Knowing about types of jewelry is essential for making good purchases. One mistake in your purchase can end up costing you quite a bit. Here are some great pieces of advice to assist you. These tips are here to help you have a better understanding of prices and avoid common mistakes.
Do not clean your jewelry with chemicals such as bleach or ammonia. Doing so can destroy enamel finishes, while clouding stones and crystals.
Sterling Silver
When purchasing sterling silver, take along a good magnifying glass, along with a small magnet. 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.
Make sure you know what kind of gem you are getting when you are buying jewelry. Natural gems and imitation gems have been joined recently by synthetic gems, making three main categories. Synthetic stones are lab created jewels, while imitation stones are normally colored glass. Natural gems are dug up from the ground, and synthetic gems are man-made in a lab.
Pay attention to the type of metal they wear, such as white gold or yellow gold. Also notice if your loved one usually wears hoops or studs. Noticing these things lets you choose jewelry more suited to their tastes.
When buying a new piece of jewelry, be sure to check on the current fashion trends. Getting a nice piece of jewelry is good, but getting it at a discount is even better.
Try on a few different stones when you are shopping for jewelry. Choose stones that have a reflection on your personality and that also complement the color of your skin. Colors should be neutral so that they go with most of your outfits. Buying something that does not work with multiple outfits is pointless.
Consider how you should best clean each piece of your jewelry. Metals, gemstones and settings all have different storage and cleaning requirements. Something that may help one piece of jewelry might hurt another one. Ask a jeweler to make sure you know how to maintain your items.
Ask your jeweler before you make a purchse about what kinds of treatments were used on the gemstones in the piece. Gemstone treatment can affect the type of care the piece needs. For example, you should avoid cleaning a gem that has been treated with a certain solution that could peel off the treatment because this could harm the gem.
Have a purpose in mind for a piece of jewelry before you buy it. There is no point continually buying jewelry if you never wear it. Take a look in your closet and consider what outfits your jewelry will accessorize.
You should never wear your jewelry while swimming. The chlorine in pool water will corrode your jewelry and remove its shine. Even ocean swimming is not good for jewelry. The salt is damaging. Take off your jewelry before swimming to ensure that it lasts as long as possible before you have to replace it.
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.