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.

Use a toothbrush and small bit of toothpaste to clean your precious gems. This works really well on diamonds. The toothpaste is a non-abrasive scrubber and the toothbrush is small enough to get into those little nooks and crannies. This method is safe to use as often as you like.

Make sure that you clean your jewelry on a regular basis. Although it may not seem important, when you don’t clean your jewelry, you are taking the risk of getting skin irritations. This is because dirty jewelry can hold bacteria and germs in it. Also, cleaning jewelery will make it look brand new, even if it’s old.

Wearing less jewelry can actually make a bigger statement than overloading yourself with many smaller pieces of bright gold and shiny stones. Large pieces are trendy right now, so when stepping out, pick one or two pieces of jewelry that are bold and dramatic. Try pairing a large, colorful ring with dangling earrings.

Take your face shape into account, when choosing jewelry. A round face looks best with jewelry that features vertical lines and strong angles. Jewelry with curves softens the strong angles of a rectangular face. A heart-shaped face is flattered by jewelry that creates width at the chin. An oval face can wear any style jewelry.

Ask your salesperson how they recommend you clean your new purchases. Different gemstones require different care processes. Your salesperson is most likely the best person to tell you great care methods for your individual piece. Knowing these methods can greatly increase the lifespan of your jewelry pieces, and keep them looking new for much longer.

One of the biggest dangers to jewelry is loss. When you are not careful with the pieces of fine jewelry that you have, it can be quite easy to lose it. By paying attention, especially to very small pieces and stones you will ensure that you have your jewelry throughout your life.

Although it may seem obvious, never wear any type of jewelry when you are swimming. Not only is the water itself a bit difficult on the piece, but most swimming pools are treated with chemicals that will cause lasting damage to the piece, if it does not ruin it completely.

If you want to make money by making jewelery, but are unsure what to charge for your creations, you must take some important factors into consideration. For example, the cost of the materials is number one. You do not want to cheat yourself by charging less than what the piece of jewelery cost you to make in the first place.

Rubies are extremely popular for good reasons. Rubies come in different shades of red, though the most prized rubies are of the brightest reds. They can range from pinkish hues to the darkest, blood red colors. Rubies are also among the most durable of gemstones, being highly resistant to chemicals and impacts. Being that rubies have strength as well as beauty, they’re a great choice for your jewelry.

If you have a penchant for vintage jewelry, and authenticity is important to you, then knowing where to shop can make all the difference. Many manufacturers today make new versions of old styles, making it difficult to know whether the pieces you are holding in your hand are genuinely from the flower-power sixties or the the swinging seventies. Find vintage stores in larger cities that separate clothing and jewelry into decades, and inquire ahead of time if they sell any items that are new. Most authentic vintage stores do not.

Another thing to consider when you are looking to add to your look with earnings is the style that you will be wearing your hair. If you wear your hair slicked back, you need more simple and post like earrings whereas if you have your hair down, you can wear earrings that are longer in length since they will blend in and add the right amount of sparkle.

Have your jewelry professionally cleaned once in a while. Although you can often clean your jewelry with simple soap and water, a professional jeweler can also check for damage when he is cleaning your jewelry. He can bring repairs to your attention before a precious gem falls out of a loose setting.

If you are purchasing a piece of jewelry for a friend or loved one, stay away from metals that have caused the person reactions in the past. Make sure to ask about any allergies to base metals and precious metals alike before you purchase, and as always, get a receipt, just in case.

If you are looking for a birthday gift for a new girlfriend, consider purchasing something with her birthstone. Birthstone earrings or a simple pendant are good options, and by buying her jewelry that relates to a detail about her life, you are making a connection she will be sure to appreciate.

When you are looking to purchase any jewelry containing pearls, make sure that you understand the difference between pearls that are natural or cultured. Pearls are formed when a grain of sand gets inside the oyster’s shell and irritates the creature. The little critter inside coats this irritant (sand) with the same mucus that its shell is made from, creating the natural pearl. Natural pearls are rare and expensive to obtain, hence the human intervention of cultured pearls. Cultured pearls are made from oysters that are injected with sand to cause the irritation which creates the pearl. Make sure you understand these differences before laying down money for pearl jewelry.

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.