Making your own jewelry is a fun and profitable way to make extra money. Many stores sell beads, clasps, and kits for designing your own jewelry. Older pieces can also be found at yard sales and taken apart to make stunning new pieces. This article will give you some ideas for designing your own pieces of jewelry.

Many people see jewelry labeled as sterling silver plated and oftentimes think they’ve hit the jackpot when they purchase it at a very low price. In this case unfortunately, you do get what you pay for. This type of jewelry only contains a very thin coating of sterling silver on top of a cheap metal which can usually be identified as copper. The jewelry will eventually tarnish and cause the copper to show through underneath with enough wear.

If you don’t have any jewelry cleaner handy, try using toothpaste with baking soda to help clean tarnish off of your sterling or pure silver jewelry. Just rub the toothpaste on the tarnished area with a soft cloth and clean off. Make sure to dry the jewelry to prevent future tarnishing.

Jewelry can come in sets that include multiple pieces. Matching earrings can be worn with a matching necklace, but if your set includes more than two items, it might be better to only wear one or two at a time. Wearing too many similar items doesn’t look at good as one or two complimentary pieces.

When you are deciding what type of jewelry to buy for a loved one, it is important that it is something that they will love passionately and adore for the rest of their lives. This is not something you want to decide hastily. If you do, they may very likely not like your gift.

If you’re having a traditional wedding and your family wants you to wear heirloom jewelry, find out what you will be wearing as early as possible! You’ll need to match your other items to what your family will be giving you. So ensure you have enough time to snag a pair of earrings or a bracelet to match.

To add more personality to your look, choose jewelry in colors that contrast with the rest of your clothing. Not only will this give you a stylish and sophisticated look, but it will also make your entire outfit look more bold. Try looking for jewelry in shades of blue or striking metallic.

When buying vintage jewelry, become familiar with the different time periods associated with each piece. A Victorian era piece may interest you more than one of a different era, so knowing the differences will help you be able to quickly spot the pieces you are most interested in purchasing, rather than spending lots of time browsing.

You do not have to spend a mint on your jewelry. Don’t underestimate a classy piece of costume jewelry as a perfect accent for your best outfit. There is a large variety of great stones that are inexpensive. If you keep your eyes open you can acquire gems at crystal prices.

You should keep your pearl jewelry in room temperature environments. These sorts of environments can help keep your pearl jewelry from drying out and becoming brittle. At room temperature, your pearls will be able to hold on to moisture in the most efficient manner. Keep your pearls healthy when you follow this tip.

Take a look at the jewelry a person already owns to get a feel for what they like. When you select gift jewelry, your intended recipient will appreciate jewelry that suits his or her style and taste. Pieces they already own – and especially ones they wear regularly – will point you in the direction of new jewelry they will love.

Don’t be afraid to play with different textures in your jewelry designs. Incorporating different types of beads (crystal, pearl, seed beads, glass, plastic, etc) will add a degree of interest to any piece. Adding in alternative materials, like metal rings and even fabric, will help you to create memorable, one-of-a-king jewelry pieces that will be sure to wow.

Gold prices are higher than ever and are expected to continue rising. As a result, silver rings, bracelets, and necklaces in 92.5 percent silver are a better bet for your money. Avoid purchasing pieces that are made of so-called „German silver“ or „nickel silver“ as they contain little to no actual silver.

When buying jewelry for someone that you care about be sure that you not only buy it for them at „expected“ times such as on a birthday or anniversary, but also be sure to surprise them at other times. This is important because it shows how much you care about that person and that they are always on your mind.

Foiled rhinestones are a popular choice for children’s jewelry because they are extremely inexpensive and offer all the sparkle of a more expensive stone, or even more. Try them in such popular pieces as stretch bracelets, earrings, or anklets as a cheerful accent for children who wish to wear jewelry often.

Be careful when storing pearl jewelry. Necklaces should be laid flat in a jewelry box so that the weight of the pearls does not strain the threads on which they are strung, and all pearl jewelry should be stored in a way that prevents it from rubbing on other pieces of jewelry.

Create a tribal look with your jewelry by layering necklaces and bracelets. Take the time to match up pieces of your jewelry that look good together. The look will not be achieved by just throwing on every thing you own. Pick necklaces of varied lengths and not just one length. When layering bracelets the smaller the bracelet the better. Use chunky pieces sparingly.

As stated at the beginning of the article, making your own jewelry can be a fun and profitable past time. Finding pieces to design your jewelry with, can be just as fun as making the jewelry its self. Hopefully this article has given you some great ideas, and you will be on your way to designing unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry in no time.