Jewelry can be confusing, no matter if you have inherited the jewelry or received it as a gift. The number of resources available can make things confusing at first. This article will address a few pieces of advice that will help you be a better educated consumer of jewelry.
Avoid using harmful substances like bleach, ammonia, acetone, turpentine and the like to clean them. These chemicals can wreak havoc on your jewelry, from discoloring bands, to dulling stones, to eroding enamel or glue.
Be cautious about your jewelry storage. It is best to use holders, compartments, boxes, and hooks so that everything is kept separate. Resist the temptation to jumble all your pieces into a community box. This haphazard approach can cause damage to the individual components of fine jewelry, and create a tangled mess.
Identify the kind of stone in every piece you consider. Gems are divided into three main categories: imitation, synthetic and natural. While natural and synthetic stones are the real deal, imitation stones are made to look like a real gemstone, but could be anything from colored glass to plastic. Synthetic gems are grown in a lab, natural gems are dug out of the Earth.
You should expect good jewelry to last the rest of your life, and possibly beyond. When purchasing your next jewelry item, focus on buying a quality, well-made piece. A truly high-quality piece is one that is well-constructed and of superior workmanship. A good jeweler can provide you with some background on the piece, such as who crafted it, where it was manufactured, and where any stones in it came from. When you chose a high-quality piece, you know your jewelry will last forever.
Make sure a piece of jewelry is still in style before you buy it. It is one thing to get a gorgeous bauble, but it is another to get it on sale!
You want to ensure that your jewelry always looks its best so do everything you can to stop it from tarnishing. Jewelry should not be worn near the water. Many metals can become tarnished, rusty or dull when exposed to water too often. It is wise to place a single coat of transparent nail lacquer on jewelry in order to protect it.
There are a lot of different aspects to jewelry and jewelry appraisal. As long as you take the time to educate yourself on the subject, though, you can buy, sell and care for jewelry wisely. Welcome to the exciting and dazzling world of beautiful jewelry! These tips should give you a nice head-start in exploring this wide world.
