Jewelery has been a part of our culture since ancient times. There are so many different kinds of jewelry and each has its own meanings and appropriate times to use. People have been fascinated by jewelery since ancient times where it used to be used to signify wealth. It has since became more popular and for everyone.
When trying to showcase jewelry, either for sales or for bragging rights, you need to take high-quality photographs of them. Nothing showcases their beauty like a great photo of the piece. Make sure that you use a good background and stick with darker colors; lighter colors take away from the jewelry’s shiny qualities.
If you have metal allergies, make sure to purchase nickel free jewelry. Nickel is a common alloy that is mixed in with precious metals such as sterling silver to make them more pliable. Silver itself is very liquid in its original state and therefore not substantial enough to be properly molded into jewelry. Oftentimes, another alloy such as nickel is added. Make sure you check what you are purchasing to make sure it is nickel free.
Create a vintage Victorian look with jewelry you already own. Layer several necklaces of different lengths and materials together. If you don’t have any long necklaces, consider fastening several shorter ones together end to end. Thread a piece of ribbon or lace through them and add a cameo pin clipped to one side to finish.
Soak diamonds for twenty minutes in a solution made of four parts water and one part ammonia for a sparkling shine. Scrub them with a soft dampened toothbrush allows cleaning of hard to reach places, such as under the gem or around the prongs. Dry it with a soft cloth to keep it shining and looking new.
Try to fix scratches in watch glass before you waste money at a jeweler. Watch faces can easily get scratched by their constant exposure to the elements. To fix this, try rubbing a small amount of your toothpaste into the face of the watch. Use circular motion and see the scratches disappear like magic.
Look for creative ways to add value to your handmade jewelry. Instead of using a cardboard earring holder, you can offer earrings that are mounted on a handmade birthday or Mother’s Day card, or a necklace that is packaged in a vintage seed packet. Finding ways to encourage gifting of your wares, can make all the difference in the world for your cash flow.
Buying jewelry sets can be less expensive than purchasing separate pieces of the same value. Some stores give deals when sets of jewelry are purchased. You can split up the set and give the loved one a piece of jewelry as each holiday comes around. That way you will never have to worry about what to get that person.
If you’re looking for a good piece of jewelry on a budget have you ever considered a pawn shop? Often times people in hard financial times pawn their jewelry, even brand new and in pristine condition. This affords you the opportunity to get a fine piece of jewelry at a fraction of the price!
When you purchase jewelry to give as a gift, make sure you select pieces that are appropriate to the relationship you have to the recipient. The cost, style and material of gift jewelry all say a lot about the way the giver feels about the receiver. Be sure that your gift does not imply a relationship that does not exist.
If your grandmother or someone else is passing down antique jewelry to you, refrain from having it cleaned. For antiques, it’s actually that old varnish, “the patina”, that makes the piece worth a lot of money. An old clean piece of jewelry is essentially worth whatever the market puts the jewels and metal at.
When cleaning your jewelry, make sure to use warm water and soap. Always dry thoroughly with a soft cloth, making sure not to leave any water behind on your jewelry. Some pieces come with special cleaning instructions, so make sure to follow those as well. It is important that you do not use any other chemicals unless specified.
Shop early for wedding rings to avoid problems. Since wedding rings can typically take 6 weeks to arrive, the earlier, the better. If you are ordering custom-made jewelry it can take even longer. You may also choose to have the inside of the ring engraved, but be sure to add this to your order to avoid extra time delays.
For a quick, simple, retro look, choose a length of attractive ribbon that matches your outfit to wear as a choker. Various colors of lace ribbon are also very attractive when used in this way. This charming look from the 70s is easy and inexpensive to achieve and surprisingly fetching.
If you are wearing a large, ornate necklace, don’t add large ornate earrings. Instead, do without earrings or wear something simple that complements your necklace, face and clothing. Likewise, if your earrings are large, dangly and attention getting, wear a simple choker or chain or no necklace at all.
When choosing jewelry for a bridesmaid in a wedding, always coordinate with the dress. Especially important is to match necklace length to the neckline of a dress- try to choose necklaces that reach about halfway from chin to the top of the dress for a spectacular and balanced effect.
You don’t have to be a queen to have a diamond set of earrings anymore! A lot of times, you can find them at your local mall or jeweler for decent prices. Times have changed, so don’t be afraid of shelling out tons of money to get into wearing nice jewelry but remember there still are very expensive pieces!
