Buying and selling jewelry can be exciting. Before you jump into this market, you need to do your research and learn all you can about jewelry. There are many things to learn so that you don’t get poor pieces and so you don’t lose money on a sale. The tips below can help you with that.
Store your jewelry in felt. It is always annoying when a piece of your favorite jewelry starts to tarnish. To keep it from tarnishing, just make sure you store it properly. Use a felt bag or even a jewelry box lined with felt. It will help to keep the jewelry from tarnishing.
Try opting for silver over gold. The olden days of silver being a lesser metal than gold are over. Silver is also consistently priced, while gold continues to rise in price. You don’t have to worry about karats with this metal. Just make sure to avoid nickel silver or German silver as they contain no real silver.
Buying used jewelry can be a great way to expand your options without spending a lot of money. Look for estate sales or yard sales. Depending on where you live, prices may be lower than antique stores (which use the name “antique” to charge a bit more). Browsing in person can be a fun way to find things you might not have thought to go looking for.
When shopping for jewelry, you may need to check what kind of metal you’re buying. Everyone’s heard of a cheap necklace turning skin green, but you may also have a bad reaction to certain metals in earrings. For earrings, look for items labeled “sensitive skin” or for stainless steel, silver, or gold.
When learning a new jewelry-making technique, use cheaper materials. For instance, if you are learning wire techniques, pick up some aluminum or copper wire from a local craft store, instead of using your sterling silver wire. This will help you get the valuable practice you need to master the technique, while sparing your pocketbook. If you mess up on your top-quality materials, they may become unusable.
Soak diamonds for twenty minutes in a solution made of four parts water and one part ammonia for a sparkling shine. Scrub them with a soft dampened toothbrush allows cleaning of hard to reach places, such as under the gem or around the prongs. Dry it with a soft cloth to keep it shining and looking new.
Buy your stones loose when you are creating your own jewelry designs. You will be able to pick out a stone that best reflects your desires. Once you find the perfect stone, your ideas for a perfect setting will be much easier to decipher. Any good piece of jewelry starts at the stone.
Make sure you give yourself adequate time when ordering a new jewelry piece. Most pieces have a turn around time of six to eight weeks. This can become a problem quickly if you need the jewelry for an important occasion. Make sure you give yourself extra time on top of the proposed time-frame.
When selling a piece of jewelry online, you should make certain that you include size and lengths information. This is extra important with an online transaction because the customer can not physically see the jewelry. For example, if you are making jewelry pieces that are wire-wrapped, then you should include photos to assure your customers that the pieces are smoothly finished. Therefore, the sweater won’t be poked by a sharp wire.
Learning what you can prior to buying or selling jewelry ensures that you can make smarter decisions as to what you should have to get what you need. So, do yourself a favor and do your research and apply the above tips to your jewelry buying or selling ventures.