Buying a few pieces of trendy jewelry can breath new life into your wardrobe. Maybe you just need a nice gift for a friend. By following the advice in this article you can feel confident on whatever selection you make.
Take a magnet and a keen eye with you when you head out to purchase any jewelry made from sterling silver. To spot scams, see if the magnet attracts the piece. If it does, then shout “FAKE!” at the top of your lungs and move to the next store. You can identify sterling silver by its markings, for example “sterling,” “ster,” or “.925.” Silver jewelry that lacks a hallmark may be a fake or composed of other metals.
Try using a polishing cloth on all of the jewelry in a collection. This is an easy way to get shine without chemicals and solvents. Use the dual-sided cloth to gently buff your jewelry as you would a delicate glass. First you should use the polish side, then use the shining side to really make your jewelry look stunning!
When purchasing jewels, you should understand which type of stone you are getting. Gems can be natural, imitation or synthetic. While both natural and synthetic stones are still real, imitation is just glass or plastic made to look like the natural stone. Natural stones are found underground and synthetic gems are created in a lab.
Take a magnet and a keen eye with you when you head out to purchase any jewelry made from sterling silver. Imitations will be attracted to your magnet. This is an easy way to recognize quality. True sterling sliver always has some sort of hallmark stamp on it, such as .925, sterling or ster. If the piece you’re inspecting doesn’t carry such a mark, be careful, as it is likely a fake.
Your diamond shopping experience is missing something important if you are not comparison shopping. Take a close look at a truly top notch diamond, and then hold everything else you consider to that standard. Some diamond sellers use misleading practices to try to increase the apparent quality of their merchandise, so you should be wary of these tactics.
Always compare prices before purchasing any diamonds. Closely examine pieces you like, and compare them with similar items you are interested in. With diamonds, you need to have a keen eye because of the many tricks people will use to enhance it.
Before adding a piece of jewelry to your collection, research current trends. Purchasing a new trinket to add to your collection is always delightful, especially if you find it on sale.
See what types of earrings they wear, what color, if they wear ankle bracelets, etc. This should give you a grasp of their tastes, and some ideas about what to buy for them.
For jewelry to stay shiny and new-looking, it is important to keep it from tarnishing. Keep your jewelry away from water. Many types of metal will become dulled, tarnished, or rusty when exposed to it. To give jewelry an added layer of protection apply a thin layer of clear nail lacquer.
Ask about insurance from your jeweler before purchasing a new piece. If something happened to your jewelery, you can take it back and see if they will fix it! In certain instances, there may even be jewelry insurance available to cover loss or theft.
If you like to collect costume jewelry pieces, become very choosy about each piece’s condition. Costume jewelry make good investments and they can be costly, but an item that shows major signs of usage will be a poor investment of your time and money. A good piece will give you many years of happiness and even gain value over time.
You want to ensure that your jewelry always looks its best so do everything you can to stop it from tarnishing. Keep your jewelry away from water. Many pieces can become rusty, tarnished or dull when they are exposed to water. To give jewelry an added layer of protection apply a thin layer of clear nail lacquer.
Know how to keep your jewelry beautiful. Each kind of setting, metal, and stone has its own particular maintenance need. What is beneficial to one stone or setting may hurt another. Ask a jeweler when you do not know how to take care of your jewelry.
You should ensure the quality of the pieces of costume jewelry that you purchase for your collection. This type of jewelry can be extremely expensive and makes an incredible investment. However, this type of piece can have a lot of wear and tear, which wouldn’t be worth your money or time. Make sure you have a piece that is in excellent condition, because this will be a lot more fruitful for you down the road.
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. If you put on makeup after you put on your jewelry, dust and particles from the makeup will migrate to the jewelry, which makes it dirty quite quickly. This is particularly important in the case of necklaces and earrings.
Make sure that you regularly untangle delicate, knotted necklaces. Don’t give up on that tangled mass of jewelry. Instead, get a piece of plastic wrap. Put the chain on the wrap, then pour on a bit of mineral oil or baby oil. Use a sewing needle to untangle the necklace. Next, use dish soap to clean the piece. Finish by using a soft cloth to pat it dry.
Before you buy, ask the jeweler if and how the gemstone was treated. Different treatments come with different requirements for cleaning and storage. Some cleaning solutions that work perfectly well on untreated gems can strip off treatments, and even damage stones, if you use them on treated gems.
You can be confident in your choices now that you’ve been supplied with the tips and techniques to select the perfect piece of jewelry. You will surely enjoy your purchase for many years.
You need a good clasp for any necklaces and bracelets. Unless your necklace or bracelet has a durable closure, you risk losing expensive or sentimental pendants, stones and charms. For particularly expensive or sentimental pieces of jewelry, it is recommended you have a safety clasp installed. There are those that use two or three clasps to keep their jewelry safe while they wear it.