Given the wide variety of jewelry available, and each involves special tips for care and wearing, it helps to know a few things. This article is meant to help you in your search for some of the most common questions people have about jewelry.

Use a soft cloth to keep your jewelry pieces. This is a fairly simple way to shine all of your jewelry without relying on abrasives or other harsh chemicals. Use this two-sided cloth on your jewelry as you were cleaning glass. Use one side to shine it and the other for improving its shine.

Make sure you organize your jewelry properly. Keep pieces separately by using compartments, boxes, hooks and holders. Avoiding piling your nice jewelry pieces into one big heap in a box. This haphazard approach can cause damage to the individual components of fine jewelry, and create a tangled mess.

Keep your jewelry stored somewhere that is dry and doesn’t have any air flow. Air and humidity can cause the metals of all types. Precious metal jewelry can be polished to fix tarnish, but non-precious metal needs a special polish.

Sterling Silver

Keep your jewelry stored somewhere that is free from humidity or air. A jewelry box or drawstring bag out of a humid area is ideal. Humidity quickly tarnishes both precious and non-precious metal. Precious metals can often be polished to remove most tarnish. Non-precious metals often have a single coat of metal. Therefore, polishing them can remove the coat and show the copper that is found underneath.

When shopping for sterling silver jewelry, take with you a magnet and a monocle. If an item of jewelry is attracted by a magnet, it will be attracted to the magnet. You can identify sterling silver by its markings, for example “sterling, it might simply say,” or “.925.” If the piece that you are looking at is not hallmarked, you might be looking at a cheap imitation.

Pay attention to the types, white gold or yellow, and any other typical jewelry that they wear. This is a good idea of where to start when picking out that special item.

Know how to keep your jewelry beautiful. Various settings, types of metals, and gemstones need different types of care to protect them and make sure they get cleaned properly. Processes that may work for one type of jewelry may be harmful to others. It’s best to speak with a jeweler before you attempt to care of an unfamiliar piece of jewelry.

Always check with your jeweler about an insurance policy before buying a new piece of jewelry. If your jewelry gets damaged or broken, you know that you will be covered if something happens to your jewelry. Some jewelers will offer insurance for jewelry that might have been misplaced or lost.

Keep your jewelry free of tarnish to make it look its best appearance. Try not to wear jewelry away from water. Water can cause some types of metal if it is exposed to it too often. If you want to give your jewelry a measure of protection from this element, prepare it by adding some clear nail polish on the surface.

If you are buying jewelry for someone who values her individuality, find a one-of-a-kind piece or commission a piece designed specifically for her. Besides affection and admiration, an ideal jewelry gift expresses creativity and thoughtfulness. A custom-made piece selected to suit the recipient’s personality is an excellent way for you to demonstrate these feelings.

Costume jewelry make good investments and they can be costly, but a piece that shows too much wear and tear will not be worth the money or time. A piece will give you many years of happiness and even gain value over time.

You should carefully consider how to best ways to take care of your jewelry. A treatment that is effective for one type of stone or metal may actually cause damage to another. Ask a jeweler to make sure you do not know how to take care of your jewelry.

A brooch can add visual interest and an accent to an otherwise dull belt. Pin it in the front or at your hip.

Before you buy any gemstone, find out if it has been treated, and if so, treatment it received. The way to care for a stone needs is dependent on what it was treated.

You could save huge amounts of money if you take the time to look for better prices. Check the newspaper, in the newspaper, and even storefront windows. If you wait to buy jewelry until that particular style is going out of fashion, you might save 50% or more off the original purchase price.

You can untangle delicate necklaces that have become knotted. Instead of giving up a knotted chain as hopeless, try using plastic wrap and some clear oil. Put your knotted chains on the plastic wrap and cover with a little baby oil. Use small needles to untangle the necklaces. When finished, wash it with a little dishwashing liquid and pat dry.

Plastic Wrap

Untangle your knotted necklaces with delicate loops. It’s easy to get frustrated with tangled necklaces, but try using some plastic wrap before you call it quits.Put the necklace on the plastic wrap and add a little baby oil. Use a sewing needle to untangle the knot. Use a mild liquid soap to remove the mineral oil and then pat dry with a towel.

Many times, the cut and clarity of a diamond outshines its actual carat weight. You must think of the person who will be wearing the jewelry.

This applies to dry saunas as well as steam ones. The amount of moisture and high temperatures in saunas can do real damage to your jewelry.

A matched jewelry set makes an excellent present for any woman on your list. You can often find great deals when you purchase sets of jewelry. You can divide the set into individual pieces and give them out one at a time. This is an excellent way to give something every holiday season without having to worry that someone will love.

It is vitally important that each of your bracelets and necklaces have a strong clasp attached to them. You may end up losing a treasured or costly piece through no fault of your own. You can avoid this by looking at the clasps prior to purchasing new pieces. For particularly expensive or sentimental pieces of jewelry, it is recommended you have a safety clasp installed. There are those that use two or three clasps to keep their jewelry safe while they wear it.

It can be quite overwhelming shopping for jewelry. There are such a number of things to take into consideration such as budget, what style does the wearer like and also, of course, the occasion for which you are buying. With any luck, the information from this article will be very useful as you set out to explore different types and styles of jewelry.