There is no such thing as having enough information with jewelry. If you make a mistake it can cost you a lot of money. Read on to find a variety of tips about jewelry. The following tips will help you understand how to choose and care for beautiful jewelry pieces, while preventing some common mistakes.
Clean all of your jewelry with a polishing cloth. This is a chemical-free method to maintain the appearance of your fine jewelry. It’s easy, just use the dual-sided cloth to wipe down your jewelry, just as you would polish a beautiful glass. Use a two-sided cleaning cloth, one for polishing and one for shining.
Steer clear of ammonia, bleach or other strong chemical solvents when you need to clean these items. Natural acids won’t erode the enamel on your copper jewelry the way harsh chemicals can.
Ensure you are certain how to keep your jewelery in one place so it is not damaged. You can protect your jeweled investments with hooks, boxes and holders that keep each piece intact and prevent tangles. Avoiding piling your nice jewelry pieces into one big heap in a box. This haphazard approach can cause damage to the individual components of fine jewelry, and create a tangled mess.
Sterling Silver
When you go shopping for sterling silver jewelry pieces, take with you a magnet and a monocle. Use the magnet to detect fake jewelry; real silver will not be attracted to the magnet, but the cheaper metals will. In addition, sterling silver pieces are always stamped with silver hallmarks indicating such factors as the degree of purity, the manufacturer’s symbol, and the date of manufacture. Some of the most common hallmarks are “925, “ster,” “sterling,” and “sterling silver.” If you don’t see a stamp of any sort on a piece, then be wary of whether it is actually silver or not.
Do some research on the gem in your new piece of jewelry before you buy. The three different types of stones are natural, imitation and synthetic. “Real” can mean natural or synthetic, and an imitation stone could be glass or plastic. The only difference between natural and imitation gemstones is where they are made. Natural occur naturally, while synthetic stones are grown in labs.
Costume Jewelry
You need to pay attention to care and maintenance if you intend to build up a costume jewelry collection. Costume jewelry can be very expensive and a great investment, but a piece that shows too much wear and tear will not be worth the money or time. A piece of costume jewelry that has been treated well can be a treasure for years to come.
When you are looking for jewelry to purchase, give careful thought to the stones you prefer. Try to select stones that are an extension of your individuality and that enhance the tone of your skin. Pieces in neutral tones work well with any item in your wardrobe. Do not buy something that looks nice on the shelf but that you will never use.
Your jewelry will stay cleaner if you wait until after you apply make-up to put it on. If you put on makeup after you put on your jewelry, dust and particles from the makeup will migrate to the jewelry, which makes it dirty quite quickly. In particular, this hint is aimed towards your necklaces and earrings.
Well, it’s easy when you know how. This article has just touched on a few of things that you should know about this very rewarding hobby. There is much to learn, but at least you’ve now got a few good ideas to put to work.