Whether thinking of a gift for your beloved or a cherished personal item, it is perfectly understandable to be passionate about jewelry. There are a lot of different kinds of jewelery that you can buy, there are a lot of different ways to wear it as well. Information is the key. This article aims to answer a few of the most common questions people have about jewelry.

Try using a simple polishing cloth on your jewelery collection. A polishing cloth is a very gentle way to get a good shine on all your pieces. You can use the two-sided cloth to polish your jewelry in the same way you would polish a drinking glass. Use the side of the cloth that is designed for polishing to remove fingerprints, dust and other surface imperfections, and then use the opposite side to buff the jewelry and make it gleam.

Always keep your jewelry in a place that doesn’t experience extreme temperatures or humidities. Some good examples of proper storage would be,a jewelry box that is closed, or a small draw string bag. Humidity quickly tarnishes both precious and non-precious metal. Precious metals can often be polished to remove most tarnish. Non-precious metals often have a single coat of metal. Therefore, polishing them can remove the coat and show the copper that is found underneath.

Sterling Silver

When purchasing sterling silver, take along a good magnifying glass, along with a small magnet. Magnets attract non-precious metals, and you can use this fact to detect fakes. You can identify sterling silver by its markings, for example “sterling,” “ster,” or “.925.” If there is no hallmark, the piece is probably not authentic and may, indeed, be counterfeit.

Your jewelry should be durable and long-lasting. Go to a dealer you can trust to make sure you get a quality item at a fair price. The best jewelry is well-designed and well-made with close attention to detail. Ask the jeweler about the history behind the piece and learn more about who made it, as well as the origin of the materials. Investing in a high-quality jewelry piece ensures that you will have a timeless item that will be just as wearable in 20 years as it is today.

Wear jewelry for at least a day to see if it hangs correctly and is comfortable. Doing this also tells you how well it stands up to normal daily wear.

Choose Stones

Consider stones when you are buying jewelry. Choose stones that have a reflection on your personality and that also complement the color of your skin. If your wardrobe is made up of a wide variety of colors, choose stones of a shade that will match whatever you choose to put on. It will be of no value to you to purchase jewels that are not easy to incorporate into your lifestyle.

Costume jewelry needs to be handled and stored delicately. Costume jewelry is generally bound by glue rather than settings and is therefore, a lot more fragile. 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. You will be able to maintain its nice appearance with this method.

The price, style, color, material, occasion – there is so much to think about when selecting jewelry that it can easily become overwhelming. This article serves as a great guideline for jewelry selection, maintenance and ownership.