Learn some tips that can help you become smarter about buying or selling jewelry. You can figure out everything you need to not fall for scamming „jewelers“ and how to not lose money when trying to price and sell your jewelry pieces. It’s not so scary once you know the basics.

Pewter jewelry has been widely popular for decades. If you’re looking to invest in jewelry pieces made from pewter, make sure that they are lead free. For a long time, pewter jewelry has contained lead causing many unhealthy side effects to the wearer. Usually modern jewelry made from this metal is advertised as lead-free if it doesn’t contain any.

Do not purchase any jewelry from retailers in China. This country is notorious for selling fake gemstone and metal jewelry. Oftentimes, the jewelry advertised as sterling silver with real turquoise is just a piece of metal sprayed in silver and the turquoise is a fake piece of plastic. Such vendors may accept returns, but the hassle of shipping it back at your own cost, is usually not worth it. Be aware of scams like this.

If you see a ring that claims to be diamond and has a sterling silver setting, be very wary. Diamonds are only professionally set in white gold, yellow gold or platinum. Very rarely and mostly never will you see a diamond ring set in sterling silver. There are a few infrequent cases with a few low grade diamond chips set in silver, but usually this will not happen. If you see a jewelry store with this practice, they are usually selling zirconia and claiming them as diamonds.

If you have a ring that’s too large, you don’t have to pay to get it re-sized. You can get a ring guard. A ring guard is a small, plastic tube with a slit. Press the ring into the slit, and the plastic will make the ring fit tighter. You may also be able to buy a multipack of different sizes and shapes.

A fun craft for your wedding is to make your own jewelry. It really is simple and it gives you the ability to customize the items exactly as you wish. For my wedding I used various shades of purple pearls and Swarovski crystals to make all my jewelry and my daughter’s as well. It was stunning AND affordable!

Find your style in advance. Search an online jewelry store before you make your trip to the jeweler so that you know what you are looking for. Being able to tell the jeweler exactly what style you are looking for will make your trip quicker, as well as making it easier on both you and the salesperson.

Put your make up on before the jewelery. The dust, oils and particles from makeup rub off on jewelry; putting on jewels first means they will get dingy and dull with a film of makeup over them. Earrings and necklaces are especially prone to this kind of contamination.

If you’d like to wear jewelry while wearing a turtleneck, be sure to only wear long necklaces. Shorter necklaces compete with the neckline of your top and can leave your neck looking stumpy. Look for necklaces with a pendant that falls below breast length. When wearing a turtleneck it’s best not to layer your necklaces.

Never use solutions or chemicals on emeralds. Chemicals, especially ammonia, will degrade emeralds to the point that they are unrecognizable. Emeralds are especially porous gemstones, so make sure to take great care when cleaning and storing these precious stones. If you are not careful with these, they will quickly lose their worth.

Remove your jewelry when you are going to be using beauty products. Lotions, perfumes, hair sprays, and shaving creams will hurt your jewelry. It may just make your jewelry dirty, but it could also damage your jewels. If you forget once in a while, that should be okay. Don’t make a habit of it.

You should learn how to use the jeweler’s magnifier (loupe) so that you can see the inside of the stone and check to see if there are damages or chips on the inside of it. If there are any chips or damages that will greatly reduce the value of the stone.

For attractive and tangle-free necklace storage, you can use nice-looking robe hooks. Install a series of hooks on a piece of furniture, a door or a wall and arrange your necklaces artfully. Not only will this prevent your necklaces from getting entwined in your jewelry box, it will also look really attractive.

Have your jewelry be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off, when undressing and bathing. This helps limit potential damage to your jewelry from everyday activities, and also helps remind you to put it away so that it doesn’t get misplaced. The less time you wear your jewelry, the less chance it has of becoming damaged.

If you’re hard-pressed for cash and wish to sell your gold jewelry, avoid those TV companies. You’re better off going to a pawn broker. They will pay you full price for melt and won’t be too concerned with making money off of you. It’s very ironic that a pawn broker would give you the better deal, but it’s true.

Clean gold properly. Even though gold has an advantage because it doesn’t tarnish or rust, it still needs cleaning. Harsh chemical cleaners will strip away any shine or luster, so only use a soft wet cloth for cleaning. If there are hard to reach areas, you can use a soft-bristled toothbrush dipped in warm soapy water.

Pearl jewelry is a versatile addition to a wardrobe and can complement many colors and styles. While natural pearls come in a small range of colors, including black, grey, white, cream, golden, pink, and coral-colored, a popular modern modification is to dye them different colors, such as a deep wine red.

As you can see, buying or selling jewelry isn’t nearly as difficult as it may appear. It just requires doing research, some legwork, asking questions, getting certificates and other related jewelry material. The work will pay off once you see how it can help you with your jewelry buying and selling goals.