Knowing about types of jewelry is essential for making good purchases. Even a seemingly trivial mistake could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. This article provides several practical tips about jewelry. This information will help you choose and take care of your jewelry pieces and avoid some of the more common mistakes.
Don’t use acetone, bleach, ammonia or turpentine to clean copper. Harsh chemicals can destroy the enamel, and ruin the stones in your jewelry.
Ensure you are certain how to keep your jewelery in one place so it is not damaged. It’s better to keep pieces separate by using boxes, holders, hooks and other containers. You should never simply throw your jewelry into a box in a messy pile. Fragile jewelry could easily be damaged by doing this, not to mention the nuisance of having to untangle necklace chains that could get caught together.
Keep your jewelry in a relatively air-tight container, and minimize its exposure to humidity. Store jewelry in a sealed box or drawstring pouch for the best protection. Humid air affects the metals in jewelry and causes tarnishing. Precious metal jewelry can be polished to fix tarnish, but non-precious metals coated with a finish will never get back to their previous state.
When you purchase jewelery ensure you know what you are buying. The types of gems available are synthetic, imitation and natural. While both natural and synthetic stones are still real, imitation is just glass or plastic made to look like the natural stone. The difference here, however, is that synthetic is man-made in a laboratory while natural is found buried in the earth.
Compare lots of diamonds before you settle on one to buy. Take a close look at a truly top notch diamond, and then hold everything else you consider to that standard. There are deceptive tricks that can be used to enhance a diamond, so you need to be on the lookout.
Ask the jeweler what type of insurance is available for your purchase. This is so that if something happens to your piece, you can return it to have it replaced or repaired. You might find some jewelers who are willing to insure it against loss and theft.
Prevent your jewelry from tarnishing so that it keeps looking great. For example, avoid taking your jewelry somewhere it can get wet. Metals can become dull, rusty or tarnished if submerged in it. A single coat of transparent nail polish may help protect certain types of metal.
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.