Most people love to wear and own fancy jewelry, but not everyone knows how to properly maintain that jewelry. If you don’t want to have to replace your jewelry, it’s important that you learn how to care for it. This article compiles some advice to give you a starting point on maintaining your jewelry.
Take care when you are storing your jewelry in the same place. For best results, separate different pieces into different boxes, compartments or hooks. Do not ever just throw them in a pile. Fragile jewelry could easily be damaged by doing this, not to mention the nuisance of having to untangle necklace chains that could get caught together.
Don’t go overboard with jewelry. Wear one or two statement pieces with each of your outfits. Meanwhile it can be tempting to show off your collection, remember that everything should have a focal point, including your outfit. Choose a small pair of stud earrings with a matching delicate necklace for a conservative and casual everyday look or go bold with dangling earrings and a matching chunky bracelet. This creates a focal point in a positive way without overwhelming the eye.
Protect yourself when purchasing diamonds by keeping written documents of your purchases as proof. This is the only way that you can prove the 4 C’s you were guaranteed when you purchased the piece or stone. Treat your sales receipts and appraisals as contracts of what you can expect from your purchase, especially if they are not up to the quality you were guaranteed.
Be sure to pay attention to details like type of metal and shape. Just paying attention to what they wear now will make buying for them much easier than asking a salesperson.
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 dealing with jewelry that will displayed as part of you, it is important to trust the store that is selling you their items. If you trust them, it more likely they will not give you low quality pieces of jewelry. A company that you trust will give the feeling you that you made a good decision.
When packing for a vacation, planning your jewelry is as important as planning your outfits. Since you can’t take your whole jewelry box, plan your outfits in advance and think about what jewelry you’ll be able to wear with multiple outfits. When checking your bags, never pack any jewelry that you absolutely can’t bear to lose. If you can’t live without it, wear it or leave it at home.
When you need money quickly you may want to consider selling your jewelry to a local pawn shop. Many pawn shops will allow you to sell your jewelry to them and then they give you a certain amount of time to come back to retrieve it. It is a way to get the money you need with the ability to get your jewelry back if you choose.
Use a cloth dampened with a solution of water and a few drops of dish-washing liquid to clean your pearls. Lightly rub each pearl with the cloth, and allow them to air-dry. Never soak pearls, as doing so can cause massive damage to the integrity of the gem. Keeping your pearls clean ensures a long life for them.
Untangle a delicate necklace easily. It’s easy to get frustrated when trying to get the knots out of a badly tangled necklace, but try using some plastic wrap before you call it quits. Put the chain on the wrap, then pour on a bit of mineral oil or baby oil. Use some needles to untangle. Finally, use dish soap and dry gently with a towel.
Picking a good quality diamond is important when purchasing diamond jewelry. Ask to see the diamond under a jeweler’s loop or a diamond microscope. You should notice no visible flaws, fractures, cloudiness or black spots. Watch out for chips that are hidden under prongs as well.
When trying to think of new jewelry designs, just look around you! You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to find inspiration from nature and your surroundings. Take photos of things that inspire you to make your jewelry so that you can reference it with ease later. You can find inspiration for a number of things, including color palettes and shapes.
When attempting to polish your silver jewelry, it’s always a great idea to soak it in a solution of water and white vinegar. Stay away from cider and wine vinegars. Go with white vinegar only. This will remove tarnish from your jewelry and give it a million-dollar shine in only a few short minutes.
Give the gift that allows you to keep on giving. Add-a-pearl and add-a-bead type necklaces and bracelets along with charm bracelets make gift-giving easy! Start your loved one off with the basic chain or bracelet necessary and perhaps a pearl, bead or charm to commemorate the occasion, and with every holiday, birthday or special event in the future, use those opportunities to add to it with additional charms and beads.
Pearls are a beautiful and classic item to add to a wardrobe. While the classical item is a pearl necklace, with one or three strands, at a variable length, they can also be found as pendants, rings, earrings, or pins. Just be sure to keep them from dehydrating- wearing them often works wonders.
Congratulations on finishing the article! Now you have a starting point on how to keep your jewelry looking great for years to come. Hopefully you’ve learned something new along the way. If you’re still not sure how to maintain your jewelry properly, there are tons more pieces of advice out there for you to find.