The idea of jewelry can be just as impressive as the bright pieces you wear. Jewelery can be an important family heirloom or perhaps be a cherished memory of someone you love. You’ll be more successful at buying or selling jewelry if you learn more about jewelry in general, as well as the history and memories behind pieces you’d like to sell or acquire.

You never want to use bleach, ammonia, or any other cleaning solvents that are not designed specifically for cleaning jewelry. Doing so can damage the shine and luster of the stones on your favorite pieces.

Precious Metals

Be sure that you store all of your jewelry safely away from air and humidity. It’s best to store it in a closed box, like a jewelry box, or a drawstring bag. Tarnish is a chemical reaction that happens when silver and other metals are exposed to moisture and air. Precious metals are able to be polished and retain their luster, but the non-precious metals have a coat, and polishing will cause the metal under it to show through.

Always be aware of the type of stone you’re buying when dealing with gems. The three types are imitation, synthetic and natural. While both natural and synthetic stones are still real, imitation is just glass or plastic made to look like the natural stone. A natural stone is mined from the earth, and a synthetic is a lab-created gem.

Jewelry is an investment that should last forever. When choosing jewelry, you should always buy from a reputable store or dealer, in order to ensure you only get high-quality pieces. Jewelry should display exemplary craftsmanship and be well-made. The jeweler should tell you about who made the piece and the origin of the stones. When you choose a piece of jewelry that is high in quality, it can become a heirloom that will last forever.

Costume Jewelry

It’s great that you love costume jewelry, but make sure you evaluate the condition of any piece you plan to buy. Costume jewelry can prove to be a good investment, but also a costly one; keep in mind the pieces you wish to add to your collection don’t show too much wear. A good piece will give you many years of happiness and even gain value over time.

Costume jewelry should be taken care of. Many embellishments on costume jewelry are only secured with glue rather than set into the piece. Therefore, you shouldn’t get costume jewelry wet or expose it to harsh chemicals. For best results, use a warmed, damp cloth to wipe your jewelry and then use another cloth to dry it. This method will keep your costume jewelry stunning and beautiful.

If your “giftee” is a unique person, try finding a special piece that is crafted specifically for them. A unique piece like this that matches their personality appears creative and thoughtful, and it shows them that you care about them enough to buy them something that they’ll wear.

Wait until after your makeup is complete and set before putting on jewelry. Dust from your makeup can end up on your jewelry, and this can make it look dull. In particular, this hint is aimed towards your necklaces and earrings.

If your gemstone was treated, you should know about it before you purchase it. The type of care required will differ depending on the kind of treatment. For example, you should avoid cleaning a gem that has been treated with a certain solution that could peel off the treatment because this could harm the gem.

Before you purchase a new piece of fine jewelry, think about how you will wear it. A big supply of jewelry that you never wear is of little use to you. Think about the outfits you can wear the jewelry with when you are choosing different pieces.

Holiday Season

Buying jewelry sets can be less expensive than purchasing separate pieces of the same value. You can often find great deals on jewelry sets. You can separate pieces of the set and gift a piece to your loved one every holiday season. This is an excellent way to give something every holiday season without having to worry that you will forget.

Buying, selling or owning jewelry, involves investing in something almost priceless, which is the memory itself. Every piece of jewelry has the ability to carry huge amounts of emotion, whether it is memories of a good time or hope for the future.