Jewelry is one of those things that is best used in moderation. Like makeup, the proper amount will help you to look more beautiful and more classy. On the other hand, overuse will leave you looking like a clown or hobo. The tips in this article will help you to use jewelry properly.
Costume jewelry is worth considering if you’re going to work and don’t wish to wear any jewelry that has a high value attached to it. Costume pieces of jewelry don’t contain any precious metals or gemstones, which makes them highly affordable and widely available. This type of jewelry does tend to tarnish over time and cannot be shined with a polishing cloth.
When shopping for diamonds, make sure that you shop for them based on their four main criteria: color, cut, clarity, and carat. The color refers to the hue of the stone. The cut refers to the way that the stone is fashioned, such as princess and square cuts. Clarity refers to the flawlessness of the stone. The carat refers to the weight of the stone.
When jewelry shopping, you need to be prepared to carefully look, and inspect anything that you may want to buy. You need to get a loupe. This is a small pocket-sized magnifier that can show you what kind of quality you will be getting. It magnifies the jewelry so that you can inspect it to see if you are getting something of bad quality or good quality.
Take the steps to inhibit its tarnishing. When wearing your jewelry, you should avoid exposure to water. Many of the metals become tarnished, rusty or dull when they get exposed to the elements of water. Apply clear nail polish to your jewelery as an added protection.
Stay inside your budget. Splurging outside your budget can cause many issues, not just financially. You may end up feeling over-stressed if you realize the piece you bought is causing you to get into debt. Financially over-stretching yourself is not the best way to purchase jewelry, so stick to your budget.
Repurpose your jewelry to get the most wears out of each piece. Wrap a necklace around your wrist to fashion a new bracelet. Slip a pair of clip-on earrings onto a pair of pumps as shoe clips, and add a bit of sparkle to plain heels. Attach a pin or brooch to a necklace and update its look.
To get use out of an earring after one half of a pair is lost, use it as a brooch. Many earrings can be worn just as a brooch can, and can make a great accent piece. Try pinning the earring to a scarf or attaching it to your top just below the collar bone. A more delicate earring is a great way to accent a purse or a belt.
Create a solution of warm water and a few drops of dish-washing liquid and use it to soak your gold pieces. Scrubbing the piece with a soft toothbrush can help to remove any particulates that may be stuck to the jewelry. Cleaning your jewelry can keep it looking new for years.
Make sure you give yourself adequate time when ordering a new jewelry piece. Most pieces have a turn around time of six to eight weeks. This can become a problem quickly if you need the jewelry for an important occasion. Make sure you give yourself extra time on top of the proposed time-frame.
When giving a piece of jewelry to a significant other, you must resist the urge to make the gift extremely extravagant. A piece of jewelry that costs more does not necessarily make it have more meaning. When you have determined a reasonable gift for the occasion, choose a reasonable price for it, and stick with that price.
When you are working with any kind of silver there is one word that you should always keep in mind – polish! If you polish your silver regularly it will keep it shiny and beautiful for much longer. This helps to extend the life of the piece as well as look newer for longer.
Always clean all of your jewelry, both after and before using it. This will help you to remember to keep it polished before storing it for a long period of time. Keeping jewelry clean and safe will extend the life of all types of pieces, including metals and all types of stones.
If you love wearing jewelry, but hate the irritation it causes, then you may want to examine the metals in the jewelry. Higher karats of gold are less likely to cause irritation so opt for 14 or 18 karat. You could also try platinum or even palladium as both of these metals are harder and stronger than gold.
If you wear fashion jewelry, you should take special care when cleaning it. Since jeweler’s cement is often utilized in the manufacturing of fashion jewelry, soaking it in jewelry cleaning products or warm water could result in damaging a piece of this jewelry. The best way to clean fashion jewelry is to wipe it with a damp cloth and then pat dry with a soft, clean cloth.
When buying jewelry, make sure that you know the difference between the different types of silver available. Be aware that nickel silver and German silver do not actually contain any silver and they are only called silver because of the color. Sterling silver is the only real silver there is.
Don’t overthink the jewelry that you use. It is a great accent piece and the tricks and advice that you read about here, should go a long way to helping you in using it properly. You will begin to be the envy of all of your friends, as you walk out the door, looking classy.
