What jewelry represents is almost as interesting as actually wearing it. Jewelry gives material form to memories and acts as a symbol of important relationships, such as engagements and marriages. When you understand how jewelry works, it makes the whole process more memorable.
Harsh chemicals and solvents can damage the finish of your jewelry and should never be used to clean it. This could cause the stone to change color or become dull in appearance, and it may eat away at the enamel on the piece.
To keep your jewelry looking attractive, polish it regularly using a cloth made especially for this purpose. This will allow your jewelry to shine without using chemicals. You just have to polish each piece the same as you would polish glass using the two-sided cloth. One side is designed to polish, and the other is used to make the piece shine.
Be careful on how you store all of your jewelry together. Use a box that has several different compartments and hooks to keep your pieces apart. Avoiding piling your nice jewelry pieces into one big heap in a box. This haphazard approach can cause damage to the individual components of fine jewelry, and create a tangled mess.
Make sure you organize your jewelry properly. For best results, separate different pieces into different boxes, compartments or hooks. Resist the urge to jumble all your pieces together in one box or basket. This can damage the finer and more fragile pieces, and items like necklaces can entangle with each other and other pieces into a big mess.
Keep your jewelery in a space that is dry and doesn’t have any air flow. A jewelry box or drawstring bag out of a humid area is ideal. Air and humidity will make the metals in jewelry tarnish. Precious metals, through some work and polish, can be restored to their original condition. Non-precious metals are coated, which means that polishing will allow copper metal to come through.
Think about what stones you would want before you purchase a new piece of jewelry. Any stones that you choose should go with your skin tone and reflect your personality. Neutral colored jewelry is nearly always a good buy, because they blend in well with any outfit. As long as you’re spending money, it makes more sense to purchase something that is functional as well as beautiful.
If you want to buy sterling silver pieces, use a magnet and examine the jewelry very carefully. If the piece you are examining is not silver and is made from non-precious metal, it will be attracted to the magnet. Sterling silver will always be hallmarked with a stamp such as .925, ster. or sterling. If you don’t see a stamp of any sort on a piece, then be wary of whether it is actually silver or not.
Particular Piece
You should expect good jewelry to last the rest of your life, and possibly beyond. When choosing jewelry, you should always buy from a reputable store or dealer, in order to ensure you only get high-quality pieces. If a piece of jewelry is of high quality, it should be made well and exhibit top-flight craftsmanship. Make sure the jeweler is able to tell you the history of the piece, including who created it and where any stones come from. You’ll create an heirloom tomorrow if you choose high-quality jewelry today.
Take careful consideration when thinking of how you want to care for the jewelry you purchase. Not all types of jewelry can be cleaned in the same manner. The best way to care for a particular piece of jewelry could be harmful to a different piece. If you are uncertain what the best practice is for caring for a particular piece of jewelry, ask your jeweler.
Discover whether they wear studs, hoop earrings, or some other type of jewelry. Knowing their preferences will be an invaluable guide when you go out to buy them a special item of jewelry.
For those creative, quirky people in your life, shop for handcrafted original pieces. A one-of-a-kind jewelry piece is a great way to show someone how much they mean to you.
Ask about insurance from your jeweler before purchasing a new piece. You want to know if they will be able to repair or replace the piece if it was to break. You should also think about getting additional insurance in cause of theft or loss.
You get more than an investment when you acquire jewelry; you get a special memory. It doesn’t matter whether jewelry reminds you of good times you’ve had or hope for the future. All jewelry encompasses human emotion in some form.
You should ensure the quality of the pieces of costume jewelry that you purchase for your collection. Costume jewelry make good investments and they can be costly, but an item that shows major signs of usage will be a poor investment of your time and money. Stick to pieces that are in good to excellent condition, as they are the best investments.