If you’ve purchased jewelry, it’s important to take the time to take care of it. Just a little effort can make even a simple piece of jewelry last for a long time. In this article, you’ll find out ways you can take better care of your jewelry, and how you can make old jewelry look like new.
Comparison shopping is a must when shopping for diamonds. Make a close-range examination of stones you find appealing, and contrast them with other likely purchases. However, be mindful that there are fraudulent ways to make the diamond look better than it is.
Buying jewelry for someone else can be challenging. Look at what they choose for themselves and try to find something similar. Avoid sized items like rings unless you know what their size is. If you guess, what’s going to happen if you guess wrong? It may help to go window shopping with them and see if they mention a certain store, brand, or even a specific item.
Enroll in a beading class, if you’re a fan of necklaces and bracelets. If you are buying them all of the time, this can put a dent in your budget. Instead, take a class and make some jewelry yourself. You will save a ton over buying already made products, have something unique to wear, and you can even sell some of your pieces for a profit.
When buying vintage jewelry, become familiar with the different time periods associated with each piece. A Victorian era piece may interest you more than one of a different era, so knowing the differences will help you be able to quickly spot the pieces you are most interested in purchasing, rather than spending lots of time browsing.
If you’re new to making wire jewelry, practice with copper wire or craft wire before moving on to sterling silver. There is a learning curve when it comes to making wire jewelry, and it’s likely you will have to try a few times before getting it right. Sterling silver is expensive and starting with that material is not very cost effective.
When making jewelry and you want to turn a bead into a linked piece, take an eye pin and thread it through the bead’s hole. Let the bead slide to the bottom of the eye pin. Directly above the bead, use your pliers to bend the eye pin approximately 45 degrees. Using wire cutters, trim this to about half an inch in length. Using small round pliers, grasp the tip of the wire and start looping it around the pliers tip. Don’t give up if your eye pin loop is not directly round – practice makes perfect!
When purchasing high price jewelry, check with multiple stores and even online before buying. Comparison shopping is important because the price of jewelry can vary extensively from vendor to vendor. Comparison shopping also helps you to learn about the quality of the beautiful piece you’re hoping to purchase.
If you’d like to show off your hairstyle, try wearing jewelry that compliments your hair’s color. Green or aqua stones set off red hair beautifully, while jewel tones brighten darker locks. If you have fair hair, a clear sparkling stone like a diamond can make it shine, while a dark stone adds great visual contrast.
To convey a sense of physical prowess, energy, passion, and love, look for pieces that incorporate deep red stones like rubies and red garnets. Red is an especially powerful color that is best suited to bold rings and necklaces that allow the stone to take center stage. Rubies are also popularly known as the birthstone for the month of July.
If your jewelry is causing skin irritation, there are certain steps you can take to minimize it. You can use a small amount of powder on the skin in the area the jewelry will be touching. This helps absorb moisture, which will then lessen the chances of allergies or irritation.
If you love wearing jewelry, but hate the irritation it causes, then you may want to examine the metals in the jewelry. Higher karats of gold are less likely to cause irritation so opt for 14 or 18 karat. You could also try platinum or even palladium as both of these metals are harder and stronger than gold.
While it’s easy to point the finger at the metals in your jewelry causing your skin irritation, it could be as simple as the jewelry needing a good cleaning. Since bacteria and dirt can build up on your jewelry causing irritation, a warm water and gentle soap cleaning is recommended to rid the irritants and hopefully the bad reaction as well.
When buying jewelry online, read the descriptions carefully. Look up words if you do not know what they mean. It is easy to take a flattering picture, but a description should give you a good idea of what you are buying. You should pay attention to size, colors and materials.
If a piece of jewelry starts to darken or turn black, the problem may not be a matter of quality of the piece. This effect can actually be traced to a high acid content in the wearer’s skin. Often, but not always, a high acid content may also indicate a higher probability of an allergic reaction to metal alloys.
Pandora beads are a very popular trend at the moment, combining all the fascination of a traditional charm bracelet, with the ease of customization associated with glass beads. While brand name Pandora beads are comparatively expensive, a number of other companies are making compatible beads with more themes and colors, at a cheaper price.
Taking care of your jewelry lets you get the most for your money. A quality piece of jewelry should be able to last you a lifetime. Thanks to the tips in this article, you now know how to keep your jewelry looking great. If you keep the advice here in mind, you’ll be enjoying your favorite earrings and necklaces for years to come.
