What do you know about jewelry? Do you have knowledge of the different types of jewelry, and can you recognize the quality of different pieces? Understanding jewelry is as simple as function and preference. Peruse through these tips so you can be ready for anything that you may encounter in the world of jewelry.
Store your jewelry collection carefully. You can protect your jeweled investments with hooks, boxes and holders that keep each piece intact and prevent tangles. Avoid just throwing them into a box in an unorganized manner. This can damage fragile jewelry, and make it difficult to find the necklace you want because it’s tangled with other pieces.
Buying used jewelry can be a great way to expand your options without spending a lot of money. Look for estate sales or yard sales. Depending on where you live, prices may be lower than antique stores (which use the name “antique” to charge a bit more). Browsing in person can be a fun way to find things you might not have thought to go looking for.
What style of jewelry you choose for your wedding should be influenced by the style of your dress. If you have a high neckline then you can forgo a necklace and instead have drop earrings with a lot of sparkle. Long sleeves will usually mean you don’t want to wear a bracelet.
As a collector of costume jewelry, you should investigate the condition of the pieces that you want to add to your collection Well-done costume jewelry is often worth the price, but if it’s worn out or visibly damaged, it won’t be worth the effort it takes to restore it. A good piece will give you many years of happiness and even gain value over time.
Costume jewelry needs special care. Many pieces of costume jewelry have the stones glued on, for example. You will need to avoid immersing your jewelry and make sure to stay away from the use of harsh chemicals. Wiping it down with a damp, warm cloth and then drying it with another cloth is the best care for it. This will clean off any residue and make it look like new, without damaging it.
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.
If you love wearing jewelry, but hate the irritation it causes, then you may want to examine the metals in the jewelry. Higher karats of gold are less likely to cause irritation so opt for 14 or 18 karat. You could also try platinum or even palladium as both of these metals are harder and stronger than gold.
Try to have the wedding band and engagement ring soldered at least a week before the wedding. This way your bride will not be stuck at the alter fussing around trying to fit the rings together. Getting this process done before the wedding will also make the pictures look great because you will have already had the rings polished as well.
A great tip that can help you maintain your jewelry is to take your ring off when you go to the gym to lift weights. Lifting weights with your ring on can do a lot of damage to your ring. You’ll constantly scrape it against the weights which will badly scratch it.
Store your jewelry in the same way you wear it. This means hanging necklaces and earrings, and storing rings on padded sticks. Not only does this protect your jewelry from becoming tangled, knotted, or damaged, it also allows you to easily see what jewelry you have and what matches well together.
If you want to give jewelry to someone as a gift, be very careful. Giving jewelry is a very meaningful gesture: make sure you are giving something that says exactly what you meant. Types of jewelry, colors of stones and price tags have a meaning. Ask for advice if necessary.
When buying jewelry for someone that you care about consider diamonds if you are unsure of what to get. This is because most anybody will wear them and they will always hold their value. Diamonds come in many different shapes sizes and price ranges to cover any occasion.
When it comes to purchasing jewelry, listen to your gut feeling if you are having trouble making decisions. This is important because you may regret not going with that first item that jumped out at you – there is definitely a reason that it caught your eye in the first place.
Pandora beads are a very popular trend at the moment, combining all the fascination of a traditional charm bracelet, with the ease of customization associated with glass beads. While brand name Pandora beads are comparatively expensive, a number of other companies are making compatible beads with more themes and colors, at a cheaper price.
Stay away from fads when buying expensive jewelry. Decide whether the ring or necklace you want to buy will be out of style in a couple years. Buying jewelry can often be an investment with a great turnaround. But if the piece of jewelry goes out of style it can be next to worthless when you turn around and try to sell it.
If your jewelry-buying goals get ambitious and you are dead set on a piece, a little outside of your price range, always economize by selecting lower-karat gold, instead of getting plated pieces. Plated jewelry may look superior to impure gold, but its beauty is too fragile and short-lived. Once a plated piece begins to deteriorate, nothing can be done to salvage it.
Use the knowledge you’ve gained from this article to help you make better decisions when choosing jewelry in the future. You might find yourself making more stylish jewelry selections, or even saving big money by recognizing good deals. Great taste when it comes to jewelry really just means being fully educated and well experienced in the field.
