Jewelry is complicated no matter how you come into a piece. You might have inherited it or bought it on an impulse, but either way you probably need to look up some information on jewelry. The number of resources available can make things confusing at first. This article will address a few pieces of advice that will help you be a better educated consumer of jewelry.
Arm yourself with a magnet and a magnifying glass when shopping for sterling silver jewelry. You can tell if a piece of silver is sterling or not by using a magnet. Sterling will not react to the magnet, but non-precious metals will be attracted. You can identify sterling silver by its markings, for example “sterling,” “ster,” or “.925.” If the piece of presumed silver is not marked, be skeptical that is real silver. It could very well be a fake.
When you are putting your jewelry away, take care on how it is stored. It is better to use boxes, compartments, holders, and hooks for keeping pieces separate. Resist the urge to jumble all your pieces together in one box or basket. This can damage the finer and more fragile pieces, and items like necklaces can entangle with each other and other pieces into a big mess.
Always be aware of the type of stone you’re buying when dealing with gems. Jewels come in natural, synthetic and imitation forms. Natural and synthetic gems are real stones, but imitation is just plastic colored to look like the real thing. A natural stone is mined from the earth, and a synthetic is a lab-created gem.
Good jewelry will last a lifetime. To ensure you are buying a quality piece, refuse to deal with anybody but the most reputable of jewelers. Any high-quality jewelry will show superior craftsmanship, and will be well-made. The jeweler ought to know the history of the piece, such as its manufacturer and the source of the gemstones. It is important that your pieces are high-quality if you want them to last a long time.
This article has now showed you how important it is to put effort into your research, when looking to buy or sell any jewelry. Keeping the aforementioned tips in mind, you are well on your way to being successful with them.
