Buying And Maintaining Lovely Jewelry For Yourself And For Gifts

While it can be fun to shop for jewelry, things can get stressful when you are in the market for an expensive item of jewelry. Jewelry is an investment, and you need the right information to help you make the most of your jewelry buying, selling or wearing endeavors. Educate yourself on jewelry so that you can recognize the best pieces and the best deals. These tips can help you be more knowledgeable about all aspects of purchasing jewelry.

Avoid using things like bleach, acetone, ammonia, turpentine, and other related chemicals to clean them with. Harsh chemicals can destroy the enamel, and ruin the stones in your jewelry.

Take a magnet and a keen eye with you when you head out to purchase any jewelry made from sterling silver. As a precious metal, silver should never be attracted to a magnet. Sterling silver should always bear a stamp that says Sterling, Ster. or .925. If the piece is not hallmarked in any way, be leery of its authenticity because oftentimes it is a sign of a fake.

Do some research on the gem in your new piece of jewelry before you buy. The types of gems available are synthetic, imitation and natural. Natural and synthetic gems are real stones, but imitation is just plastic colored to look like the real thing. The only difference between natural and imitation gemstones is where they are made. Natural occur naturally, while synthetic stones are grown in labs.

When shopping for diamonds, it’s best to comparison shop. Look at the pieces up close before purchasing them, and be sure to compare them to others. Some diamond sellers use misleading practices to try to increase the apparent quality of their merchandise, so you should be wary of these tactics.

Well, it’s easy when you know how. This article has just touched on a few of things that you should know about this very rewarding hobby. There is much to learn, but at least you’ve now got a few good ideas to put to work.