Most people love to wear and own fancy jewelry, but not everyone knows how to properly maintain that jewelry. If you don’t want to have to replace your jewelry, it’s important that you learn how to care for it. This article compiles some advice to give you a starting point on maintaining your jewelry.
When you are shopping for jewelry, make sure that you ask your jeweler the “right” questions about their wares. You need to discuss things like diamond grades. You also need to ask who the graders are of their pieces. Find out what their education and experience is, and see what the guarantees are on whatever their grades are.
Essential to anyone buying jewelry for reclamation purposes is a pocket-sized gram and carat scale. While a scale can’t determine the purity of the gold and silver you encounter in your jewelry hunting, a pocket scale can at least give you a basic starting point to determine fair pricing and valuing of your jewelry finds.
If you’re going to buy earrings for a woman, also get a matching necklace. If you want to buy a necklace, grab a bracelet, too. A matched set of jewelry is double the joy for whomever you’re buying it for, which makes picking the perfect item twice as much fun for you!
A fun craft for your wedding is to make your own jewelry. It really is simple and it gives you the ability to customize the items exactly as you wish. For my wedding I used various shades of purple pearls and Swarovski crystals to make all my jewelry and my daughter’s as well. It was stunning AND affordable!
To create a fashion forward look on a budget, try shopping for vintage jewelry. Jewelry trends are cyclical and stylish jewelry can often be found for cheap at thrift stores. Take the time to sort through the old jewelry at your local thrift stores and flea markets. You’re likely to find some great pieces at a low cost.
If you’re having a difficult time finding that perfect piece of jewelry, consider buying a stone and visiting with a specialist. A jewelry specialist can design a setting just for you, in exactly the way you are envisioning it to be. Your piece will be unique and possibly more valuable because of it’s one of a kind nature.
If you have the cash resources, consider buying findings, fasteners, chains, and beads in larger quantities; most jewelry and craft suppliers offer significant discounts on large orders to encourage quick inventory turnover. Your jewelry-making business will consume less cash, but only if you purchase large quantities of items that can be used in a variety of pieces and styles.
Deep, rich blue sapphires are commonly known as the birthstone for those born in September. Their dark, mysterious coloring is often thought to have protective powers over anyone who wears the gem in their rings, bracelets, or brooches. Blue sapphire nicely complements purples and deep scarlet accents and looks beautiful with all settings, but especially platinum or silver.
Do not buy any chemical solutions that promise to have your jewelry sparkling better than anything else. The only thing that you need to have on hand to keep jewelry clean is soap and water. Be careful and make sure that you dry your jewelry thoroughly because it can tarnish if you don’t.
Congratulations on finishing the article! Now you have a starting point on how to keep your jewelry looking great for years to come. Hopefully you’ve learned something new along the way. If you’re still not sure how to maintain your jewelry properly, there are tons more pieces of advice out there for you to find.