There is a lot more to owning jewelry than being flashy and spending extravagant amounts of money. It can become your legacy and is a very good investment. You need to absorb all of the advice that you can, which will show you how to select quality jewelry and properly care for it.
When dealing with precious and fragile stone jewelry, take them to get professionally cleaned. This is much better than scratching or destroying them yourself with regular jewelry cleaners. Even the jewelry cloths may be too much for some stones. Make sure though that they are not cleaned too often as this can be very counterproductive and actually weaken the stones.
Make sure to get rings sized properly so that they will fit you or someone who you are giving the ring to. Either go to a professional or use the string trick. You don’t want to play guessing games and end up having to return it several times to get it right. The ring should feel snug, but not too tight or two loose. Also, take into account, daily water weight fluctuation if you are measuring a finger yourself.
Vintage jewelry can actually make great fashion accessories. It doesn’t have to be your granny’s jewelry any longer. Make a statement piece by displaying a vintage necklace or a pair of vintage earrings. Vintage seems to be all the new rage and almost every store out there seems to be selling vintage inspired pieces. Why buy “inspired pieces” when you can buy the real thing for a fraction of the cost?
What style of jewelry you choose for your wedding should be influenced by the style of your dress. If you have a high neckline then you can forgo a necklace and instead have drop earrings with a lot of sparkle. Long sleeves will usually mean you don’t want to wear a bracelet.
When buying jewelry as a gift – keep in mind the person that you are buying it for – and make sure that it is appropriate. Save the super-expensive jewelry for loved ones. Giving pricey baubles to people who are not that close to you can give them the wrong idea, or make them feel uncomfortable. Let the relationship that you share with others dictate they type of jewelry that you give them.
To avoid a tacky amount of jewelry keep to the rule of two. Two great pieces at a time is the most you should attempt in one outfit. Choose a bracelet and a necklace, a necklace and a ring, or ring and a bracelet. Keep it simple for maximum effect.
Deep, rich blue sapphires are commonly known as the birthstone for those born in September. Their dark, mysterious coloring is often thought to have protective powers over anyone who wears the gem in their rings, bracelets, or brooches. Blue sapphire nicely complements purples and deep scarlet accents and looks beautiful with all settings, but especially platinum or silver.
If you buy a diamond labelled as antique, research it. You should get a certificate of authenticity with your diamond. This should be from an independent source. Antique diamonds need to be at least a hundred years old to be considered antique. The diamond should also be from a recognizable European art period.
When selling jewelry online, you should aim to offer as many alterations as you can. A customer may love a certain piece, but it is nine inches long instead of the eight inches he or she desires. If you don’t have an alteration to that piece, you could lose that customer. Therefore, you need to have foresight in your design stage in order to be able to accommodate your customers.
Although it may seem obvious, never wear any type of jewelry when you are swimming. Not only is the water itself a bit difficult on the piece, but most swimming pools are treated with chemicals that will cause lasting damage to the piece, if it does not ruin it completely.
When selling jewelry online, you must take full advantage of all the opportunities you have for free advertising, if you want to be successful. When an online shop hosting site offers free advertising, take it. Take advantage of social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter. If you do not have the proper amount of advertising, no one will know about you. As a result, you will fail.
If a piece of jewelry starts to darken or turn black, the problem may not be a matter of quality of the piece. This effect can actually be traced to a high acid content in the wearer’s skin. Often, but not always, a high acid content may also indicate a higher probability of an allergic reaction to metal alloys.
When shopping for a ring, necklace, or bracelet, consult all available sources before making a purchase for your wife or girlfriend. Do not hesitate to consult her mother, sister, or best friend. They may be able to provide more detailed insight into her preferences regarding metal, gems, and details.
Clean silver jewelry with products from your kitchen. Silver jewelry tarnishes with time but it is easily cleaned with vinegar. Combine half a cup of white vinegar with two tablespoons of baking soda in a small bowl. Stir the mixture until it forms bubbles. Put your silver jewelry into the solution leaving it for two to three hours depending on how tarnished it is. Remove the jewelry and wash it under cool running water. It will look as good as new!
A great choice for jewelry is Marcasite. It has all the sparkle of cut stones, but is much cheaper than most other traditional options. It is much more durable than rhinestones and is widely found in costume jewelry and inexpensive pins. It offers a great backdrop that doesn’t outshine more expensive outfits or central stones.
While having jewelry is very nice, you should be very careful about the process of getting it. There are people all over the world that spend all of their time preying on the naive. Following these tips will help you to spot a problem when there is one.
