Selling or buying jewelry requires a massive amount of research and knowledge in order to obtain pieces that you want or need. This can make it hard to know where to start.
To keep your jewelry looking attractive, polish it regularly using a cloth made especially for this purpose. You can keep your items shiny without using chemicals. Buff your jewelry with the two-sided cloth, just as if you were cleaning a glass. Polish jewelry with one side of the cloth, then flip it over and shine jewelry with the other side.
You should always store your jewelry very carefully. Keep pieces separately by using compartments, boxes, hooks and holders. Tossing all of your jewelry into the same box is a bad plan. 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.
Sterling Silver
If you are shopping unmarked sterling silver jewelry, then by all means bring a magnet. Metals that aren’t precious will connect to the magnet, signaling that it is fake. True sterling silver will also have a mark on it to indicate its quality, such as “.925” or “ster”. If there is no hallmark, watch its authenticity since it may be fake.
Before you make a final jewelry-buying decision, take a look at what’s new and trendy. The only thing better than picking up a gorgeous bauble is getting it on sale!
Costume Jewelry
Look at the condition of costume jewelry before making a purchase. Costume jewelry can prove to be a good investment, but worn, broken, or otherwise damaged pieces are not worth the expense. You’ll get more return on your investment later if you buy costume jewelry in good condition.
Costume jewelry needs to be handled and stored delicately. Many of the costume type settings are glued-in, rather than set-in. Don’t immerse costume jewelry in water or use chemicals on it. It is best to have two cloths ready, one warm with water and one dry, to use to wipe your jewelry. This will keep any costume jewelry that you have looking great.
One way to ensure that your jewelry stays clean is to put it only after you have applied your make-up and it has had time to set. If you put on makeup after you put on your jewelry, dust and particles from the makeup will migrate to the jewelry, which makes it dirty quite quickly. This tip especially applies to necklaces and earrings.
Try searching for sales when purchasing jewelry. Finding a store offering extreme markdowns is a way to realize tremendous savings. Locate the best prices online, in newspapers and in stores. If you wait to buy jewelry until that particular style is going out of fashion, you can get it for almost 50 percent off of its original price.
As you can see, it does indeed require some knowledge and effort for both the buying and selling of jewelry. Follow these tips and your efforts will be rewarded.
