Make Your Jewelry Work For You
When it comes time for you to start shopping or selling jewelry, you may want to know where to begin, as there are many things to consider when buying or selling this type of commodity. The tips in this article can provide you with what you need to know to buy or sell jewelry.
Try not to bathe or swim in your fine jewelry. Many times the type of water (hard versus soft) can splash and wear the metal jewelry or stain the stone. There are also chemicals like chlorine found in many swimming pools that can turn stones and badly stain metal jewelry.
Try keeping up with jewelry trends. Like with fashion, jewelry also follows seasonal trends and you can find a style and color combination that is right for you. You can even find specialty items that go with clothing pieces in your own personal wardrobe. The possibilities and combinations are endless.
If you're going to buy earrings for a woman, also get a matching necklace. If you want to buy a necklace, grab a bracelet, too. A matched set of jewelry is double the joy for whomever you're buying it for, which makes picking the perfect item twice as much fun for you!
If you're trying to buy a diamond on a budget, look for one that has slight inclusions and is a less than perfect color of white. Often times, you cannot even see the inclusions and "off" color with the naked eye, but it can save you hundreds or thousands on the price of the stone.
To make eye-catching jewelry, don't be afraid to experiment with different colors. If you have difficulty thinking of a palette, look around you and take your inspiration from things found in nature. Contrasting, complimentary, traditional, or monochromatic color schemes can make quite the statement when integrated into a jewelry piece.
When learning a new jewelry-making technique, use cheaper materials. For instance, if you are learning wire techniques, pick up some aluminum or copper wire from a local craft store, instead of using your sterling silver wire. This will help you get the valuable practice you need to master the technique, while sparing your pocketbook. If you mess up on your top-quality materials, they may become unusable.
When buying jewelry, ask a friend what looks good on you. Though you may have a preference for gold, it may turn out to be that silver actually looks best for you and your skin tone. Of course, always consider your tastes, but don't forego advice from others about what makes you look best.
Clean your turquoise jewelry with warm water and a soft toothbrush. Never use chemicals on turquoise, as it is very susceptible to damage. Simply lightly scrubbing it and drying it with a soft dry cloth can keep your turquoise clean and undamaged, allowing it to last much longer than if you were to use any solutions.
If you plan on selling jewelry online, you should make sure you know the materials. All jewelry sellers should know about the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for both the Jewelry and Precious Metal Industries. If you don't know all the rules, a customer could file a misrepresentation claim against you, which you do not want happening to you.
Do not underestimate the power of pearl jewelry. Pearls are often considered a throwback to the days of old. How untrue this is. Modern pearls come in so many varieties, you can cheaply acquire them and spice up any fashion style you are trying to pull off. They come in many colors and shapes.
When making or gifting jewelry, make each piece even more meaningful by selecting stones, beads, and colors that communicate different emotions. Green gems like jade and emeralds represent growth and vitality, which makes them ideal gifts for expectant mothers, newlyweds, or perhaps friends who are especially active in eco-friendly lifestyles and initiatives.
If you are going to use a jewelry cleaning liquid on your jewelry, it is important that you first read the cleaning instructions very carefully. If you do not read the instructions carefully, you can end up destroying your jewelry. Make sure you follow the directions if you are going to use a jewelry cleaning solution.
It is crucial that all bracelets and necklaces have good clasps. If your chains and pendants with costly gems do not have secure clasps, you may lose them. It is a wise idea to add a safety clasp to any expensive pieces of jewelry to avoid having them slip off accidentally. An additional clasp -- or clasps -- can be added to particularly priceless items to keep them extra safe.
Don't use toothpaste to clean your jewelry. There are countless websites out there claiming that toothpaste is a great way to clean jewelry. Fine jewelers will tell you otherwise. The abrasives in toothpaste can damage the surface of metal and will permanently ruin soft stones such as turquoise, amber and lapis.
Carnelian is a beautiful semiprecious stone very popular for use in jewelry. The fiery orange, yellow and red swirls are often spectacularly carved into ornate shapes that catch the light in dangling pieces like pendants or dangling earrings, but can also be found in such pieces as rings and bracelets.
When buying jewelry is it important to know what you are looking for. Before you go into the jewelry shop be sure to know the language that jewelers use. If you aren't careful salesman will grab you and you will be buying a ring before you know it. Be sure and shop around before making a purchase!
Research the options for rings. Often times when you walk into a jewelry shop they are able to spot a sucker. They may try and throw around a lot of new vocabulary that may or may not be important. If you understand the industry you will not get duped when buying that expensive piece of jewelry.
As you have seen, buying or selling jewelry has various things to consider before starting. They just vary depending on what you are looking to do. All it takes to decide what to do is some research and legwork to find the best pieces and to sell more pieces for profit.
