Jewelry can get confusing whether you bought it yourself, received it as a gift, or inherited a piece. Jewelry has been an important part of the human condition for so long, but where can you even start looking for the right things to learn about it? You can start learning right here with these useful tips that will help turn you into an educated jewelry consumer.
Use a soft cloth on your jewelry as often as you want. This is a fairly simple way to achieve shine without dealing with solvents and chemicals. Use a two-sided cloth to simply polish your jewelry as if it were composed of glass. Polish jewelry with one side of the cloth, then flip it over and shine jewelry with the other side.
Don’t clean your jewelry in harsh household chemicals like ammonia, bleach or turpentine. Using them may result in damage to your jewelry, may cause dulling of gemstones, and may erode enamel work.
Precious Metals
Keep your jewelry stored somewhere that is free from humidity or air. Keep your jewelry in a drawstring bag or in a box that is made for jewelry. Air and humidity can tarnish metals of all types. The thing about this is that non-precious metals cannot fully recover from this because underneath, the copper shows through. However, keep in mind that precious metals can go back to their own original forms.
You should expect good jewelry to last the rest of your life, and possibly beyond. When buying jewelry, only buy from dealers with good reputations, so that you don’t buy a piece that seems durable, but really isn’t. A high-quality piece of jewelry should be well-made and show superior craftsmanship. Ask the jeweler about the history behind the piece and learn more about who made it, as well as the origin of the materials. It is important that your pieces are high-quality if you want them to last a long time.
Always check with your jeweler about insurance policy options before buying anything. Then, you will have peace of mind knowing it can be fixed or replaced if anything happens. There are jewelers who offer insurance for misplaced or lost jewelry, too.
Keep your jewelry from getting tarnished in order to keep it looking it’s best. When you are close to water, do not wear your jewelry. Water can cause some metals to lose their luster or to become tarnished or rusty. If you want to give your jewelry a measure of protection from this element, coat it thinly with clear nail polish.
Costume Jewelry
If you own costume jewelry, it is important to properly care for it. Costume jewelry make good investments and they can be costly, but an item that shows major signs of usage will be a poor investment of your time and money. Maintaining a piece of costume jewelry’s condition preserves the beauty and value that attracted you in the first place.
As you can see, jewelry has an amazing array of aspects to it. With some research and dedication, you can be sure you are buying some quality pieces and take care of the the right way. Buying and selling jewelry is fun and exciting! Following many of the tips given should be useful for the first steps of your journey.
