Human beings have been adorning themselves with bright and shiny objects for almost as long as civilization has existed. Jewelry can be simple adornment or it can signify any number of things. Jewelry can denote your position in society, a protection against evil, or membership to a society or clan. It can take the form of expensive gemstones, or be as simple as leather and bone.
If you don’t have any jewelry cleaner handy, try using toothpaste with baking soda to help clean tarnish off of your sterling or pure silver jewelry. Just rub the toothpaste on the tarnished area with a soft cloth and clean off. Make sure to dry the jewelry to prevent future tarnishing.
When cleaning your fine jewelry, always follow the recommended cleaning directions for the gemstones used in the piece instead of the metals. Many jewelry cleaners designed to remove tarnish from metals can also dull or even destroy many soft precious gemstones. Use a cleaner safe for all gemstones and avoid harsh chemicals.
When you want to get diamond jewelry it is important that you know the quality of the stone you are trying to buy. Any qualified or knowledgeable jeweler will be able show you the quality of the diamond you are buying. From there, the prices are explainable; the higher the quality of the diamond the more expensive.
Never use solutions or chemicals on emeralds. Chemicals, especially ammonia, will degrade emeralds to the point that they are unrecognizable. Emeralds are especially porous gemstones, so make sure to take great care when cleaning and storing these precious stones. If you are not careful with these, they will quickly lose their worth.
When giving a piece of jewelry to a significant other, a great tip to follow if you are not confident in your observation abilities is to ask friends or family members of your significant other their opinions as to what type of jewelry you should purchase. If you do this, you will have shown your significant other that you made a genuine effort to make the moment special.
Always make sure you buy jewelry after you are educated in the subject. For example, do not go to buy a diamond without first educating yourself on the specifics of diamonds. A dealer may try to sell you something that is not worth his asking price based off of your ignorance. If you are well informed you cannot be hoodwinked.
Use jewelry in a bold, unexpected color to pick up an accent color in your outfit. If you are wearing a skirt with a floral, plaid or striped print, match your necklace, earrings or bracelets to a color used in the design. This is a great way to add more color to an otherwise subdued outfit, and it can pull your look together nicely.
One of the biggest dangers to jewelry is loss. When you are not careful with the pieces of fine jewelry that you have, it can be quite easy to lose it. By paying attention, especially to very small pieces and stones you will ensure that you have your jewelry throughout your life.
Although it may seem obvious, never wear any type of jewelry when you are swimming. Not only is the water itself a bit difficult on the piece, but most swimming pools are treated with chemicals that will cause lasting damage to the piece, if it does not ruin it completely.
Crowns, tiaras, necklaces, rings, and any other variety, it is all just jewelry and has been a part of human civilization for as long as can be remembered. While the styles and processes for making it have changed and some of the purposes changed, there is always the consistent purpose to jewelry, to adorn and beautify the human form.