It can be well worth your while to thoroughly research any jewelry you are planning to buy or sell. Sometimes you may be lost about where to begin.
Don’t use acetone, bleach, ammonia or turpentine to clean copper. Doing so can damage the shine and luster of the stones on your favorite pieces.
Watch how you store your jewelry when it isn’t being worn. Keep pieces separately by using compartments, boxes, hooks and holders. Tossing all of your jewelry into the same box is a bad plan. This does damage to jewelry pieces, which are often fragile. Necklaces lumped together can get tangled up into a knotted ball.
Find out more about the gems you look at. Ask about where they came from and to which category they belong. Three different kinds of gems are available for purchase: imitation, synthetic and natural. Natural and synthetic gemstones are both actual gemstones, while an imitation gemstone is just a plastic mold made to look like a gemstone. While natural gems come out of mines, synthetic ones come out of laboratories.
When you purchase jewelry from a jeweler, ask about their insurance policy. Many stores offer a policy where you can bring broken or damaged jewelry back to the original jeweler for repair at little to no cost. Sometimes you can even get replacement coverage for loss or theft.
For jewelry to stay shiny and new-looking, it is important to keep it from tarnishing. Jewelry should not be worn near the water. Many metals can become tarnished, rusty or dull when exposed to water too often. Use a thinner coat of your clear nail polish on your jewelry for extra protection.
Consider the stones whenever you buy jewelry. Choose pieces that have stones which express your personality and those that make you feel great when you wear them. Neutral colors work better to match all your clothing. Non-functional jewelry is just a waste of money as it will sit unused.
Costume Jewelry
Costume jewelry needs to be handled carefully. Many embellishments on costume jewelry are only secured with glue rather than set into the piece. Costume jewelry should never be submerged in liquid, nor cleaned with chemicals. The best way to care for your jewelry is to use one damp cloth to wipe it followed by a dry one to dry it. Done regularly, this process will keep your costume jewelry looking great.
A brooch can add visual interest and an accent to an otherwise dull belt. You have the option of placing it close to your hip, or at your waist near the center.
Your jewelry will stay cleaner if you wait until after you apply make-up to put it on. The grime and dust in makeup are attracted to the jewelry, and if you put on the jewelry before the cosmetics, it can cause the pieces to look dull. This is particularly important in the case of necklaces and earrings.
Gems are given chemical treatments in the process of cutting, polishing and setting. When you are thinking of buying, ask what treatment a stone was given. Depending on the type of treatment used, the piece will require varying types of care. If your gem was treated you have to find out how to clean it properly.
Learning how to make informed decisions on the buying and selling of jewelry takes time and effort. Use the advice given in this article to help you as you begin venturing into the jewelry market.