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.
Pewter jewelry has been widely popular for decades. If you’re looking to invest in jewelry pieces made from pewter, make sure that they are lead free. For a long time, pewter jewelry has contained lead causing many unhealthy side effects to the wearer. Usually modern jewelry made from this metal is advertised as lead-free if it doesn’t contain any.
Store your jewelry in felt. It is always annoying when a piece of your favorite jewelry starts to tarnish. To keep it from tarnishing, just make sure you store it properly. Use a felt bag or even a jewelry box lined with felt. It will help to keep the jewelry from tarnishing.
Take the steps to inhibit its tarnishing. Exposure to water can affect the finish, so avoid it. Some metals will tarnish, dull or rust when exposed to water or perspiration. To protect your jewelry from exposure, apply a single coat of clear nail lacquer to its surface.
Your jewelry will stay cleaner if you wait until after you apply make-up to put it on. The sparkle of a piece of jewelry is a magnet for loose or wet makeup, which will leave it tarnished and dingy. Doing this is particularly important when you are wearing a necklace or earrings, as they will brush against your makeup more than other jewelry.
Never use solutions or chemicals on emeralds. Chemicals, especially ammonia, will degrade emeralds to the point that they are unrecognizable. Emeralds are especially porous gemstones, so make sure to take great care when cleaning and storing these precious stones. If you are not careful with these, they will quickly lose their worth.
If you own gold or silver jewelry be sure to take it off when you shower, sleep or submerse that area of your body in water. By doing these things you will prevent the jewelry from varnishing faster. The beauty of fine jewelry is it’s sparkle and gleam.
If you plan on selling jewelry online, you should make sure you know the materials. All jewelry sellers should know about the Federal Trade Commission’s Guides for both the Jewelry and Precious Metal Industries. If you don’t know all the rules, a customer could file a misrepresentation claim against you, which you do not want happening to you.
Always take off all types of jewelry before you go to sleep. This will help you to avoid two major problems at the same time. The first is that it is easy to lose pieces in your sleep. The second problem is that sleeping on jewelry can add stress to it and greatly shorten the lifespan.
Do not be afraid to buy silver jewelry. Gold items are incredibly expensive right now, and silver is “in”. Search for products that are labeled as sterling silver because they have a large amount of the metal in them. Not only will you save money, but you will have the opportunity to buy a nice piece of jewelry that you might have missed otherwise.
Have gold bracelets and necklaces? Make some money with your jewelry without giving it away. If you feel they are a little too long, just trim them a bit and sell the scraps. Then you will still have your jewelry and a little extra cash. If it is real gold and you have a few chains, you can make a few hundred dollars by just shortening the pieces.
Avoid storing multiple bracelets and/or multiple necklaces together, especially if they’re thin. They can easily tangle and outright tear while you’re trying to get them untangled. If you’re storing them in the same box, pick up some small bags to keep them in separately. A little time to separate could save you some big money.
If you don’t have jewelry cleaner handy, you can shine your gemstones and diamonds with toothpaste and a toothbrush! It does an excellent job of making precious stones sparkle safely and economically. Just coat the jewelry item with toothpaste and scrub gently with an old toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly under warm running water and polish with a soft, dry cloth.
Keep it simple – starting out in the jewelry making world. Find out what essential tools you need to do the job and go out and get them. You do not need to buy top of the line tools at first. Make sure jewelry making is right for you, before you invest a lot of expense!
Preserve the texture, tone, and color of your turquoise jewelry by exercising the utmost care in storing and cleaning each earring, ring, and necklace. Although turquoise often features inherent surface imperfections, failure to cleanse it gently can affect the color of the stone. Wipe the stone, then dry it with a soft cloth. Do not use soap or chemicals on the stone.
Rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelry should be removed prior to participation in any physical work, exercise, or team sport. Sweat and oils can damage your jewelry. Also, increased physical movement makes it especially easy to snag prongs or dislodge stones from their settings. Furthermore, jewelry that has fallen off during activity is less likely to be found afterward.
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.
