Jewelry shopping can be fun and stressful if you want an expensive piece. There are dozens of types of materials that are used to make different pieces of jewelry, and they each come with a different price tag. The uneducated shopper can easily end up paying over the odds. Read this article to get a better idea of what to buy, and what to pay for it.
Be careful when storing all your jewelry together. The right jewelry box that has separate compartments, hooks and holders to keep the pieces apart is the best choice. Avoid just throwing them into a box in an unorganized manner. This can damage fragile, delicate jewelry, and necklaces can become very tangled in other jewelry pieces.
Keep your jewelery in a space that is dry and doesn’t have any air flow. Keep your jewelry in a drawstring bag or in a box that is made for jewelry. Air and humidity can cause the metals that the jewelry are made of to tarnish. Precious metals can easily be polished, but non-precious metal needs a special polish.
Know the type of gem you’re buying, when you buy it. The three different types of stones are natural, imitation and synthetic. Imitation gems are made out of glass or plastic; natural and synthetic gems both consist of real gemstone. They make synthetic stones in a lab, whereas natural stones come from the ground.
Study current jewelry trends prior to shopping for a piece. If there is one thing better than a beautiful piece of jewelry, it’s finding that jewelry at a great price!
Costume Jewelry
Make careful note of the condition of costume jewelry you wish to collect. Costume jewelry make good investments and they can be costly, but an item that shows major signs of usage will be a poor investment of your time and money. Pieces that are in great shape will fetch you better prices down the road, should you choose to sell them.
Caring for your jewelry properly is important; you should definitely give it some consideration. Different styles of jewelry affect the way they need to be cared for; one type of metal will need a different treatment than another, for example. What works for one material could damage another. If you are unfamiliar with the correct way to clean or maintain a piece, consult a jeweler.
Special care is required for costume jewelry. Many of their settings are glued instead of set. Don’t let them go under water or clean them with strong chemicals, or you could dissolve the glue. 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. This keeps dirt from building up and making your jewelry look dull.
Before you buy, ask if the gemstone has been treated, and the method for doing so. You will have to treat different gemstones with different kinds of care. For example, you would not want to use a jewelry cleaner that is incompatible with a certain type of treatment. Doing so could result in irreversible damages to the color and surface of the stone.
If you are in the market for new jewelry, look for sales! The right sale can save you a ton of money. Watch for sales in the newspaper, on the Internet, and even in the stores themselves. If you buy fashion items at the end of their season, you can save up to 50%.
Before you purchase a new piece of jewelry, consider what situations you will be wearing it in. There is no need to spend your money on a bauble that you cannot see yourself wearing. Consider specific outfits and styles when making your selections.
Be sure to shop around when buying diamond jewelry. Every diamond is unique, and each will have some flaws. Once you see the diamond up close and look it over, some of the flaws may not be as critical as you once thought. And each jeweler will set price differently according to flaws. Shop around to find a great, high-quality diamond at an affordable price.
A good clasp is important for any form of bracelet or necklace. Without something that is solid, your chain, pendants and costly stones could be lost. It is a wise idea to add a safety clasp to any expensive pieces of jewelry to avoid having them slip off accidentally. If there is a piece that you simply cannot afford to lose, try an additional clasp for added safety.
Hopefully you can take this advice and use it to make your next jewelry purchase a memorable one. You will be able to use these tips to save a good amount of time as well as money.
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