Many people,including both men and women, love to wear nice jewelry. But buying jewelry can be a tricky thing. How can you tell you’re buying a quality item and not a piece of over priced junk? This article will have some tips and tricks to help you learn the difference between quality and crap.
Do not attempt to shine your silver or gold jewelry with toothpaste. It is simply an incorrect home remedy that many try to pass off as fact that it works. The chemicals in toothpaste will erode your jewelry causing the gemstones to permanently lose their luster. For only a few dollars you can buy a proper polishing cloth and jewelry shining liquid.
Make sure you don’t wear your fine jewelry all of the time. When you are performing housekeeping tasks or washing your hands with soapy water, remove your jewelry. Swimming in a pool is another great reason for you to remove your fine jewelry to keep it safe. Everyday harsh chemicals can severely damage fine jewelry, sometimes ruining it beyond repair.
Before you buy a new piece of jewelry, look at what the current trends are. It is better to get a gorgeous bauble on sale!
When purchasing a silver plated piece of jewelry, immediately paint it with a coat of clear nail polish. Doing this will extend the life of the piece. It can also prevent those tiny scrapes and scratches that are so easy to get. Re-paint the piece once every few months for best results.
Diamonds are the perfect gemstone to buy for your wedding jewelry. The beauty of these stones is not only how they look, but also that they can be worn again for almost any occasion. Long, dangle earrings can be used for any dressy occasion, as can a diamond tennis bracelet.
Always keep your receipt. Making sure that you have a means of returning the item in question is one of the most important things to do in jewelry shopping. You never know if the person you are purchasing for may not like the piece, or if you may find a better deal elsewhere.
When you are working with any kind of silver there is one word that you should always keep in mind – polish! If you polish your silver regularly it will keep it shiny and beautiful for much longer. This helps to extend the life of the piece as well as look newer for longer.
It is important that you take your jewelry off before you go to bed. Sleeping with your jewelry on causes chains and joints to weaken. This, in turn, causes your jewelry to get damaged more easily. Make sure you take your jewelry off when you go to bed to eliminate undue stress.
If you have gold jewelry, you should try to avoid storing them in areas around diamonds and other hard gemstones. These hard stones can scratch or damage your gold. If you keep your gold away from hard jewelry, you can keep your gold looking better for longer.
If you have some fine jewelry or heirloom jewelry whose value you want to protect through insurance, it is wise to take excellent pictures of these pieces and to have an appraisal done by a professional. Make sure that the pictures you take are good, quality ones. Using a flash when taking these pictures will not lead to good pictures of your jewelry. It is best to capture a picture of your precious jewelry under soft, diffused fluorescent bulbs.
If you get dirt inside of all of the little areas on a piece of jewelry they can be very hard to clean. The best thing to do is to heat it in a glass dish of soap and water on the stove and then brush it clean with a toothbrush. Make sure you do not let the soapy mixture come to a boil because it can cause damage.
When buying jewelry online, read the descriptions carefully. Look up words if you do not know what they mean. It is easy to take a flattering picture, but a description should give you a good idea of what you are buying. You should pay attention to size, colors and materials.
If you want to buy cheap jewelry, buy homemade jewelry instead of going to a store. A lot of people use their blogs to sell their own creations. You can also look at online auction and shopping websites to find artisans selling cheap jewelry. Make sure you buy something from someone you can trust.
If you’re hard-pressed for cash and wish to sell your gold jewelry, avoid those TV companies. You’re better off going to a pawn broker. They will pay you full price for melt and won’t be too concerned with making money off of you. It’s very ironic that a pawn broker would give you the better deal, but it’s true.
Aquamarines are one of the world’s most popular stones. The transparent blue reminds many of clear ocean waters in the tropics on white coral sands, and the mineral itself is extremely strong and frequently appears in flawless, large crystals which are easy to cut into spectacular pendants and cocktail rings.
Antique and heirloom rings, earrings, and necklaces should be protected from heat, extreme cold, excessive humidity, and dust. One of the most protected places for priceless, delicate vintage jewelry is in a soft container that is stored within a fireproof safe. The environment should be cool and dry to protect each piece from deterioration.
Making sure you’re buying quality jewelry isn’t always an easy task. But hopefully now that you’re armed with these pieces of advice, you’re confident you can pick out a quality piece for that special someone and not get ripped off. If you’re still not confident, check out some of the other articles out there, until your confidence grows.
