Developing your jewelry collection can take some real knowledge and experience. Learning what is truly worth buying and what looks really good on you is a process. Finding just that right piece of jewelry can take some effort but hopefully these tips will make it a little easier.
Identify the kind of stone in every piece you consider. The three types are imitation, synthetic and natural. You have to know that imitation refers to colored plastic. Natural gemstones are mined, while synthetic gems are artificially grown.
When shopping for diamonds, make sure that you shop for them based on their four main criteria: color, cut, clarity, and carat. The color refers to the hue of the stone. The cut refers to the way that the stone is fashioned, such as princess and square cuts. Clarity refers to the flawlessness of the stone. The carat refers to the weight of the stone.
Never, EVER buy fake jewelry for someone you love! That means gold-plated, cubic zirconia, or gold-filled. Stick to the real stuff – you can get a bargain on real gold, silver, or even platinum if you look hard enough. Fake jewelry can turn the skin black or green, and that is the LAST thing you want to do!
When you are buying jewelry as a gift for someone else, be sure to figure out what their preferences are. Many people only like gold or silver, not both. Look at the recipients wardrobe choices and current jewelry to find what jewelry type they would be most likely to enjoy and actually wear.
When giving a piece of jewelry to a significant other, a great tip to follow if you are not confident in your observation abilities is to ask friends or family members of your significant other their opinions as to what type of jewelry you should purchase. If you do this, you will have shown your significant other that you made a genuine effort to make the moment special.
If you plan on selling jewelry online, you should make sure you know the materials. All jewelry sellers should know about the Federal Trade Commission’s Guides for both the Jewelry and Precious Metal Industries. If you don’t know all the rules, a customer could file a misrepresentation claim against you, which you do not want happening to you.
When it comes to quality and price, don’t count synthetic gemstones out. These gems, which are created in a lab, appear remarkably similar to the real thing. Take this into consideration as you shop for your next piece of jewelry: Rather than spending exorbitant amounts of money for a natural stone, opt for an affordable synthetic stone. The money saved on the stone can go toward a more intricate or higher-quality metal, such as platinum.
One way to prevent damage to jewelry is to always be careful with clothing. The best way to ensure that clothes don’t hurt the jewelry is to always add accent pieces after being fully dressed. In a similar fashion, make sure that jewelry is always removed before any articles of clothes.
When you sell jewelry online, write a few paragraphs about who you are and your background. When people walk into your store, introduce yourself. Do not go into details, but have people feel as if they know you and can trust you. You should emphasis your experience in jewelry and perhaps even show some of your past creations.
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.
If you don’t have jewelry cleaner handy, you can shine your gemstones and diamonds with toothpaste and a toothbrush! It does an excellent job of making precious stones sparkle safely and economically. Just coat the jewelry item with toothpaste and scrub gently with an old toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly under warm running water and polish with a soft, dry cloth.
Gold jewelry can be effectively cleaned with one teaspoon of ammonia, one teaspoon of dish soap, and one cup of water. The dish soap will act as a de-greaser, while the ammonia has an oxidation quality. You can use this as your regular cleaner for gold jewelry, but never use it on precious stones.
It is not easy to find truly flawless sapphires and rubies, which historically has made these stones quite expensive, particularly in the lighter shades, which makes the flaws easier to see. Fortunately, modern technology has made it possible to produce artificial stones that are identical in every way except for the flaws, and are much cheaper. Jewelry made from these stones is just as beautiful.
One way to make your jewelry purchases more memorable is to spend the extra money for engraving. Put some thought into the phrase you want to have engraved. Make it something that will remind your jewelry’s intended owner of the relationship they share with you. An engraved piece of jewelry is always one that helps strengthen interpersonal bonds.
A jewelry collection is very personal; what you have really will depend on what you like. There are tips however that are pretty universal in selecting what jewelry is worth the expense. These tips should lead you in the right direction to learn what you like and what is worth the money.
