Jewelry has been around for ages it seems and there are millions of designs when it comes to choosing jewelry. These suggestions can help you pick out a piece of jewelry that you will enjoy for years.
Don’t use harsh chemicals like turpentine or bleach to clean jewelry. Harsh chemicals can destroy the enamel, and ruin the stones in your jewelry.
Be cautious of the way all of your personal jewelry gets stored together. You can protect your jeweled investments with hooks, boxes and holders that keep each piece intact and prevent tangles. You should never simply throw your jewelry into a box in a messy pile. Fragile jewelry could easily be damaged by doing this, not to mention the nuisance of having to untangle necklace chains that could get caught together.
Keep your jewelry in a relatively air-tight container, and minimize its exposure to humidity. To maximize protection, put your jewelry in a jewelry box or a small drawstring bag. Certain metals begin to tarnish when exposed to humidity. Precious metal jewelry can be polished to fix tarnish, but non-precious metals coated with a finish will never get back to their previous state.
Sterling Silver
When you are shopping for jewelry in sterling silver, be sure to examine the piece closely, and take along a magnet for metal testing. 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. True sterling silver will also have a mark on it to indicate its quality, such as “.925” or “ster”. If the piece of presumed silver is not marked, be skeptical that is real silver. It could very well be a fake.
Before buying a new item of jewelry, do a little research on recent trends. Price a variety of similar items before buying an expensive piece.
Make sure you check into insurance policies when you make a jewelry purchase from a jeweler. Insurance policies allow you to bring a defective or broken piece into the jewelry store for repair. Some jewelers have insurance policies that cover lost of stolen jewelry, also.
Costume Jewelry
Costume jewelry has different, specific care requirements. Costume jewelry is often put together using glue and other adhesives, unlike stoned that are set using metal. Keep your costume jewelery away from water or chemicals. To care for it best, wipe your jewelry with a damp, warm cloth and dry it with a different cloth. This helps keep costume jewelry looking sparkling clean and new.
Now that you’ve read the tips we’ve supplied you’ll be on the path towards creating a jewelry collection that fulfills all of your desires. There is a vast array of jewelry pieces available making it a bit of a challenge to select, give or care for one properly. Reading up on jewelry is a useful way to spend a little time educating yourself.
