Jewelry is always fun to buy and own, whether it be for yourself or someone you love. If you love your jewelry, research the proper techniques for keeping it clean and wearing it well. This article will give you a good deal of information, and some great jewelry tips, for choosing, having and caring for jewelry.
Precious Metals
Always keep your jewelry in a place that doesn’t experience extreme temperatures or humidities. To protect your jewelry it is important to secure it in a small bag with a drawstring, or in a jewelry box that remains closed a majority of the time. Precious, as well as non-precious metals, will tarnish if they are exposed to humidity and air over time. You will be able to polish precious metals to remove tarnish, but non-precious metals may lose their coating, showing the copper metal beneath.
Having a good eye to catch the details, and a magnet, are key when you are considering the purchase of any type of sterling silver jewelry. If the piece you are examining is not silver and is made from non-precious metal, it will be attracted to the magnet. You can recognize sterling silver by stamps that say ‘.925’ or ‘ster’. If the piece you’re inspecting doesn’t carry such a mark, be careful, as it is likely a fake.
Be sure that you understand the kind of gemstone that is in the jewelry that you are purchasing. There are basically three distinct types: natural gems, synthetic gems and imitation stones. Synthetic and natural are real stones, while the imitation ones are plastic that is colored. The difference here, however, is that synthetic is man-made in a laboratory while natural is found buried in the earth.
Before committing yourself to a piece, do research to determine which styles are hot and which are not. It is one thing to get a gorgeous bauble, but it is another to get it on sale!
If you can prevent your jewelry from tarnishing, it will surely look much more attractive. Don’t wear jewelry near water. Water exposure can cause different metals to become tarnished, dull or rusted. Clear nail polish, applied in a thin coat, can give jewelry some added protection.
Before you buy a gemstone, it is important that you learn about the treatment process it underwent. The kind of care your stone needs is dependent on what it was treated with. If you have a treated gem you should avoid any solution that could damage the gem by stripping the treatment.
Wearing jewelry during spa and recreational activities is not recommended. The high temperatures and damp environment can corrode the surface of your jewelry and cause long-term damage to the piece.
Everyone can get confused about jewelry from time to time. With any luck, this article can help with your jewelry questions.