Regardless of why jewelry appeals to you, it is important to know the right ways to properly care for it. This article will teach you with some key tips on how to best shop for jewelry.

Use a soft cloth on your jewelry pieces. This is a chemical-free method to maintain the appearance of chemicals or solvents. Use the dual-sided cloth to gently buff your jewelry as if you were cleaning glass. Use one side for polishing and the other to polish it.

Watch how you store your jewelry when it isn’t being worn. Jewelry should be stored in an organized way in a box, a jewelry holder or hung on hooks. Avoid simply piling them on top of each other in a box. This does damage to jewelry pieces, which are often fragile. Necklaces lumped together can get tangled up into a knotted ball.

This will result in damage to both the stones and eat away their enamel.

Genuine Sterling

When shopping for genuine sterling silver jewelry, you need both a discerning eye and a small magnet. Precious metals, like sterling silver, will not be attracted to the magnet. True sterling silver will also have a mark on it to indicate its quality, such as “0.925” or “ster”. If you cannot find a stamp, you might be looking at a cheap imitation.

When shopping for genuine 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 will always find a hallmark stamp such as “.925” or “STER.” on genuine sterling, for example “sterling, it might simply say, “STERLING”. If there is no marking on the piece, then be wary of whether it is actually silver or not.

Know which kind of gems before you make a jewelry purchase. The types of gems available are synthetic, imitation and synthetic. Natural stones and synthetic gems are both real, while imitation is just basically colored plastic. Natural stones are found underground and synthetic ones are created in a lab.

Make sure you know what kind of gem you are getting when you are buying jewelry. The three different types of stones are natural, imitation and synthetic. While both natural and synthetic stones are still real, imitation is just glass or plastic made to look like the natural stone. Natural gems are those that are actually from the earth, whereas synthetic ones are made in labs.

Take a good look at all the pieces that you like, and then make the comparison to any others on your favorites list. Be aware that some dealers will use cheap tactics to make a diamond look bigger or better.

Keep your jewelry pieces looking beautiful by protecting them from tarnishing as best as you can. Try to keep your jewelry when you are around water.Water can dull and rust some metals to lose their luster or to become tarnished or rusty.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.

Your jewelry should be durable and long-lasting. When you look for a piece of jewelry, always use a dealer with a good reputation, ensuring that the piece you choose is of high-quality. High-quality jewelry can be told by its superior craftsmanship and good manufacture. Your jeweler should have all the information on the piece, including where it came from and who created it. Unless you purchase jewelry that is of high-quality, the piece is not likely to last a lifetime.

Costume Jewelry

You will need to take special attention when you are buying costume jewelry. A lot of costume jewelery are set with glue. You will need to avoid immersing your costume jewelry. The best care is to wipe them clean with a damp cloth and dry immediately with another cloth. This will ensure that all of your costume jewelry to continue looking great.

If you want to collect costume jewelry, concentrate on getting quality peices. If you do not maintain the piece, it will depreciate in value. Investing in quality means that you can enjoy the jewelry for many years to come.

Pin it near your waist or towards your waist’s center.

This is particularly important with necklaces or earrings.

If you wear the piece for 24 hours, then you can be sure that it has been put together correctly and hangs nicely. You will also have the knowledge that the piece is not going to fall apart the first time the receiver wears it.

Plastic Wrap

Untangle your knotted necklaces with delicate chains and necklaces.It’s easy to get frustrated with tangled necklaces, you should instead use plastic wrap. Put the necklace on the plastic wrap and cover it with a little mineral oil or baby oil.Use small needles to untangle the necklace. Use a mild liquid soap to remove the mineral oil and then pat dry with a towel.

Consider the stones whenever you buy jewelry. You should chose stones that reflect your personality, as well as complement your skin tone. Pieces in neutral tones work well with any item in your wardrobe. Taking these things into account will give you a piece of jewelry you can wear many times and in diverse situations.

Have a use in mind for a piece of jewelry you purchase. You do not have a lot of jewelery that you are never going to put on. Think about your most-worn wardrobe pieces when choosing different pieces.

A diamond’s cut and clarity are often times more attractive than its size. You must also consider the diamond to really suit the person that’s going to wear it.

It is a good idea to determine the best approaches for jewelry care. The variety of stones, metals and assorted settings will determine the ways in which you care for them. What is beneficial to one stone or setting may hurt another. If you can’t find proper treatment methods, try consulting with a professional jeweler.

Avoid steam saunas and dry saunas. The amount of moisture and heat can do real damage to your jewelry.

Every single diamond is unique and has its own set of flaws. Some flaws may not seem that critical to you once you actually see the diamond in person.

In order to make sure your jewelry is always looking clean, you should only put a piece on once you’ve applied your make-up. The grime and dust in makeup are attracted to the jewelry, and if you put on the jewelry before the cosmetics, it can cause the pieces to look dull. This is even more necessary for earrings and necklaces.

Attach the hooks in accessible areas of your bedroom or closet, and hang groups of necklaces according to length or color. This can make your bedroom look more stylish and keeps chains from tangling at the best necklace for your outfit.

If you are saving up for an investment piece, buy something that will last you for years. While the price tag does frequently denote the quality of a piece, bear in mind that styles will change in the future. Something that is cool and trendy right now might not look so stylish in a couple of years. Look into buying something that will not go out of time and trends.

Resist the common notion that size matters; concentrate instead on quality and clarity. It is important to consider the character of the individual you are purchasing the diamond for.

The high price of purchasing gold can interfere with your fine jewelry purchases. An 18 karat gold piece is made up of at least 75 percent pure gold, which is generally considered by many to be the most optimal combination of quality and price.

Always remain in the strict range of your budget when you are buying jewelry.A young couple may need to buy a cheaper ring and upgrade later. They will be able to upgrade to a little larger when they have financially established themselves.

Bracelets and necklaces must have a good, secure clasp. 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. A safety clasp is available and is recommended for valuable bracelets and necklaces. Actually, some people opt for an additional clasp on more expensive pieces.

This will help you a baseline price as you can evaluate offers from potential buyers.

Illusion Setting

Get some robe hooks to display your necklaces and keep them from getting tangled up. They can be hung anywhere, like a closet door, and give you the ability to organize your necklaces by size or color if you want. If done right, this will have a nice appearance and prevent the jewelry box tangles necklaces are prone to.

If you are looking for diamond brilliance without the price tag, consider an illusion setting. An illusion setting is created by using a mirrored plate placed on your ring prior to the diamond is set. The diamond will appear larger and more sparkly. The only drawback to this setting is that repairs can cause some challenges.

Well-cared-for jewelry is immensely valuable, both in terms of memorable sentiment and real economic worth. By learning what you need to treat your jewelry, you can protect the money and memories invested in it. This is more information out there, and by continuously education yourself, you can get more from your own jewelry.

Brand should not be the only consideration when purchasing jewelry. Most people will not really know where you discovered the piece. Sellers try to get you to buy brand name jewelry just because it is more expensive. It is easy to find quality pieces from a variety of brands.