Jewelry is a great gift to give to a loved one or a friend, and a lot of people buy jewelry every day. But with so many different options available to choose from, it can be difficult to know which piece of jewelry is of the best quality so that you get the best. Luckily, there are ways to check the quality so that you won’t have to worry.
Sterling silver jewelry makes a great investment. Pieces of jewelry made from sterling silver last for a lifetime and provide endless elegance. Sterling does tarnish, but can be quickly shined up using a polishing cloth. However, pieces of sterling silver jewelry that have specialty coating can last ages without tarnishing.
Consider buying a small barrel tumbler. If you wear a lot of jewelry or just want to keep the pieces you own in good condition, you probably clean it on a fairly regular basis. You might want to get a small barrel tumbler for polishing. They are inexpensive and do a thorough job.
Keep your jewelry stored somewhere that is free from humidity or air. Ideally, you should keep them in drawstring bags or in a jewelry box. 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.
When buying a diamond from a jeweler, make sure that you understand what kind of stone you are purchasing. Do not buy a stone based on seeing it against a black or dark background. This is a seller’s ploy to making it appear more attractive to your eye. You will get a truer view if you ook at it under magnification.
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.
Jewelry consignment stores are a great place to sell your jewelry. Consignment stores will sell your jewelry for whatever you think is a fair price, and they take a certain percentage of the sales when the item sells. They will usually display it for about 3 months and then you have the option of either picking it up or selling it to the store. Occasionally the store will keep it on display for longer if you ask.
Do not use ultrasonic cleaners and jewelry cleaning liquids on your precious and semi- precious gemstones. Most gemstones are easily damaged and their properties become corroded by the chemical properties in jewelry cleaning liquids. Ultrasonic cleaners can shake the gemstone settings apart and deteriorate the glue used to secure the gemstone in the setting.
When choosing jewelry to wear to your wedding, decide first if you wish to buy it or rent it. Often the jewelry you wear as a bride isn’t necessarily something you’d wear again, so renting is an excellent choice and will get you a higher grade of item than you might be able to buy outright.
View the gemstones in correct lighting, with the right background. Diamonds or other gems should never be viewed on a black background. Black backgrounds alter your perception of a gems real shine and color, so you may make a purchase and later realize that the stone is not as clear and perfect as you originally assumed.
When buying jewelry it is important to remember that you can finance it. There are a lot of jewelry stores who offer in house financing for their customers. That means that you could get a loved one jewelry that they have always dreamed of and pay for it over an extended period of time. Financing helps to make gift giving a little bit easier.
When it comes to taking care of your jewelry, be sure that you always remove it before using any sort of powerful chemicals. This is important because when using cleaning chemicals, it is possible that they could come into contact with your jewelry and either ruin it, or temporarily disfigure it.
If you want to sell jewelry, learn the properties of each stone. Certain stones correspond to astrological signs or elements. Tell these stories to your customers: people are generally excited about finding the stone that was made for them. If your customers do not seem interested by this aspect, find another approach.
If you want to make a few extra bucks without selling your jewelry, you can do this if you have bracelets or necklaces made of gold. Consider removing excess portions of gold or silver that will not affect the overall piece. With several chains of real gold, you can earn a good bit of cash, even a couple hundred dollars, just by shaving a few inches off of your jewelry.
As with most things, we all want to get the best things for the cheapest price. So, the next time you decide to buy a piece of expensive jewelry as a present for a loved one, try to use these tips so that you can make sure you are getting the best bargain and quality for the amount of money you paid.
