Jewelry is often the way we commemorate the great rites of passage. Graduating students get class rings. Couples exchange wedding rings to signify their commitment to each other. Even the month of our birth can be signified by a special birthstone. This article can give you more information about the importance of jewelry in life.
Take a magnet and a keen eye with you when you head out to purchase any jewelry made from sterling silver. Precious metals, like sterling silver, will not be attracted to the magnet. You can recognize sterling silver by stamps that say ‘.925’ or ‘ster’. Be wary of jewelery without any kind of hallmark, as often it is fake.
Create wire jewelry. There are so many resources available to help you get started. You can buy the supplies almost anywhere, charms, beads, dangles, special clasps plus much more. It does take quite a bit of practice, but it can be a fun hobby or even a career if you perfect it.
If you have a large collection of fashion jewelry, make sure to only clean them with a damp cloth. Using polishing cloths or jewelry cleaning liquids will only eat away at the top layer causing the base metal to show through. After you are finished cleaning, keep your jewelry stored away to prevent any damage or tarnish.
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.
Making your own jewelry is easier than you think. You can find interest pendants at craft stores that can be placed on chains you already own or you can easily buy an inexpensive chain. If you knit or crochet, you can use yarn to create chokers and bracelets. Even if you buy and combine store bought items, making your own jewelry still allows you to design what you wear.
Shopping for birthstone jewelry may seem simple, but some months have more than one stone. June, October, November, and December all have multiple birthstones. If you’re shopping for yourself and you’re from a multiple stone month, decide which one you like best. If shopping for a gift, don’t be afraid to ask the recipient!
When making jewelry and you want to turn a bead into a linked piece, take an eye pin and thread it through the bead’s hole. Let the bead slide to the bottom of the eye pin. Directly above the bead, use your pliers to bend the eye pin approximately 45 degrees. Using wire cutters, trim this to about half an inch in length. Using small round pliers, grasp the tip of the wire and start looping it around the pliers tip. Don’t give up if your eye pin loop is not directly round – practice makes perfect!
You will need to take special care when you are buying costume jewelery! A lot of the stones in costume jewelery are glued in and not set in. Don’t submerge costume jewelry in water or clean it with harsh chemicals. To properly care for it you need to use a cloth dampened with warm water. After wiping make sure to use another cloth to thoroughly dry it. Doing so will keep your jewelry looking its best for life.
As recognized earlier, jewelry has great value in our lives, especially when commemorating special events, as well as when marking the rites of passage. Jewelry can also be a great way to express that you love someone and you buy that special someone, a piece of jewelry “just because.” This article can help you to mark your special occasions with the gift of jewelry.