A piece of jewelry can be very beautiful, and so can the entire concept itself. A well-chosen piece of jewelry preserves a memory of an important occasion or serves as a perpetual symbol of a special relationship. This article will teach you about jewelry, helping you to appreciate not only selling pieces, but purchasing them as well.
Take care when you are storing your jewelry in the same place. You can protect your jeweled investments with hooks, boxes and holders that keep each piece intact and prevent tangles. Resist the temptation to jumble all your pieces into a community box. Not only can this harm the fine and fragile pieces, but things like necklaces can get severely tangled up with other necklaces or other jewelry.
Sterling Silver
A magnet is a useful tool when shopping for jewelry in sterling silver. By using the magnet you can quickly determine if the jewelry item is made of a cheaper metal and not sterling silver. True sterling silver will also have a mark on it to indicate its quality, such as “.925” or “ster”. If the piece of presumed silver is not marked, be skeptical that is real silver. It could very well be a fake.
Keep your jewelry from getting tarnished in order to keep it looking it’s best. Avoid wearing your jewelry near water. Many types of metal will become dulled, tarnished, or rusty when exposed to it. If you must take your jewelry somewhere wet, prepare it by adding some clear nail polish on the surface.
If you are interested in collecting costume jewelry, be sure to stay conscious of the condition. Even though it is not as expensive as its precious counterpart, costume jewelry represents a significant investment, one that can be lost if the pieces are allowed to get worn and broken. Compare pieces for quality, because good ones stay high or even grow in value over time.
Consider stones when you are buying jewelry. Any stones that you choose should go with your skin tone and reflect your personality. Colors should be neutral so that they go with most of your outfits. Buying a stone that you will never wear is pointless
It is important to think about the most effective methods of jewelry care. There’s an ideal way to clean every different type of setting and stone. The best way to care for a particular piece of jewelry could be harmful to a different piece. If you’re not sure of how to properly care for your jewelry, seek advice from a reputable jeweler.
You need to take special care of costume jewelry. A fair amount of costume pieces are set with glue. Avoid using harsh chemicals on these pieces, and do not immerse them. For best results, use a warmed, damp cloth to wipe your jewelry and then use another cloth to dry it. Doing so will keep your jewelry looking its best for life.
If your gemstone was treated, you should know about it before you purchase it. Different care is required for different treatments. Some cleaning solutions that work perfectly well on untreated gems can strip off treatments, and even damage stones, if you use them on treated gems.
Plastic Wrap
Get the tangles out of a delicate necklace that’s in a knot. Don’t be tempted to give up on the tangled metal. It’s plastic wrap to the rescue. Put your knotted chains on the plastic wrap and cover with a little baby oil. You would then untangle the necklace using needles. When your necklaces are straight, use dish soap to wash the oil off and pat them dry.
You should always know what you plan on doing with jewelry when purchasing it. There is no point continually buying jewelry if you never wear it. Think about which outfits you will wear the jewelry with while you are shopping.
Whether you buy, sell or simply own jewelry, you are making an investment in a commodity that is priceless – memories. Every piece of jewelry has a story, one that is laden with happiness, hope or love.