The jewelry you own may include heirlooms, gifts or pieces you have bought. It can be difficult to know the age or provenance of a piece of jewelry. Owning jewelry dates back centuries, so where do you look for answers when you have questions? Read on to discover a few handy tips that can make you a wiser owner, buyer and giver of jewelry.
Try cleaning your jewelry collection with a polishing cloth. This will give your jewelry shine and luster without the use of potentially harmful chemicals. To clean your jewelry, obtain a soft two-sided cloth and gently rub in a circular motion. First, use the polishing side to polish it up, then use the other side to shine it.
Take a moment to consider how your valuable jewelry is stored and sorted. Consider delegating each piece to its own resting place, utilizing compartmental boxes and storage units. Avoid just throwing them into a box in an unorganized manner. Not only can it damage finer, fragile pieces, but it can also make a tangled mess out of chains.
Precious Metals
Never store your jewelry in open air or humidity. Ideally, you should keep them in drawstring bags or in a jewelry box. Certain metals begin to tarnish when exposed to humidity. Polishing will work to restore the color and shine for precious metals, but with non-precious metals, polishing will not help the change in color.
Find out more about the gems you look at. Ask about where they came from and to which category they belong. Jewels come in natural, synthetic and imitation forms. “Real” can mean natural or synthetic, and an imitation stone could be glass or plastic. A natural stone is mined from the earth, and a synthetic is a lab-created gem.
Before you select your newest addition to your jewelry collection, learn the latest styles that are trending. The one thing that makes a great purchase an outstanding one is getting a bargain on it.
Be sure to at least inquire about the insurance that is available when you buy jewelry from a reputable jeweler. Insurance policies allow you to bring a defective or broken piece into the jewelry store for repair. There are even some jewelers that will cover the replacement if the piece has been lost or stolen.
Costume Jewelry
Costume jewelry should be taken care of. Many of the stones and embellishments are just glued in instead of set in a professional setting. Never immerse your costume jewelry or use harsh chemicals on it. Wiping your jewelry off with with a slightly dampened cloth and then wiping it dry is usually sufficient to keep it clean. Doing so will keep your jewelry looking its best for life.
There are many different aspects of jewelry to learn about. However, with careful and guided research, you can make sure that you are purchasing quality pieces and caring for them accordingly. There is a wide range of jewelry out there for you to explore! You will be well on your way to enjoying jewelry better when you make use of these tips.
