If you are completely new to the world of buying or selling jewelry, then you are probably thinking that some tips on what you need to know about jewelry will help you immensely. Listed below are some tips to help get you started with your jewelry buying or selling endeavors.
Try not to bathe or swim in your fine jewelry. Many times the type of water (hard versus soft) can splash and wear the metal jewelry or stain the stone. There are also chemicals like chlorine found in many swimming pools that can turn stones and badly stain metal jewelry.
When storing your fine jewelry in a chest or case, wrap each piece in a small piece of velvet cloth. That way harder gemstones will not scratch softer gemstones and metals. It also helps pieces not get tangled with themselves and the velvet helps to keep the pieces safe from excess moisture.
Don’t purchase used earrings without disinfecting the posts or ear hooks. Other people have been wearing them, especially true for vintage pieces, and there are plenty of germs lying around. Take some lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide, squeeze some onto a cotton swab and run it over the ear pieces of the earrings. This will kill the germs, making it safe to wear the earrings.
Making your own jewelry is easier than you think. You can find interest pendants at craft stores that can be placed on chains you already own or you can easily buy an inexpensive chain. If you knit or crochet, you can use yarn to create chokers and bracelets. Even if you buy and combine store bought items, making your own jewelry still allows you to design what you wear.
When getting body jewelry, find a licensed piercer who uses a needle. Even when piercing ears, it’s best to avoid piercing guns. Piercing guns are not as sterile, can lead to infection, and may damage skin and tissue. Avoid these risks, and look for a licensed piercing shop no matter what you’re getting pierced.
If you are not too fond of wearing a wedding or engagement ring on your finger, you can always put it on a chain. This is a safe way to ensure your ring will not fall off. Also, by putting your ring on a chain, it will not be in the way of your daily activities.
In order to save money on the purchase of jewelry you should consider looking at local antique shops. Many people sell their antique jewelry to the shops when they are in need of money or if they have inherited it and just don’t want it. There is no reason to pay the high markups that come with jewelry.
When buying jewelry as a gift, it is important to consider the body type of the person you are shopping for. Some body types look better with larger or smaller pieces of jewelry. Considering the body type of the recipient would make a big difference concerning whether they will actually wear the jewelry.
When you are working with any kind of silver there is one word that you should always keep in mind – polish! If you polish your silver regularly it will keep it shiny and beautiful for much longer. This helps to extend the life of the piece as well as look newer for longer.
It is important that you take your jewelry off before you go to bed. Sleeping with your jewelry on causes chains and joints to weaken. This, in turn, causes your jewelry to get damaged more easily. Make sure you take your jewelry off when you go to bed to eliminate undue stress.
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.
After every time that you wear a piece of pearl jewelry, you should make sure that you wipe the pearl down with a wet cloth. This will help the pearl from getting too dry which can cause it to become brittle. Keep your pearl looking great when you keep it moisturized.
Make sure that you understand the language and jargon the jewelers speak. When you go looking at jewelry they will throw out information about the grade of the stones. It is important that you know what they are talking about and it will save both you and the jeweler time if you understand at least a little bit about the language that they use.
Jewelry is a way that we emphasize our uniqueness and our individuality. Picking out a piece of jewelry, should be something that reflects who we are, through sparkle and shine. Don’t be rushed into a decision, especially when picking something that you will wear for a long time, such as a wedding band. Take your time and shop around for the one thing that just screams, you.
With gold prices at an all-time high, buying solid gold jewelery is not always an option. There are many high quality gold plated jewelery pieces, that look just like the solid ones, but are a fraction of the price. Next time you are looking for a great piece of jewelery, consider purchasing gold plated instead.
As you can see from the above list of tips, buying or selling jewelry can be quite an adventure, as there is so much to learn about before starting either process. After following these tips, you will no longer be new to buying or selling jewelry, but you will become an a bit of a jewelry expert.
