With gold and jewels costing so much money, purchasing, storing, and even cleaning your jewelry requires some knowledge so that you don’t end up suffering any type of financial loss. It’s always great to have some information at your disposal and this article will clue you in on some great jewelry-specific tips you can use.
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.
Costume jewelry is worth considering if you’re going to work and don’t wish to wear any jewelry that has a high value attached to it. Costume pieces of jewelry don’t contain any precious metals or gemstones, which makes them highly affordable and widely available. This type of jewelry does tend to tarnish over time and cannot be shined with a polishing cloth.
Make sure to get rings sized properly so that they will fit you or someone who you are giving the ring to. Either go to a professional or use the string trick. You don’t want to play guessing games and end up having to return it several times to get it right. The ring should feel snug, but not too tight or two loose. Also, take into account, daily water weight fluctuation if you are measuring a finger yourself.
If you have a large collection of fashion jewelry, make sure to only clean them with a damp cloth. Using polishing cloths or jewelry cleaning liquids will only eat away at the top layer causing the base metal to show through. After you are finished cleaning, keep your jewelry stored away to prevent any damage or tarnish.
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 it comes to showing off your personality through jewelry, most of the time you can make a larger statement with less. Choose bold, dramatic pieces, but limit yourself to wearing one or two at a time. A sophisticated pair of chandelier earrings can set off an outfit on it’s own, and sometimes a flashy cocktail ring is the only glitz you need to draw attention.
Always take off all types of jewelry before you go to sleep. This will help you to avoid two major problems at the same time. The first is that it is easy to lose pieces in your sleep. The second problem is that sleeping on jewelry can add stress to it and greatly shorten the lifespan.
Gold is too soft and needs to be mixed with other metals so that it can be hard and last longer. When you see the carat weight of gold that signifies how much gold is actually in the piece as opposed to other substances. Ten karat is the lowest that is available legally, and that is just 42% gold.
While jewelry makes a great surprise gift, you should avoid presenting jewelry at off-the-cuff moments. A really beloved piece of jewelry is one that reminds its owner of a particularly memorable occasion. If there is not a common or personal holiday associated with your gift, make an effort to turn the presentation itself into an experience to remember.
As stated previously in the article, there’s always a potential to suffer a financial loss when dealing with jewelry, whether you’re buying it, selling it, cleaning it, or trying to store it. Use the tips you just read in this article to protect your jewelry and to protect your wallet.