored stones go well with many different outfits. Do not buy anything that you cannot wear.
In order to make sure your jewelry is always looking clean, you should only put a piece on once you’ve applied your make-up. Putting jewelry on prior to applying makeup or hairspray allows gunk and grime from your beauty products to settle on the jewelry, leaving it dull and potentially harming the finish. Doing this is particularly important when you are wearing a necklace or earrings, as they will brush against your makeup more than other jewelry.
Investigate your gemstone to determine if it has been treated before you purchase it, and what type of treatment it had. Different treatments require different types of care. You don’t want to clean them with a type of solution that could strip the treatment or damage the gem.
Before you purchase a new piece of fine jewelry, think about how you will wear it. There’s no sense in spending a lot of money of pieces that you’ll never wear. As you shop for jewelry, try to envision whether you can see yourself wearing a piece with your current wardrobe.
Plastic Wrap
If you are selling your jewelry online, make sure it is presented attractively. Visuals are particularly important because customers cannot physically see or touch jewelery when they buy online. Make sure any photos of the jewelry focus on the item itself and don’t have distracting backgrounds or additional items.
Untangle a delicate necklace easily. Don’t be tempted to give up on the tangled metal. It’s plastic wrap to the rescue. Put the tangled necklace onto the plastic wrap, then pour a little mineral oil or baby oil onto the piece. Use a straight pin to untangle the knot. Wash it gently with a bit of dish soap and then pat it dry.
It is important to pay attention to how the diamond is cut, and the clarity of the stone. To some people this is more important and appealing than the actual size. Keep the individual you are buying the diamond for in mind.
If you are selling jewelry on the Internet, you should present these pieces as attractively as possible. This is extremely important because the potential buyer can not handle the item that is being sold. Don’t let the background overwhelm the picture.
Both types of saunas, dry and steam, should be avoided when wearing jewelry. Excessive moisture and heat can be damaging to jewelry.
If you’re going swimming, make sure you take off your jewelery first. The chlorine in pool water is very harsh and may cause your fine jewelry to appear dull. Salt water can also degrade jewelry. By removing all of your jewelry before entering the pool or swimming in the ocean, you can prolong its life and keep it looking brilliant.
When you are purchasing diamonds, do some shopping around. All diamonds are unique and will have different types of imperfections. Once you see a diamond yourself, certain flaws will be less of a concern to you. Also, jewelers can adjust prices based on a specific diamond’s particular condition. Look around and you’re sure to find the perfect diamond for you, at a price you can live with.
If you hate finding your jewelry in tangles, you may want to consider using embellished robe hooks to hang your necklaces. You can hang a whole row of these small pieces of hardware along a wall or the back of a closet door, then hang your necklaces in groups by color or length. Not only does this keep necklaces from tangling up into knots in your jewelry box, but it makes an attractive accent to your decor.
When you want to buy something nice for someone, think about getting them a jewelery set. It is often possible to get a good deal on jewelry sets at a jewelry store. Consider splitting apart the set and giving your loved one a single piece at a time. This way you can have a gift ready for someone months in advance and know that they will like it.
It is possible to make money while keeping your pieces when it comes to jewelry like bracelets and gold necklaces. You have only lost unnecessary length but, at the same time, you’ve earned a little money. When gold prices are high, a little bit of scrap metal can earn you a nice amount of money.
Use decorative robe hooks to prevent your necklaces from becoming tangled and knotted. Put these small hooks along a bedroom wall or even on a closet door to organize and hang your necklaces from. This will keep you from having to worry about tangled necklaces the next time you go for one, and it happens to also be an attractive way to display them.
Onyx and crystal, for example, can be especially striking and make a strong impression. Be kinder to your wallet and you’ll probably like the results.
If you plan on buying a piece of jewelry which is very expensive, choose one which you will enjoy for many years. You usually get good quality when you buy something expensive, but think about styles too. Although the piece might be in style right now, it might be considered passe in just a few years. Try and find classic items that never go out of fashion.
Pair large, gaudy jewelry with quiet, simple outfits. Instead of this, you should wear a classic black dress or some other solid clothing item that can clearly highlight your particular jewelry piece.
The price of gold is a major limiting factor to being able to afford beautiful gold jewelry. If you insist upon a gold ring or necklace, you can still save some money by compromising on karats. The best combination of price and quality is an 18k piece made without less than 75% pure gold.
Whether you’re shopping for a ring, watch, necklace or other piece, you should now be better equipped to make wise purchasing decisions. These helpful tips will save you both time and money.
Jewelry using crystal or onyx can be great statement pieces. You can save your money and still get a beautiful piece of jewelry.
The above article has, hopefully, provided you with the blue widget advice you were looking for; use it to your advantage. Continue learning to better your rate of success. The more you learn about blue widget, the easier it will be to see yourself mastering them in the future.
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