Jewelry shopping is usually a lot of fun, but it can also be stressful, if you are looking to buy a very expensive piece of jewelry. Jewelry is an investment, and you need the right information to help you make the most of your jewelry buying, selling or wearing endeavors. Shoppers who don’t know the jewelry industry well often end up spending more than is necessary. Read this article to get a better idea of what to buy, and what to pay for it.
Get a polishing cloth for your jewelery. It will allow you to make your jewelry look as good as new without the use of chemicals. Use this two-sided cloth on your jewelry as though you were cleaning glass. First, use the polishing side to polish it up, then use the other side to shine it.
You should expect good jewelry to last the rest of your life, and possibly beyond. To ensure you are buying a quality piece, refuse to deal with anybody but the most reputable of jewelers. Any piece that is high quality will have its craftsmanship and quality shining through. A credible jeweler should offer a complete history of the piece, including information about the creator and the source of the gemstones. It is important that your pieces are high-quality if you want them to last a long time.
Don’t use acetone, ammonia, turpentine, bleach, or other harsh chemicals for cleaning them. This can cause the stones to lose their luster in addition to eating away the enamel on any of the pieces.
Have shopping companions when you shop for diamonds. Take a good look at all the pieces that you like, examining them and comparing them to each other. Be careful of tricks that jewelers use to make a diamond look bigger or better.
Be cautious about your jewelry storage. You should keep the pieces separate in compartments, boxes, holders, and on hooks for better storage. Don’t just box all the pieces together in a pile. This can harm fragile and fine pieces, along with severely tangling necklaces with other pieces.
Take note of whether they wear hoop earrings or studs, yellow gold or white gold, an ankle bracelet, etc. Noticing these things lets you choose jewelry more suited to their tastes.
Comparison shopping is a must when shopping for diamonds. Get up close to inspect the diamond carefully. Make a comparison with other pieces you have looked at. With diamonds, you need to have a keen eye because of the many tricks people will use to enhance it.
Before purchasing a piece of jewelry, be sure to ask the jeweler about insurance policies. If something happens to your piece, you’ll know you can take it to the jeweler you bought it from, who will repair it or replace the piece. For more expensive pieces, look for a jeweler that offers insurance for lost or stolen items.
See what types of earrings they wear, what color, if they wear ankle bracelets, etc. This will give you a good idea of where to start when purchasing that special item.
You want to ensure that your jewelry always looks its best so do everything you can to stop it from tarnishing. Don’t take your jewelry into the water, regardless of whether you are showering or hitting the beach. Many metals can become tarnished, rusty or dull when exposed to water too often. Clear nail polish, applied in a thin coat, can give jewelry some added protection.
Keep your jewelry from tarnishing as best as you can. Don’t wear jewelry near water. Metals will often tarnish or rust when in contact with water. For added protection for your jewelry, try adding a thin coating of clear nail polish.
Costume Jewelry
When collecting costume jewelry, pay close attention to the condition of any piece you are considering. Quality costume jewelry may cost more, but a cheaply made piece will fall apart and will quickly become unusable. Compare pieces for quality, because good ones stay high or even grow in value over time.
If you want to collect costume jewelry, concentrate on getting quality peices. Costume jewelry can be very expensive and a great investment, but a piece that shows too much wear and tear will not be worth the money or time. An item in good condition holds its value better in the long run.
There are a lot of different types of stones to think about getting when buying new jewelry. Purchase stones that are a reflection of you who are, and match your skin tone as well. Neutral colors work better to match all your clothing. Do not buy something if it does not work for you.
If you are in the market for new jewelry, look for sales! You could save a lot of money if you take the time to look for better prices. Check the newspaper, the Internet, and signs in store windows to find the best sales. Consider buying something that is out of style to get a better deal.
Taking good care of your jewelry is important if you want it to last. The variety of stones, metals and assorted settings will determine the ways in which you care for them. Processes that may work for one type of jewelry may be harmful to others. Consult with a jeweler if you are unsure exactly how to care for your own jewels.
Get the tangles out of a delicate necklace that’s in a knot. The first thing you need to do is get a piece of plastic wrap. Lay the necklace out on plastic wrap, then apply baby or mineral oil. Untangle it with some needles. Wash with dishwashing liquid then pat dry.
Costume jewelry needs special care. Many of the stones and embellishments are just glued in instead of set in a professional setting. Costume jewelry should never be submerged in liquid, nor cleaned with chemicals. To properly care for it you need to use a cloth dampened with warm water. After wiping make sure to use another cloth to thoroughly dry it. This keeps dirt from building up and making your jewelry look dull.
Know what you want to do with jewelry prior to purchasing it. There is no need for a box of unused jewelry. Think about which outfits you will wear the jewelry with while you are shopping.
You should try to find out whether a gemstone was treated prior to purchasing it. If it was treated, you should discover the way it was treated. Different care is required for different treatments. You do not want to try to clean a treated gem with a solution that may strip the treatment and damage the gem in the process.
Robe Hooks
If you are trying to sell jewelry online, it is important to post ample photographs from many angles so that each piece is presented in a pleasing and accurate way. Since your potential customer will not be able to examine the piece in person, your presentation is very important. It is essential that the jewelry be placed on a background that does not draw the attention away from the piece.
Necklaces often get tangled, so consider buying stylish robe hooks with embellishments to hang them and keep them untangled. You can keep your necklaces organized by length, color or material when you install a row of robe hooks on a wall or right on the inside of your closet door. Not only does this keep necklaces from tangling up into knots in your jewelry box, but it makes an attractive accent to your decor.
Necklaces often get tangled, so consider buying stylish robe hooks with embellishments to hang them and keep them untangled. Try hanging the hooks on the wall in your bedroom or on the back of the door, then put all your necklaces on them in the fashion that works for you. This organizational tip can help you from getting a tangled mess of necklaces in your jewelry box.
The price of gold is a major limiting factor to being able to afford beautiful gold jewelry. Karat selection is a way to reduce the price of your gold jewelry. Many people think of 18 karats as the best compromise between quality and affordability, as a piece with this content is at least 75% pure gold.
When you are making a serious, high-dollar jewelry purchase, make sure that you can get years of use out of it. High-priced jewelry is usually high in quality, but don’t forget to consider styles. Although the piece might be in style right now, it might be considered passe in just a few years. Choose a classic, timeless piece.
If you own gold jewelry, you can earn money from the necklaces and bracelets without giving up your collection. By removing several inches of excess material, you will be able to sell a small amount of gold while still having enough of the piece to wear. If it is real gold and you have a few chains, you can make a few hundred dollars by just shortening the pieces.
Rubies have always been known to be a very fine jewelry stone and for good reason. Although rubies are red, there are many different variations of red ranging from maroon to deep rose pink. In addition, they’re very durable and can resist various chemicals. The fine qualities of the ruby makes it a great choice for jewelry.
You can make a real statement with a stand-out piece of onyx or crystal jewelry. Be friendlier with your wallet and you may just like the results.
It’s no longer uncommon to see people wearing yellow gold and silver jewelry at the same time. However, you have to find jewelry that incorporates both metals into one piece. You might look mismatched if you do not have this element.
It may be tough to figure out how to best present jewelry that you are selling at informal events like craft fairs and flea markets. Always try to be as creative as possible, as this will draw the most eyes to your display. Look for baskets, racks and boxes. Use other original objects to display your creations.
If you want your diamond to appear large and shiny, consider an illusion setting. This involves a special mirror which is placed into the setting before the actual diamond is. The diamond is then mirrored while on your hand, making it look larger and very sparkly. There’s only one problem with this setting: it can be hard to fix if the piece becomes broken.
Keep in mind when shopping for natural sapphires or rubies that they are hard to discern from artificial ones. The fake ones look identical to real ones, but cost just a fraction. Before purchasing jewelry that is claimed to be natural sapphire, you should hire an expert gemologist to look over it for you.
Before you start looking for the perfect engagement ring, research a little about how much diamonds actually cost. Finding the perfect diamond can be emotional and exhilarating. It is easy to enjoy the moment and forget how far the budget actually reaches.
After reading this article, you should have acquired some new advice to utilize when you are next in the market for rings, necklaces, bracelets, cuff links, watches or any other piece of jewelry. By implementing these suggestions, your next trip to the jewelers should save time and money.
Although it’s not ideal for cleaning silver, it will do in a pinch. Add a bit of toothpaste to a lint free cloth. Use the cloth and paste to gently rub the tarnished areas, then use water to rinse the piece. It is not an ideal or perfect solution, but it will do until you can use a better tarnish remover.
Do not let mattress and box spring encasements overwhelm or scare you. There are many additional resources for you to use to find useful information about mattress and box spring encasements. The information above surely has gotten you started in your journey to being very knowledgable. Use the tips that work for you, and find some of your own as well.
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