It is not, in fact, possible to know too much about jewelry. If you lack even one key piece of knowledge, it can cost you dearly. This article provides several practical tips about jewelry. These tips will allow you to purchase and maintain your jewelry without making some common mistakes.

Clean all of your jewelry with a polishing cloth. This is a fairly simple way to achieve shine without dealing with solvents and chemicals. You can use the two-sided cloth to polish your jewelry in the same way you would polish a drinking glass. First, use the polishing side to polish it up, then use the other side to shine it.

Avoid harsh chemicals like bleach, ammonia and acetone that may permanently damage your jewelry. Harsh chemicals will dull your stones and dissolve the enamel on your jewelry.

Sterling Silver

When shopping for genuine sterling silver jewelry, you need both a discerning eye and a small magnet. If an item of jewelry is attracted by a magnet, it is not sterling silver! Only non-precious metals can be drawn to a magnet. Also, look to make sure that silver is hallmarked and stamped with .925, sterling or ster. If the piece you’re inspecting doesn’t carry such a mark, be careful, as it is likely a fake.

Always be aware of the type of stone you’re buying when dealing with gems. There are three unique types of stones: imitation, synthetic and natural. Natural stones and synthetic gems are both real, but imitation gems are probably just colored glass or plastic. Natural gems are those that are actually from the earth, whereas synthetic ones are made in labs.

See what types of earrings they wear, what color, if they wear ankle bracelets, etc. Paying attention to these aspects of their current wardrobe will help you make a purchase they are more likely to enjoy.

Costume Jewelry

If you want to collect costume jewelry, concentrate on getting quality peices. This type of jewelry can be extremely expensive and makes an incredible investment. However, this type of piece can have a lot of wear and tear, which wouldn’t be worth your money or time. Maintaining a piece of costume jewelry’s condition preserves the beauty and value that attracted you in the first place.

Costume jewelry should be taken care of. Many of the stones and embellishments are just glued in instead of set in a professional setting. Costume jewelry should never be immersed or make contact with harsh chemicals. The best way to maintain your costume jewelry is to use a moist, warm cloth first, then dry it off with another cloth. This will assure that you costume jewelry will continue looking great.

If you are getting jewelry for someone you consider to be one-of-a-kind, think about buying a piece that’s the same: unique and specially-crafted. 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.

Well, it’s easy when you know how. This article has just touched on a few of things that you should know about this very rewarding hobby. There is much to learn, but at least you’ve now got a few good ideas to put to work.