If you are looking for a great deal on a new or pre-owned ring, necklace, or bracelet, the advice in this article can provide you with practical advice on the best way to shop for jewelry. The information in these tips and tricks will make finding the perfect piece a painless and simple process.
Save some of your most fragile jewelry for special occasions only. Some fragile stones like opal and peridot should only be worn for special events and then carefully stored until the next occasion. This may seem irritating since you want to be able to wear your best pieces, but it can prolong their life if you avoid exposing them to harm too often.
When storing your jewelry, be sure that you store it in a place with low humidity and free of open air. A drawstring bag or closed box offers the best protection from moisture in the air. Air and humidity can tarnish metals of all types. Precious metals can often be polished to remove most tarnish. Non-precious metals often have a single coat of metal. Therefore, polishing them can remove the coat and show the copper that is found underneath.
One “old fashioned” piece of jewelry that you might want to reconsider wearing, is a watch. Younger people are used to using their cell phones or other electronics to tell time, but in certain situations, it may be more appropriate or more professional to wear a nice watch. You don’t want to be constantly checking your watch at a job interview or a formal event, but wearing one sends a certain message.
If you’re trying to buy a diamond on a budget, look for one that has slight inclusions and is a less than perfect color of white. Often times, you cannot even see the inclusions and “off” color with the naked eye, but it can save you hundreds or thousands on the price of the stone.
Know what to ask your salesperson. Find out if the gemstone you are interested in is natural, synthetic or imitation. Natural gems cost the most because they have a higher cost to attain them. Synthetic gems are man-made and are easier to get, so they are cheaper. Imitations are the cheapest overall, but, of course, they are not be of the best quality.
Try to fix scratches in watch glass before you waste money at a jeweler. Watch faces can easily get scratched by their constant exposure to the elements. To fix this, try rubbing a small amount of your toothpaste into the face of the watch. Use circular motion and see the scratches disappear like magic.
You can safely clean your jewelry at home. Mix a small amount of mild detergent in water. Allow your dirty jewelry to soak for several minutes and then gently scrub it with a soft toothbrush. Finish the cleaning by rinsing your jewelry in clean water and allowing it to air dry.
To keep jewelry safe, avoid putting it all in a jewelry box that sits out as a decorative piece in your home. Nothing says, “Come grab me, I am filled with expensive stuff!”� to thieves quite like a displayed jewelry box. If you want more access to your jewelry than a safety deposit box allows, and a professionally installed wall safe isn’t an option, get creative and hide your jewelry within objects not likely to even be touched by thieves. Air-tight containers can be be tucked inside plant pots or diaper pails, hollow out a book to form a secret compartment, or stash a small case at the bottom of a box of tampons! You need to think like a thief to avoid being taken advantage by a thief.
After every time that you wear a piece of pearl jewelry, you should make sure that you wipe the pearl down with a wet cloth. This will help the pearl from getting too dry which can cause it to become brittle. Keep your pearl looking great when you keep it moisturized.
When attempting to polish your silver jewelry, it’s always a great idea to soak it in a solution of water and white vinegar. Stay away from cider and wine vinegars. Go with white vinegar only. This will remove tarnish from your jewelry and give it a million-dollar shine in only a few short minutes.
Whether you’re a man or woman shopping for jewelry, avoid asking store clerks how things look when you try them on. To make a sale, people are obviously going to be very flattering with you. A false sense of confidence here can result in a really bad purchase that you’ll end up regretting later.
When it comes to men’s jewelry fashion tips, it is important to consider that it you should limit the amount of jewelry you wear on your body at a given time. Too much and you will come across looking gaudy and possibly more feminine than you would hope.
If you are low on cash but still want to make some jewelry, you can make paper beads! These are bright and colorful and also, very fun to make for yourself or if you have children. All you need is some old magazines that you may have laying around!
Now that you have learned some of the basics of shopping for costume, wedding, and designer jewelry, you will be better prepared to make a wise decision to invest in a piece that can last a lifetime. Remember these tips as you narrow down your choices to a single, must-have piece of jewelry.