You want to know the best tips and tricks for making your jewelry look its best. You have done everything you can, but you still end up with tarnished, scratched, or discolored jewelry. Follow the tips and advice provided in this article to keep your jewelry looking beautiful.
Many people see jewelry labeled as sterling silver plated and oftentimes think they’ve hit the jackpot when they purchase it at a very low price. In this case unfortunately, you do get what you pay for. This type of jewelry only contains a very thin coating of sterling silver on top of a cheap metal which can usually be identified as copper. The jewelry will eventually tarnish and cause the copper to show through underneath with enough wear.
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.
If you have a round face, stay away from long dangling earrings. Such earrings generally make your face look rounder and draws attention away from great features you may have. Instead, opt to purchase small dangling earrings or stud earrings for a look that enhances your round face and features.
Protect yourself when purchasing diamonds by keeping written documents of your purchases as proof. This is the only way that you can prove the 4 C’s you were guaranteed when you purchased the piece or stone. Treat your sales receipts and appraisals as contracts of what you can expect from your purchase, especially if they are not up to the quality you were guaranteed.
Question any piece of jewelry that is so cheap it’s too good to be true. Look at any gemstones to ensure they don’t have large inclusions in them. Look for stamps on the metal to prove that it is what it’s claiming to be. If someone takes offense to your double checking authenticity, they’re probably lying.
When choosing jewelry to wear to your wedding, why not pick up some cufflinks and a tie tack for your groom? It looks so nice in photos when the bride and groom match, so take it a step further and include the bling you’re both wearing! Have the best man give it to him on the big day as a present.
Keep your gems sparkling in your jewelry like they are always new. You can keep your beautiful stones looking their best by soaking them in the very same solution used to soak dentures. Denture cleansers are cost effective and widely available. Use for one night, and your jewels will look like new again.
Always clean all of your jewelry, both after and before using it. This will help you to remember to keep it polished before storing it for a long period of time. Keeping jewelry clean and safe will extend the life of all types of pieces, including metals and all types of stones.
As a jeweler, you should do your best to differentiate yourself from the concurrence. Set up your store in a unique way or create an original website. Create original pieces as well as classics. Choose the strategy that works for you: find your audience and create pieces that correspond to a certain style.
As you shop for pearls, you have three options: natural, cultured, or imitation. Imitation pearls are by far the most affordable, but are also noticeably less lustrous than other choices. Natural pearls are rare and will cost you a fortune. Cultured pearls, on the other hand, are somewhat affordable, highly attractive and creamy in appearance, which makes them the best option for many buyers.
Choose jewelry colors that reflect the season. In Spring, wear pastels and bright shades of green. In Summer, go for deeper greens, blues and browns. In the Autumn, show your fall colors with orange, rust, yellow and brown. During the Winter months alternate between sparkling white, sky blue and silver, and warm tones of gold, red and deepest green.
Gold jewelry can be effectively cleaned with one teaspoon of ammonia, one teaspoon of dish soap, and one cup of water. The dish soap will act as a de-greaser, while the ammonia has an oxidation quality. You can use this as your regular cleaner for gold jewelry, but never use it on precious stones.
When making jewelery such as a bracelet, remember that beads can be expensive. A good way to find cheaper beads is to go to a thrift store and buy jewelery that is on sale and deconstruct it and use it in your design. If you do not use all of the beads don’t worry, maybe you will later!
When photographing jewelry, lighting is key. By now you know that your camera’s onboard flash is horrible. Too harsh, too bright for close distances, is impossible to previsualize and is likely in the wrong place. For jewelry, use continuous, diffuse (soft) lighting on stands. Photographic daylight-balanced fluorescents are recommended as they remain cool. Note that even those fluorescents will need some kind of diffusion.
If you are about to make that important decision ““ to spend the rest of your life with that special someone – sit down with your love and discuss what they want for a ring. Look at choices online and shop around. Ideally, you want the ring you get to fit their personality! After all, you want the ring you choose to be a prized possession for that special someone the rest of their life.
In summary, you want to know why your jewelry does not look as good as it did the day you purchased it despite all the care you have done for it. Hopefully you learned not only why this was occurring but also how to prevent it in the future.
