Jewelry is a confusing topic. Whether you are male or female, you have to be very careful about where you purchase your jewelry. Furthermore, the care of your items will ensure the value of your jewelry. The fact is that researching jewelry can be tough, so this article is a compilation of some helpful jewelry tips to guide you.
If you are considering a titanium wedding band, remember that it cannot be re-sized and may be a bit more difficult to cut off in an emergency than rings made from precious metals. Titanium rings are less likely to bend or crush under pressure, however, so an accident that would heavily damage a gold or platinum ring may not harm a titanium one.
Repurpose your jewelry to get the most wears out of each piece. Wrap a necklace around your wrist to fashion a new bracelet. Slip a pair of clip-on earrings onto a pair of pumps as shoe clips, and add a bit of sparkle to plain heels. Attach a pin or brooch to a necklace and update its look.
To keep your jewelry in top condition, never wear it to sleep. When you sleep, your body produces a lot of sweat and gives off a lot of heat, both of which can cause serious damage to jewelry. Sweat can cause it to tarnish or rust, while the heat can cause soft metals to deform.
When selling jewelry online, you must be certain to present information as accurately as you possibly can. If you do not know about a certain feature, you should be certain to admit this. Otherwise, you could have an angry customer file a misrepresentation claim against you for not letting him or her know about a certain feature.
Understanding the different cuts of a diamond will make your jewelry purchase much easier. The cut of a diamond refers to the actual cut of the diamond, not the shape of the diamond. The cut is extremely important when making a diamond jewelry purchase because it determines the brilliance and the overall sparkle factor associated with the item.
When cleaning crystal jewelry simply wipe the dirt away with a soft, damp cloth. Using any kind of chemicals on crystal can damage the shimmer and shine in a very short period of time. Your best bet is to stick to plain water and maybe a tiny touch of dish detergent if your jewelry gets really dirty.
Don’t use toothpaste to clean your jewelry. There are countless websites out there claiming that toothpaste is a great way to clean jewelry. Fine jewelers will tell you otherwise. The abrasives in toothpaste can damage the surface of metal and will permanently ruin soft stones such as turquoise, amber and lapis.
Rubbing alcohol is excellent for removing tarnish from sterling silver jewelry. You can either, soak the jewelry item in a small cup of rubbing alcohol for a few minutes or wrap the jewelry in a paper towel and pour rubbing alcohol over it. Let it soak for about 5 minutes and then polish with a soft, dry cloth.
If you want to save money when buying jewelry, avoid the big names. These jewelers pay big bucks to market their names and pass that cost on to the consumer. You can often find high quality jewelry that does not have the “big name” attached to it for a fraction of the cost.
When selecting the right piece of jewelry, it is important to have a gemologist or other registered jewelry appraiser present to ensure you are getting the right price. The difference in quality of some precious gems may look minimal to the untrained eye, but these slight differences can change the price of jewelry substantially.
Practice with cheaper copper or steel wire if you’re new to jewelry making. Sterling silver wire is very expensive and messing it up will cost you money, save this for when you become more experienced.
With the increasing acceptance of wearing timepieces alongside formal wear has come the rise of decorative watches as jewelry. They now come in gold plate or studded with diamonds. Some are ringed with pearls or enameled in glorious colors to match any outfit you choose. They no longer must be kept in one’s purse, so show off your good taste with a jeweled watch.
Make sure that you remove your jewelry when doing things that could damage it, such as cleaning the house, swimming in a pool or hot tub, even just putting on lotion. Normal cleaners and harsh chemicals can do damage to the finish of your precious metals and loosen the stones.
Save some money when purchasing new pieces of jewelry by waiting for the right season. Timing is everything to retailers, especially after major gift-giving holidays like Valentine’s Day. Retailers often stock up on pieces that are projected to be big sellers, only to find that they are overstocked when “the day after” comes crashing down. Keep your eye on pieces that may go on sale after holidays, or just surprise yourself with a hidden gem that you never noticed before.
To get an impressive diamond on a limited budget, consider dropping your standards on color and clarity just a little. Clarity ratings like SI1 and SI2 are not perfect, nor is a color rating of H or I. That said, the naked eye cannot see the difference between these and higher ratings.
As you can see, there is a lot to be learned about jewelry. Whether you are purchasing jewelry for yourself or others, being prepared with knowledge will empower you as a consumer. Knowing how to properly maintain your pieces is also essential to maintaining their worth. Be a smart consumer and enjoy the benefits of these tips.
