Few things are more exciting and exhilarating than shopping for a new ring, bracelet, or necklace. With so many choices, it can be very difficult to identify the best deal, the brightest stone, or the most genuine materials available. Fortunately, this article is filled with useful tips on shopping for new jewels.
Consider buying a small barrel tumbler. If you wear a lot of jewelry or just want to keep the pieces you own in good condition, you probably clean it on a fairly regular basis. You might want to get a small barrel tumbler for polishing. They are inexpensive and do a thorough job.
When shopping for stone jewelry, you need to be educated on everything to look for. Your jeweler can help guide you on what and how to look at stones to make sure that you can distinguish bad from good quality. This type of education can help you make better decisions without so much help when you are jewelry shopping.
Do not use ultrasonic cleaners and jewelry cleaning liquids on your precious and semi- precious gemstones. Most gemstones are easily damaged and their properties become corroded by the chemical properties in jewelry cleaning liquids. Ultrasonic cleaners can shake the gemstone settings apart and deteriorate the glue used to secure the gemstone in the setting.
When buying jewelry for someone you love, find out what they’re favorite color is. Some people don’t like gold, or don’t like silver, or maybe they love the combination of red and gold. Look at the jewelry the person already wears, find out their favorite color, then combine the two!
To open a jump link when making chain jewelry, hold the jump link steady with pliers your left hand, and grip the opposite side of the opening with pliers in your right. Gently twist your hands towards each other. This twisting action helps the jump ring maintain its circular shape without distortion, which will occur if you try to push the sides together without twisting.
Clean your turquoise jewelry with warm water and a soft toothbrush. Never use chemicals on turquoise, as it is very susceptible to damage. Simply lightly scrubbing it and drying it with a soft dry cloth can keep your turquoise clean and undamaged, allowing it to last much longer than if you were to use any solutions.
Know the jewelry terms. Understanding what cut, carat, color, and clarity mean can help you to make a quality purchase for the best price. A salesperson will be much more able to explain the differences in the stones you are interested in if you have a clear understanding of the terms.
Clean your jewelry for next to nothing. One of the simplest and cheapest ways to keep your diamonds sparking and your silvers shining is to use antacid tablet. Drop them in water with your jewels on top and let it do its work for a few minutes. Take out, and enjoy the splendor of cleanliness.
When determining the type of jewelry you should purchase for your significant other, you should always remember that quality does count. Even though you should always aim to make your purchase an affordable one, you do not want to sacrifice quality. When you have a set price, shop around for a good deal.
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.
Buying used jewelry is an option to consider, as well. Used jewelry can be found in consignment and pawn stores, art galleries, estate sales, jewelers, or in some cases, yard sales. Before you consider used jewelry, research the type of piece you think you are looking for, so that when you see it at one of these places, you will be able to determine if the item is indeed legitimate or just a reproduction.
If you have gold jewelry, it is important that you do not use harsh chemicals when you try to clean them. Harsh chemicals can make your gold jewelry dull and cause it to lose its natural luster. You should clean your gold jewelry with mild cleansers and warm water.
High gold prices are only one of the drawbacks of having your heart set on gold jewelry. However, you can still have a nice piece of gold jewelry at a lower price if you opt for lower karats. For example, a piece that is classed as 18 karat is a minimum of 75% pure gold. This is felt, by many, to be the best value for money when comparing quality to price.
Whether you prefer to shop in stores or strictly online, you have a world of attractive pieces available to you. Wedding rings, pendant necklaces, and tennis bracelets, are only a few of the wonderful types of jewelry that you can choose from. This information will make shopping for jewelry a snap.
