You could have tons of fun shopping for jewelry, but stressful if you want to buy expensive jewelry. There are many different types of materials used to make jewelry, and they are all worth varying amounts of money. Without the proper knowledge, a shopper risks paying too much for a piece. These tips can help you be more knowledgeable about all aspects of purchasing jewelry.
Avoid using things like bleach, acetone, ammonia, turpentine, and other related chemicals to clean them with. This can cause the stones to lose their luster in addition to eating away the enamel on any of the pieces.
Don’t keep your jewelry in open air or someplace with a lot of humidity. To maximize protection, put your jewelry in a jewelry box or a small drawstring bag. Air and humidity can cause the metals that the jewelry are made of to tarnish. 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.
Make sure a piece of jewelry is still in style before you buy it. Price a variety of similar items before buying an expensive piece.
Wearing the jewelry yourself can help you decide if it will be appropriate for your intended recipient. You’ll also be able to get a better idea of the piece’s durability.
Costume jewelry needs to be handled carefully. Many of their settings are glued instead of set. Don’t submerge costume jewelry in water or clean it with abrasives. It is best to have two cloths ready, one warm with water and one dry, to use to wipe your jewelry. This helps keep costume jewelry looking sparkling clean and new.
To keep your jewelry looking clean, only put it on after your make-up is applied and set. The dust, oils and particles from makeup rub off on jewelry; putting on jewels first means they will get dingy and dull with a film of makeup over them. Especially keep this tip in mind for necklaces or earrings.
Take extra care when you are untangling necklaces. The first thing you need to do is get a piece of plastic wrap. Lay the necklace on the plastic wrap, and then cover it with a thin coat of mineral oil or baby oil. After the necklace has loosened, try to untangle it by hand. If this does not work, consider using a sturdy pin or needle. Be sure to use extra caution due to the slippery oil. When you are done, use soap and water to wash them.
After reading this article, you should have acquired some new advice to utilize when you are next in the market for rings, necklaces, bracelets, cuff links, watches or any other piece of jewelry. Use this advice to become a savvier jewelry shopper and owner.
