Every woman dreams of having that perfect engagement ring, beautiful necklace, or great set of earrings. However, picking the right kind can be confusing especially when you step into a jewelry store and are pressured to make big purchases that may not always be in your best interest. This article provides some great pointers for buying jewelry.
Make sure to keep regular tabs on the state of your jewelry. You need to constantly assess the condition of your pieces to catch any issues or damage early. It is best to catch them early because this is when you should get them fixed to avoid major or irreversible damage, or even losing the item.
It is sometimes hard to stand out from the crowd or find a meaningful piece of jewelry. Jewelry stores usually sell the same type of designs that prove to be a bore after a while. Go bold and purchase handmade artisan jewelry instead. Handmade jewelry will always be a success due to its one-of-a-kind nature. You will never see anyone else wearing the same thing as you and you will also be supporting an artist instead of an import company relying on low wage labor.
Designer jewelry can be pricey and not affordable to someone on a budget. Luckily, there are quality replicas available, and for a price almost anyone can afford. These replicas resemble the real jewelry but without the huge hit to the wallet. You can have the luxury of wearing it whenever you’d like, instead of just on special occasions. They are truly a fashionable, affordable, alternative to designer name jewelry.
A great place to purchase almost any type of jewelry in the world is Ebay. Ebay is an amazingly large marketplace that serves as a gateway to the world. You can purchase affordable vintage, fashion and fine jewelry. Ebay can help you get the best deals and even purchase jewelry that has long since been considered rare or no longer manufactured.
A great source for unique and inexpensive jewelry pieces are local thrift shops. Local thrift stores can be a treasure trove for antique and truly unusual pieces. Often, these establishments do not have the staff, training or time, that is necessary to check for hallmarks or gold and silver content. A few dollar’s investment can often yield, not only some really unique pieces of jewelry, but also some pieces that may be, quite valuable.
When you are going in with a mindset to buy quality jewelry it is of utmost importance that you are going to a reputable dealer of jewelry. Otherwise, you may in fact be duped and pay a lot for something that is not worth much. Make sure that the sales representatives can show they quality of the item.
Don’t discard your antique broach from Grandma, re-purpose it. If you put a chain through it, the broach instantly becomes a fashionable necklace. Vintage jewelry is extremely popular these days and finding a way to make it wearable makes it fashionable. Re-using is also a popular concept in our “green” society. That broach can serve you well with just a slight alteration to its use.
When buying jewelry on eBay, it helps to know exactly what you’re looking for. There can be thousands of listings for a single type of jewelry. Avoid frustration by knowing the style and color you want before you begin looking. Unlike a brick and mortar store, it can take hours to browse through everything online.
When learning a new jewelry-making technique, use cheaper materials. For instance, if you are learning wire techniques, pick up some aluminum or copper wire from a local craft store, instead of using your sterling silver wire. This will help you get the valuable practice you need to master the technique, while sparing your pocketbook. If you mess up on your top-quality materials, they may become unusable.
Amethyst, quartz, and other purple stones can make any ring, necklace, or brooch appear luxurious and regal by conveying a sense of royalty and privilege. These richly colored gems look most striking against settings made of yellow gold, although more and more jewelry designers are pairing deep purple stones with pink-tinged rose gold.
Many types of metals will quickly tarnish when exposed to air for prolonged periods of time. One of the easiest ways to avoid this is by placing them in an air-tight location. A great and simple solution is purchasing small zipper plastic bags and then carefully sealing your jewelry inside them.
When buying jewelry for someone it is important to consider what he or she does on a daily basis. You do not want to give a mother with toddlers a necklace, as she will not be able to wear it when she is around her children. Toddlers love to pull on necklaces and it could hurt the mother’s neck or cause the necklace to break. She would then feel guilt and no one wants that.
To take care of your diamond jewelry all you need is a baby toothbrush, ammonia, water and a soft cloth. You soak your jewelry in a little bit of ammonia mixed with water and then scrub it softly with the toothbrush. This will help remove all of the grime that builds up on it. Then rinse it off with water and dry with the cloth. It will shine like new after this.
As you can see, finding that perfect piece of jewelry is not impossible. It just takes time, patience, and knowledge of what you are looking for. Now that you know more about shopping for and selecting the right kind of jewelry, you will make great purchases at the jewelry store instead of just listening to the salesperson!