If you are looking for a great deal on a new or pre-owned ring, necklace, or bracelet, the advice in this article can provide you with practical advice on the best way to shop for jewelry. The information in these tips and tricks will make finding the perfect piece a painless and simple process.
Make sure to keep regular tabs on the state of your jewelry. You need to constantly assess the condition of your pieces to catch any issues or damage early. It is best to catch them early because this is when you should get them fixed to avoid major or irreversible damage, or even losing the item.
Create wire jewelry. There are so many resources available to help you get started. You can buy the supplies almost anywhere, charms, beads, dangles, special clasps plus much more. It does take quite a bit of practice, but it can be a fun hobby or even a career if you perfect it.
If you see a ring that claims to be diamond and has a sterling silver setting, be very wary. Diamonds are only professionally set in white gold, yellow gold or platinum. Very rarely and mostly never will you see a diamond ring set in sterling silver. There are a few infrequent cases with a few low grade diamond chips set in silver, but usually this will not happen. If you see a jewelry store with this practice, they are usually selling zirconia and claiming them as diamonds.
If you are looking to purchase fashion jewelry, make sure to invest a few dollars. While fashion jewelry is available in almost every design and price range under the sun, purchase something in the mid-price range. If you go too cheap, you may end up purchasing something with unhealthy metal alloys or inferior quality workmanship.
Try opting for silver over gold. The olden days of silver being a lesser metal than gold are over. Silver is also consistently priced, while gold continues to rise in price. You don’t have to worry about karats with this metal. Just make sure to avoid nickel silver or German silver as they contain no real silver.
Jewelry can come in sets that include multiple pieces. Matching earrings can be worn with a matching necklace, but if your set includes more than two items, it might be better to only wear one or two at a time. Wearing too many similar items doesn’t look at good as one or two complimentary pieces.
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.
When you are deciding what type of jewelry to buy for a loved one, it is important that it is something that they will love passionately and adore for the rest of their lives. This is not something you want to decide hastily. If you do, they may very likely not like your gift.
To make your engagement ring sparkle like it’s brand new, try soaking it in a mild detergent. This will give your ring the deep cleaning it is without damaging the stone or its setting. When the ring has finished soaking, rinse it off with warm water and dry it with a thin, lint free cloth.
If you own gold or silver jewelry be sure to take it off when you shower, sleep or submerse that area of your body in water. By doing these things you will prevent the jewelry from varnishing faster. The beauty of fine jewelry is it’s sparkle and gleam.
If you choose to make and sell jewelry at craft bazaars or flea markets, take time to ensure that each piece has a clearly marked price tag that cannot be tampered with, yet can be removed without damaging the merchandise. Although nobody likes to think that theft can happen to them, it is best to protect your investment of time and money.
When you are making a jewelry purchase, it is important to feel a level of trust and understanding with the salesperson you are working with. If you do not feel comfortable with the salesperson helping you or they are not grasping the concept of what you are looking for, do not hesitate to ask for someone else to assist you with your purchase.
You should learn how to use the jeweler’s magnifier (loupe) so that you can see the inside of the stone and check to see if there are damages or chips on the inside of it. If there are any chips or damages that will greatly reduce the value of the stone.
Budget your jewelry purchases well in advance and stick to the price range you settle on. The jewelry store can be every bit as tempting as the candy shop, but you must resist the urge to splurge. Jewelry carries lots of memories and associations with it; you do not want to spoil a piece by spending so much that you regret the sight of it later.
As a jeweler, you should do your best to differentiate yourself from the concurrence. Set up your store in a unique way or create an original website. Create original pieces as well as classics. Choose the strategy that works for you: find your audience and create pieces that correspond to a certain style.
If you are looking to buy an expensive piece of jewelry, try to buy during an off period. Because demand is higher around holidays, especially Valentines Day, avoid buying at these times. By buying during off periods, you can save yourself quite a lot of money, or even use it as an investment and sell it in a time of high demand, at an increased price.
Now that you have learned some of the basics of shopping for costume, wedding, and designer jewelry, you will be better prepared to make a wise decision to invest in a piece that can last a lifetime. Remember these tips as you narrow down your choices to a single, must-have piece of jewelry.