While it can be fun to shop for jewelry, things can get stressful when you are in the market for an expensive item of jewelry. Depending on the material a piece of jewelry is made of, the price varies greatly for each piece. The uneducated shopper can easily end up paying over the odds. This article contains some great tips to help you make a wise jewelry purchase.

Steer clear of ammonia, bleach or other strong chemical solvents when you need to clean these items. This could cause the stone to change color or become dull in appearance, and it may eat away at the enamel on the piece.

Don’t keep your jewelry in open air or someplace with a lot of humidity. It’s best to store it in a closed box, like a jewelry box, or a drawstring bag. Metals will become tarnished when exposed to air and humidity. Precious metal jewelry can be polished to fix tarnish, but non-precious metals coated with a finish will never get back to their previous state.

You want to ensure that your jewelry always looks its best so do everything you can to stop it from tarnishing. Try to keep your jewelry away from water. Many of the metals become tarnished, rusty or dull when they get exposed to the elements of water. To give jewelry an added layer of protection apply a thin layer of clear nail lacquer.

For those creative, quirky people in your life, shop for handcrafted original pieces. This shows that you are both thoughtful and creative, traits that someone who would want a unique piece of jewelry is likely to value.

Put your make up on before the jewelery. Your jewelry attracts dust and particles from cosmetics; if you apply makeup after you put on your jewelry, the particles will make it look dull. Earrings and necklaces are especially prone to this kind of contamination.

You should try to find out whether a gemstone was treated prior to purchasing it. If it was treated, you should discover the way it was treated. Different treatments come with different requirements for cleaning and storage. If you have a treated gem you should avoid any solution that could damage the gem by stripping the treatment.

Buying jewelry is better if you keep watch for sales. The right sale can save you a ton of money. Go through magazines and websites to find the best deals. Buying styles that are going out of fashion can be a huge money saver, even getting up to 50% off.

Holiday Season

A matched jewelry set is a no-fail gift for any woman on your list. It is often possible to get a good deal on jewelry sets at a jewelry store. You can separate pieces of the set and gift a piece to your loved one every holiday season. This is an excellent way to give something every holiday season without having to worry that you will forget.

When you are making a serious, high-dollar jewelry purchase, make sure that you can get years of use out of it. Quality is normally a given with higher expense, however, style should be considered as well. A fashion-forward trendy piece may be in style now but lose its appeal in the future. Try and find something that is timeless.

Long chains can be shortened and the excess metal can be sold for a profit. Cut off some of the excess, making certain that it still fits, and you will have something to sell and still be able to use the jewelry as well. If it is real gold and you have a few chains, you can make a few hundred dollars by just shortening the pieces.

Combining large decorative jewelry with basic outfits can have quite the effect. Instead, wear the classic “little black dress” or other solid background to highlight your interesting jewelry item.

If you are a jewelry maker and sell it at craft shows and other sales, you may need new ideas for displaying it. When on the look out for material involved in the creation of your piece, don’t forget about creative displays. A wide variety of everyday items can be used to display your jewelry creatively.

A stone that people do not often think of is Alexandrite. Depending upon the lighting levels, the stone may appear alternately green or purple. Some of the most common places to find alexandrite are earrings, rings, and pendants.

It’s no longer uncommon to see people wearing yellow gold and silver jewelry at the same time. The easiest way to try this trend is with a single piece that contains both metals. Trying to mix radically different pieces can often have disastrous results.

It can be quite tempting to buy a piece of jewelry that is out of your price range, so be sure to have a budget, and stick to it. It’s a bad financial decision to incur a large amount of debt just because you want a little bling on your finger. Engaged couples who are young and not yet financially sound are better off purchasing an inexpensive starter ring. Once they have established themselves financially, they may choose to update the piece to increase its value.

To keep the setting strong, use a cloth that is slightly damp to safely clean the piece. After a gentle cleaning, take out a soft cloth and dry the piece completely. Keep your fashion and costume jewelry away from steam cleaners and harsh chemicals.

Having read this, you should now know some tips to use when you are going to buy watches, necklaces, cuff links, etc. Having accurate, up-to-date information could end up saving you a lot of money.