One of the many remarkable things about broches, rings, necklaces, and bracelets is the power to captivate people of all cultures and eras with their beauty and design. Jewelry has always held a special place in the annals of history, fashion, and even anthropology. With these sparkling, hand-picked tips you will find new ways to appreciate and enjoy jewelry.
Do not attempt to shine your silver or gold jewelry with toothpaste. It is simply an incorrect home remedy that many try to pass off as fact that it works. The chemicals in toothpaste will erode your jewelry causing the gemstones to permanently lose their luster. For only a few dollars you can buy a proper polishing cloth and jewelry shining liquid.
If you don’t have any jewelry cleaner handy, try using toothpaste with baking soda to help clean tarnish off of your sterling or pure silver jewelry. Just rub the toothpaste on the tarnished area with a soft cloth and clean off. Make sure to dry the jewelry to prevent future tarnishing.
When looking to invest in fine jewelry, understand the different price ranges different metals and gemstones fall into. For example, understanding that opal is very expensive, you can already figure out if you see someone selling it for under twenty dollars, it is a fake. Knowing that sterling silver is a lot cheaper than white gold, but quite similar in appearance, can help narrow down your price when looking to invest in a nice pair of earrings.
When choosing earrings, test the weight in the store. You can’t–and shouldn’t–try them on, but holding them in your hand may be able to tell you if they’re too heavy for all-day wear or just too heavy. Heavy earrings will eventually become painful. No matter how nice they look, you won’t want to wear them if they’re not comfortable.
Buy brightly colored jewelry to pair with the same black clothing. The same little black dress can seem like a completely new and exciting outfit simply by adding different accessories. Brightly colored jewelry will stand out against a dark color as well as giving you a dynamic look.
Don’t buy novelty jewelry unless you know for sure that the person you’re buying it for will like it. If your wife is a fan of Sleeping Beauty, then a dwarf pendant is an appropriate gift. Don’t just buy an item of jewelry because it’s cute, make sure it’s appropriate, too.
Don’t buy any jewelry that could easily be broken, or the recipient could end up disappointed. Many pendants come in tiny little chains that are so frail that they break right away, and if your loved one loses their new diamond pendant, they’ll be heartbroken. If the chain is inadequate that comes with a pendant, buy a larger chain or just buy a different pendant!
Feel comfortable in your jewelry venue of choice. If you feel that the seller may be trying to get you to buy a piece you are not interested in, walk away. Some jewelers are paid on commission, so the more they sell you, the better they are paid. Take this into consideration when choosing a jeweler.
When buying turquoise jewelry, make sure you’re getting the real thing. Some of the things you can check for are that the color is uniform throughout and that the stone tends more toward opaque than clear. Also, the presence of veins or splotches, ranging from white to black, are a good indication of a real turquoise rather than a fake one. Most important, buy from a reputable dealer and ask for written authentication of the value. Unfortunately, with all the enhancements done to fake turquoise stones, sometimes it’s hard to tell the real thing from an imitation.
Make sure that you understand the language and jargon the jewelers speak. When you go looking at jewelry they will throw out information about the grade of the stones. It is important that you know what they are talking about and it will save both you and the jeweler time if you understand at least a little bit about the language that they use.
When selling jewelry online, you should offer as many guarantees as possible. The customers cannot see the piece and judge of its quality: some people might not buy jewelry online because they do not wish to trust sellers. When you offer guarantees, your customers will realize that your jewelry must be quality.
If you are planning to purchase a piece of jewelry for your wife or girlfriend but do not want to ruin the surprise, do some detective work. Stealthily, sneak a peek in her jewelry box or simply pay attention to the pieces that she wears the most. Take note of details like whether she favors gold or silver, thick or delicate chains, or diamonds versus colored stones or pearls. This information will help both you and the salesperson narrow down the selection.
So whether you have learned a new fact, historical tidbit, or way to wear your jewelry, keep in mind that these tips are meant to be shared! Use this information to make better decisions on buying, wearing, or possibly even making your own gorgeous jewelry; think of these tips as diamonds in the rough.
