Jewelry 101: Your Go-To Guide For All Things Jewelry
At one level, selecting and owning jewelry is a visceral, natural experience. Jewelry is supposed to be beautiful. So, all you need to do is pick pieces that appeal to your taste or the taste of their intended recipients. There is a deeper level to jewelry, though. Buying, selling and caring for your jewelry are all processes that can be improved by learning a few handy tips. This article will give you those tips.
A great source for unique and inexpensive jewelry pieces are local thrift shops. Local thrift stores can be a treasure trove for antique and truly unusual pieces. Often, these establishments do not have the staff, training or time, that is necessary to check for hallmarks or gold and silver content. A few dollar’s investment can often yield, not only some really unique pieces of jewelry, but also some pieces that may be, quite valuable.
Ask your jeweler if they have the current equipment that is used to distinguish real diamonds from those that were created in a lab. Most of the older equipment can detect cubic zirconia, but sometimes they mistake lab diamonds for real ones. Making sure your jeweler has the correct testing equipment can save you from being a victim of fraud.
Like with any important purchase, make sure that you are purchasing your jewelry from an experienced jeweler, one who has a solid reputation. You need one that you can trust and who can help you find what you need. They need to be friendly too, and not just another salesperson pushing what they think you should buy. It may even be wise to spend a little more in an established store, than to risk buying what seems to be the same item from someone spurious.
When buying jewelry it’s necessary to determine exactly what metallic components make up the piece, for these will factor greatly in the price of the jewelry. Some common metals are stainless steal, silver, gold, platinum and rhodium. Each metal has it’s own properties, such as malleability and rarity, which influence the ease of manufacture and price. Some knowledge of metals will help you in the selection process.
When dealing with jewelry that will displayed as part of you, it is important to trust the store that is selling you their items. If you trust them, it more likely they will not give you low quality pieces of jewelry. A company that you trust will give the feeling you that you made a good decision.
At some point in your life, you may have been approached by a friendly stranger in a store parking lot, claiming to work at a big retail store and offering to sell you a piece of jewelery at an unbelievably low price. If you have heard the phrase, “buyer beware” now is the time to heed those words and walk away. Most of the time it is merely gold plated and will change color within a month or so. If you think it may be the real deal offer to go to a pawn shop to test the purity. If they refuse then definitely walk away before you end up getting duped.
Do not buy someone jewelry based on what you like, base it on what their tastes are. Many times people buy jewelry that they like and when they give it to the person they are buying it for, that person does not end up wearing it because it is not their style.
Take care when cleaning pearls. They are porous and soft, meaning they can get scratched easily. Clean them with a gentle damp cloth after wearing, and store them in a breathable bag (not plastic). Try to keep them in a room that maintains a regular temperature. Always put your pearl jewelry on after applying lotion or perfume, as contact with these products can diminish the luster.
You should check your rings periodically for loose stones or bent prongs. It is best to catch these issues early and have the ring repaired by a professional jeweler than to lose a precious stone. Most jewelers can re-tip worn prongs to ensure your stone stays secure.
A fun craft for your wedding is to make your own jewelry. It really is simple and it gives you the ability to customize the items exactly as you wish. For my wedding I used various shades of purple pearls and Swarovski crystals to make all my jewelry and my daughter’s as well. It was stunning AND affordable!
Never clean your jewelry over a sink with a drain that is open. This could cause your jewelry to fall down the drain. Instead, use a glass or plastic bowl placed on a towel as this is a much better option. After performing the cleaning, rinse your jewelry in clear, warm water and place it on a towel, to dry naturally.
For a clever way to store your necklaces and bracelets, remove the head of an old rake and spray paint it any color you wish (or use clear spray paint to keep the rustic look). Hang the rake on the wall securely, with the tines pointing outward, and hang your baubles from the tines to keep them neat and untangled.
Store your jewelry in felt. It is always annoying when a piece of your favorite jewelry starts to tarnish. To keep it from tarnishing, just make sure you store it properly. Use a felt bag or even a jewelry box lined with felt. It will help to keep the jewelry from tarnishing.
Buy a jewelry box or other container with separate compartments to store your jewelry. Jewelry pieces can scratch each other if they are stored where they can touch each other. Properly storing necklaces will keep them from getting tangled. Organized jewelry will be easier to find when you want it also.
Using such methods, you can improve the entire experience of owning or giving jewelry. Every piece of jewelry matches someone’s particular tastes, and finding the right one for you requires no education. But when you learn a little about the non-aesthetic considerations, you can make your experiences of buying, giving and owning jewelry more economical and longer-lasting.