Accessorizing with jewelry is a skill and an art! The dos and don’ts for jewelry can change over time. Learning what to do need not be intimidating! Following is some of the information available to guide you with your choice of jewelry:
Only purchase jewelry from well known retailers. If you are looking to purchase gold, silver or platinum make sure that the retailer has a professional set up and that their products come with a guarantee. Do not purchase from unknown vendors who claim that the jewelry they are selling at a discount price is made from real precious metals or gemstones, they are often imported fakes.
You should expect good jewelry to last the rest of your life, and possibly beyond. It is important to invest in a quality piece of jewelry, so only work with respected and reputable jewelers. High quality jewelry is well-crafted and made of exceptional materials. A good jeweler can provide you with some background on the piece, such as who crafted it, where it was manufactured, and where any stones in it came from. When you are looking for jewelry of the highest quality, it is important to be careful in your choice, as you want something that will last a lifetime.
Attending yard-sales is a great way to build up a collection of jewelry. Many people sell old costume jewelry for practically pennies. This is a perfect opportunity to stock up on broken pieces that can be repaired or made into new jewelry later. Many new beautiful pieces of jewelry can be born of old broken pieces. Use yard-sales to build up your collection.
When shopping for jewelry, you may need to check what kind of metal you’re buying. Everyone’s heard of a cheap necklace turning skin green, but you may also have a bad reaction to certain metals in earrings. For earrings, look for items labeled “sensitive skin” or for stainless steel, silver, or gold.
Find a reputable seller. Ask your friends, family, and acquaintances where they believe you should attempt to find your jewelry. Finding a jeweler that is recommended by trusted individuals can give you an advantage to shopping around. You will know in advance what experiences others may have had, and be able to prepare better.
If you’re making your own earrings, go to a welding supply store to purchase aluminum wire. You can purchase the wire there in a spool, which is far less expensive than buying it in smaller quantities. Some aluminum wire is also hypoallergenic, making it the perfect choice for individuals with sensitive ears.
When you go to make a new jewelry purchase, you need to give yourself a strict budget. It can be extremely easy to overspend on an awesome piece of shiny jewelry. It will be a lot harder to enjoy later if you do not stick to your own budget goals.
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.
If you can’t afford to pay consignment fees for your handmade jewelry, consider partnering with other small and local business owners or jewelers to hold a trunk sale, mini-bazaar, or retail showcase night to generate interest in the community. Small jewelers and crafters can benefit by bonding with one another instead of viewing each other as competitors. If you are very worried about this, only approach jewelers with dissimilar styles and fashions.
If you are looking to purchase a piece of jewelry with precious stones, there are synthetic gems that are more affordable, and have a similar grade of quality as natural gems. But, remember that imitation gems which are composed of plastic elements are indeed fake, whereas synthetic gems are cultured in actual laboratories.
Do not be afraid to buy silver jewelry. Gold items are incredibly expensive right now, and silver is “in”. Search for products that are labeled as sterling silver because they have a large amount of the metal in them. Not only will you save money, but you will have the opportunity to buy a nice piece of jewelry that you might have missed otherwise.
The best way to clean your jewelry is with an ammonia and water combination. This can easily be done at home. The commercial solutions on the market contain ammonia and water as their main ingredient. Go the cheaper route and make your own jewelry cleaning solution at home and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.
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.
Choose jewelry colors that reflect the season. In Spring, wear pastels and bright shades of green. In Summer, go for deeper greens, blues and browns. In the Autumn, show your fall colors with orange, rust, yellow and brown. During the Winter months alternate between sparkling white, sky blue and silver, and warm tones of gold, red and deepest green.
Cabochons are a very popular format for jewelry pieces. The smooth, rounded edges place the focus on the beautiful color and translucence of the stones inside, and are convenient because they do not tend to catch on anything or snag. This makes them particularly well suited to children and teenagers.
So, now do you have some ideas? Enjoy your choice of jewelry! If you see some tips that will be of value to you that is great! Remember, accessorizing need not be intimidating!
