Shopping for jewelry can be very exciting. It can also be very expensive. It is best to take some time to learn terms that are used in the jewelry industry in order to make an educated decision. A little research can help you best asses the quality and value of the jewelry you are shopping for regardless of whether you are shopping online, in a catalog or at a store.
Consider buying a small barrel tumbler. If you wear a lot of jewelry or just want to keep the pieces you own in good condition, you probably clean it on a fairly regular basis. You might want to get a small barrel tumbler for polishing. They are inexpensive and do a thorough job.
If you’re trying to buy a diamond on a budget, look for one that has slight inclusions and is a less than perfect color of white. Often times, you cannot even see the inclusions and “off” color with the naked eye, but it can save you hundreds or thousands on the price of the stone.
If wearing earrings makes your ears feel itchy or irritated, ensure that you buy nickel-free jewelry in the future. Nickel is often used in inexpensive costume jewelry, but it can be very irritating to some people. Look for earrings with solid gold or platinum posts for the most hypoallergenic option.
When buying jewelry on eBay, it helps to know exactly what you’re looking for. There can be thousands of listings for a single type of jewelry. Avoid frustration by knowing the style and color you want before you begin looking. Unlike a brick and mortar store, it can take hours to browse through everything online.
For an easy way to organize and display your earrings, attach a piece of metal screen mesh to an attractive photo or mirror frame. Paint your frame and mesh to match your decor, and attach your earrings to the mesh. You can hang the frame in your bathroom, bedroom, or closet to enjoy handy, tangle-free storage that doubles as art.
Make sure that you clean your jewelry on a regular basis. Although it may not seem important, when you don’t clean your jewelry, you are taking the risk of getting skin irritations. This is because dirty jewelry can hold bacteria and germs in it. Also, cleaning jewelery will make it look brand new, even if it’s old.
Unless you’re giving your fiancee an heirloom ring, don’t shop for an engagement ring alone. Don’t feel pressured to buy something out of your price range, but make sure you can find a ring that fits your future bride and that she loves the ring. Why ruin the moment, by having to take the ring back for resizing or, even worse, just take it back?
When giving a piece of jewelry to someone, you must always remember to keep the receipt. This applies to almost anything you purchase, but this definitely applies to a piece of jewelry because of how expensive it is. If you want to return the piece of jewelry for whatever reason, you need the receipt to get your money back. Otherwise, you will be stuck with a useless piece of jewelry that you spent lots of money on.
If you have suffered through skin irritation from a piece of jewelry, you will want to look for future pieces that are described as hypoallergenic or nickel free. Other options in jewelry that are less prone to cause sensitivity is that made from titanium or surgical stainless steel. Options are available to keep you fashionable.
Necklaces often get tangled, so consider buying stylish robe hooks with embellishments to hang them and keep them untangled. Install the hooks in a row on a wall or closet door, and use them to organize your necklaces by style, color, length or any other system that works for you. This keeps your necklaces from balling into a knotty cluster in the jewelry box, and it looks lovely, too.
When cleaning your gold jewelry, it is important to remember you should never clean it with abrasive chemical cleaners. These products will strip gold of its natural shine and luster. If you need to remove grime from hard-to-reach locations on your gold jewelry, try using a soft-bristled toothbrush, mild soap and warm water for cleaning.
Whenever using any product which contains bleach, you should never wear your rings or fine jewelry! The chemicals in bleach can cause silver, gold, and other metal alloys to chemically breakdown. Your jewelry will become irreparably damaged. Since there are chlorine (bleach) products in swimming pools and hot tubs, the same rules apply in regards to jewelry removal.
Post pictures of you working in your studio if you are going to sell jewelry online. Many sites buy their pieces abroad and sell them at a higher price. If you do that, be honest and open about it. Using pictures of your studio will show people that you are really selling your work.
If you have a penchant for vintage jewelry, and authenticity is important to you, then knowing where to shop can make all the difference. Many manufacturers today make new versions of old styles, making it difficult to know whether the pieces you are holding in your hand are genuinely from the flower-power sixties or the the swinging seventies. Find vintage stores in larger cities that separate clothing and jewelry into decades, and inquire ahead of time if they sell any items that are new. Most authentic vintage stores do not.
Understanding the terms used to describe jewelry and the processes involved in jewelry making can be invaluable when shopping for jewelry for you or for others. With a little time and research you can become an educated savvy shopper who can identify quality and value when looking for good jewelry pieces.
