Shopping for jewelry can be very exciting. It can also be very expensive. It is best to take some time to learn terms that are used in the jewelry industry in order to make an educated decision. A little research can help you best asses the quality and value of the jewelry you are shopping for regardless of whether you are shopping online, in a catalog or at a store.
If you are looking to purchase fashion jewelry, make sure to invest a few dollars. While fashion jewelry is available in almost every design and price range under the sun, purchase something in the mid-price range. If you go too cheap, you may end up purchasing something with unhealthy metal alloys or inferior quality workmanship.
Vintage jewelry can actually make great fashion accessories. It doesn’t have to be your granny’s jewelry any longer. Make a statement piece by displaying a vintage necklace or a pair of vintage earrings. Vintage seems to be all the new rage and almost every store out there seems to be selling vintage inspired pieces. Why buy “inspired pieces” when you can buy the real thing for a fraction of the cost?
If you have a light ivory skin tone with darker hair, consider purchasing jewelry in silver, white gold or platinum. The silvery colors look elegant set against an ivory skin tone especially if you have brown or black hair. Make sure to choose darker gemstones such as green, black or deep blue.
Essential to anyone buying jewelry for reclamation purposes is a pocket-sized gram and carat scale. While a scale can’t determine the purity of the gold and silver you encounter in your jewelry hunting, a pocket scale can at least give you a basic starting point to determine fair pricing and valuing of your jewelry finds.
When choosing earrings, test the weight in the store. You can’t–and shouldn’t–try them on, but holding them in your hand may be able to tell you if they’re too heavy for all-day wear or just too heavy. Heavy earrings will eventually become painful. No matter how nice they look, you won’t want to wear them if they’re not comfortable.
If you’re going to buy earrings for a woman, also get a matching necklace. If you want to buy a necklace, grab a bracelet, too. A matched set of jewelry is double the joy for whomever you’re buying it for, which makes picking the perfect item twice as much fun for you!
Nothing tells a woman you care like buying her jewelry with her birthstone. The fact that you took the time to research her birth date, and then her birthstone, will show her that you are willing to take the time to make her happy. No woman can turn that down!
Keep your jewelry from getting tarnished to preserve its best appearance. Try not to wear jewelry when you are around water. A lot of metals will rust, tarnish or dull when they come in contact with water. Painting a thin layer of clear-colored nail polish on your metal jewelry can add a protective barrier to it.
Make sure your jewelry matches at least a few of your outfits. You do not want to purchase pieces that you can only wear for very special events, as that may be impractical. Finding simple and elegant pieces that match several outfits is not as difficult as it sounds, and you will probably enjoy the search!
Understanding the terms used to describe jewelry and the processes involved in jewelry making can be invaluable when shopping for jewelry for you or for others. With a little time and research you can become an educated savvy shopper who can identify quality and value when looking for good jewelry pieces.
