There is no such thing as knowing too much about jewelry. Even a seemingly trivial mistake could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. These manageable tips will help. Follow these tips to learn how to buy and maintain your jewelry items. You can avoid some of the more common mistakes people make.
The use of polishing cloths are helpful in cleaning your jewelry. This easy technique can make your jewelry bright and shiny without the use of harsh solvents and chemicals. Use a two-sided cloth to simply polish your jewelry as if it were composed of glass. 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.
Do not use harsh chemicals such as ammonia, bleach, turpentine or acetone to clean them. This can cause the stones to lose their luster in addition to eating away the enamel on any of the pieces.
Precious Metals
Always keep your jewelry in a place that doesn’t experience extreme temperatures or humidities. Trying putting them in a box with a tight-fitting lid or a bag that has a drawstring closure. Both air and humidity can lead to tarnished metal. The thing about this is that non-precious metals cannot fully recover from this because underneath, the copper shows through. However, keep in mind that precious metals can go back to their own original forms.
If you want to buy sterling silver pieces, use a magnet and examine the jewelry very carefully. Take the magnet with you to find fake pieces of jewelery, sterling silver will not stick to the magnet. You can generally tell genuine sterling silver by its stamp, which will look something like “.925 ster.” If there is no marking on the piece, it may not be sterling silver.
Know the type of gem you’re buying, when you buy it. 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 gemstones are mined, while synthetic gems are artificially grown.
When you are shopping for diamonds, there are ways to compare the stones. Closely examine pieces you like, and compare them with similar items you are interested in. There are ways to hide some of a diamond’s imperfections, so be very particular about each one you view.
Look at what they are wearing now. Do they like hoops or studs? Does the person prefer chokers or loose fitting necklaces? These types of observations will provide a starting point to purchase an item they’ll cherish.
Before purchasing a new pieces, look at the latest jewelry trends. If there is one thing better than finding the perfect, most heart-stopping bauble, it would be snagging the piece at a wonderful price!
Costume Jewelry
If you are interested in collecting costume jewelry, be sure to stay conscious of the condition. Quality costume jewelry may cost more, but a cheaply made piece will fall apart and will quickly become unusable. A piece that is free of any defects or wear not only looks better, but is also a better investment.
It is important to think about the most effective methods of jewelry care. You should know that different materials require different maintenance. What can be beneficial to one type of stone can actually cause harm to another. Ask a jeweler to make sure you know how to maintain your items.
Keep all of your jewelry cleaner by putting it on only after you have applied all makeup and perfume. Dust from your makeup can end up on your jewelry, and this can make it look dull. It is especially important to follow this tip for necklaces and earrings.
Make sure you look into the history of your gemstone, especially if it was treated at all. Different treatments come with different requirements for cleaning and storage. If you have a treated gem you should avoid any solution that could damage the gem by stripping the treatment.
When you list jewelry for sale online, make sure you present it in the best possible way. This is very important because a customer cannot look at the jewelery if they are buying it online. Make sure the background behind the jewelry in the photograph is bland and boring, so as not to distract the viewer’s attention away from the piece itself.
This goes for any type of sauna, whether it’s the dry type or the steam type. The jewelry can be damaged from extreme heat or moisture.
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.
