The meaning behind individual pieces of jewelry can be as beautiful as the actual appearance of the jewelry. A single piece of jewelry has the power to commemorate occasions, events and relationships. Learning a little more about jewelry can help to preserve memories for even longer, and make buying and selling it, much more rewarding.

Don’t use acetone, ammonia, turpentine, bleach, or other harsh chemicals for cleaning them. This can cause your stones to turn and dull in color, along with eating away any enamel on the pieces.

Separate your jewelry for storage to avoid getting pieces tangled. Jewelry should be stored in an organized way in a box, a jewelry holder or hung on hooks. Do not ever just throw them in a pile. This not only harms the fragile pieces, but it can also cause items, such as necklaces, to get badly tangled up with the other pieces of jewelry.

Sterling Silver

When purchasing sterling silver, take along a good magnifying glass, along with a small magnet. Take the magnet with you to find fake pieces of jewelery, sterling silver will not stick to the magnet. There should be a stamp hallmarked that says something like .925 sterling or ster, on sterling silver If you cannot find a stamp, you might be looking at a cheap imitation.

Know the type of gem you’re buying, when you buy it. There are three unique types of stones: imitation, synthetic and natural. “Real” can mean natural or synthetic, and an imitation stone could be glass or plastic. Synthetic gems are grown in a lab, natural gems are dug out of the Earth.

Have shopping companions when you shop for diamonds. Make a close-range examination of stones you find appealing, and contrast them with other likely purchases. Be careful of tricks that jewelers use to make a diamond look bigger or better.

Study current jewelry trends prior to shopping for a piece. One of the few things that can enhance the appeal of a lovely piece of jewelry is knowing that it came at a great discount!

When you buy a piece of jewelery, inquire about the jeweler’s insurance policy. If something happened to your jewelery, you can take it back and see if they will fix it! In some cases, insurance policies will cover lost, misplaced or stolen pieces.

See if your gem has had any treatments prior to buying, and if so, which treatments. It is important to understand the varying treatment processes because each one requires a specific care regimen. You want to avoid putting a solution on jewelry that has been treated, particularly if you do not know whether or not it will hurt the piece.

Always look for discounts if you want jewelery. The right sale will save you a lot of cash. Look for great deals in old-fashioned newspapers, on the Internet, and even at retail stores. Buying styles that are going out of fashion can be a huge money saver, even getting up to 50% off.

Owning, purchasing and selling jewelry encompasses investing in an item that is almost priceless because of the memories it provides. Whether your jewelry symbolizes happiness from the past or hopes for great times in the future, every piece of jewelry is linked to human emotion.