Jewelry hold a special place in the lives of many people. For some, it acts as a symbol for the undying love that they may have for a loved one, or that a loved one may have for them. For others, it acts a form of fashion and expression. Regardless of the place it holds in your life, the tips in this article can help you choose jewelry.
If you are looking to purchase sterling silver jewelry online, make sure to also purchase a silver acid testing kit. Such kits are widely available online as well for under ten dollars. They provide a safe way for you to acid test the jewelry you receive to make sure of its authenticity. This way, if you are purchasing a vintage piece that may not be hallmarked, you are still able to know that you have not been scammed.
Don’t spend a lot of money purchasing cheap costume jewelry. Costume jewelry does sell in more designs and cost significantly less than fine jewelry. Yet, over the course of a few months or years, costume jewelry loses its color which causes the cheap metal to show through underneath. Invest in one or two pieces of fine jewelry that are sure to last a lifetime.
Essential to anyone buying jewelry for reclamation purposes is a pocket-sized gram and carat scale. While a scale can’t determine the purity of the gold and silver you encounter in your jewelry hunting, a pocket scale can at least give you a basic starting point to determine fair pricing and valuing of your jewelry finds.
Buy dainty jewelry for slender women, and chunkier jewelry for a larger lady. If your wife is petite, then a tiny watch is appropriate. Buy the same watch for your six-foot tall spouse and it might not even fit on her wrist! Whatever you do, DON’T buy men’s jewelry for a woman! She’ll know the second she lays eyes on it and could be offended.
When buying jewelry, you may want to consider semi-precious stones. Semi-precious stones can be found in a wide variety of colors, cuts, and price-ranges. Not only will you be able to get more for less, but, since many people choose precious stones, your semi-precious gemstone jewelry may seem ever rarer than diamonds!
Part of selecting your wedding jewelry should be taking into consideration when you’re getting married. Sparkly jewelry, like dangling diamonds, look best when light is coming from all directions, as it would in a night ceremony or reception. Daytime weddings, especially outdoors, tend not to highlight this kind of jewelry as well.
When buying jewelry, ask a friend what looks good on you. Though you may have a preference for gold, it may turn out to be that silver actually looks best for you and your skin tone. Of course, always consider your tastes, but don’t forego advice from others about what makes you look best.
When you are interested in buying some jewelery you should expect to find good sales. You can save a lot of money with the right sale. Check the newspaper, the Internet, and signs in store windows to find the best sales. Consider buying something that is out of style to get a better deal.
Look for jewelry stores that are accredited members of the Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, as well as the Jewelers of America. You are assured the best quality at the lowest price by stores with these certifications. You will find these certifications held by most big chain type outfits.
When giving a piece of jewelry to someone, you must always remember to keep the receipt. This applies to almost anything you purchase, but this definitely applies to a piece of jewelry because of how expensive it is. If you want to return the piece of jewelry for whatever reason, you need the receipt to get your money back. Otherwise, you will be stuck with a useless piece of jewelry that you spent lots of money on.
If you are selling your jewelry online, make sure it is presented attractively. This is very important because people need to evaluate the jewelry from the picture since they cannot handle it in person. Take your jewelry photographs in a manner that focuses only on the piece, not anything in the background, and keep the background very plain.
When you are wearing pearls you have to make sure not to expose them to any harsh hair sprays, perfumes, or other chemicals. They tend to lose their luster very fast if they are exposed to these chemicals because the nacre (skin) of the pearl will start to peel off.
For nice, even beading on your handmade jewelry, make sure that you can’t see the thread from the previous stitch before moving on. This helps the thread to remain tight, providing tension among the crystal netting. You will end up with uniform beading in your jewelry if you follow this easy tip.
Don’t use toothpaste to clean your jewelry. There are countless websites out there claiming that toothpaste is a great way to clean jewelry. Fine jewelers will tell you otherwise. The abrasives in toothpaste can damage the surface of metal and will permanently ruin soft stones such as turquoise, amber and lapis.
For the holidays, dress up a plain pair of solid colored pumps with a set of vintage earrings. Just attach them to the front of the “throat” of the shoe – just above the toe. This will give your party shoes a little bit of holiday sparkle and flair.
As stated before in the introduction above, jewelry holds a special place in peoples lives. For some, jewelry is a symbol of love. For others, jewelry represents an expression through fashion. If you remember the tips in this article, you can choose jewelry no matter what place it holds for you.