You can never learn enough about jewelry. One mistake could result in costing you a small fortune. The following piece contains some great advice on the topic. Follow the advice in this article to learn how to care for your jewelry without damaging it.
Clean all of your jewelry with a polishing cloth. With this method, you can simply shine it up and not deal with the hassle of using cleaners. All you do is polish it like you would a glass with the two-sided cloth. Use the side of the cloth that is designed for polishing to remove fingerprints, dust and other surface imperfections, and then use the opposite side to buff the jewelry and make it gleam.
Try to avoid cleaning it with harsh chemicals like ammonia or turpentine. This can cause your stones to turn and dull in color, along with eating away any enamel on the pieces.
Watch how you store your jewelry when it isn’t being worn. You can protect your jeweled investments with hooks, boxes and holders that keep each piece intact and prevent tangles. Do not ever just throw them in a pile. This can harm delicate parts, and tangle some pieces with others, like necklaces.
Be sure that you store all of your jewelry safely away from air and humidity. It’s best to store it in a closed box, like a jewelry box, or a drawstring bag. Metals will become tarnished when exposed to air and humidity. It’s possible to restore precious metals through polishing, but lesser-quality metals may suffer permanent damage.
Knowing what type of jewel you are buying when you purchase jewelry is very important. Three different kinds of gems are available for purchase: imitation, synthetic and natural. Natural and synthetic gems are real stones, but imitation is just plastic colored to look like the real thing. Natural stones are mined, and synthetic stones are created in a laboratory.
Your jewelry should be durable and long-lasting. To ensure you are buying a quality piece, refuse to deal with anybody but the most reputable of jewelers. They should show a lot of craftsmanship, as well as be well-made. A jeweler should know about each piece he sells, including the person that made it, the origin of precious stones or other materials and other history, such as previous owners for antique or estate pieces. Investing in a high-quality jewelry piece ensures that you will have a timeless item that will be just as wearable in 20 years as it is today.
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.