The best way to make sure that you’re getting the most for your money when buying jewelry is to get a good background in the business itself. This will help to make sure that you do not end up paying top dollar for something of little value. Follow the advice in this article and you should be well prepared.

Try not to bathe or swim in your fine jewelry. Many times the type of water (hard versus soft) can splash and wear the metal jewelry or stain the stone. There are also chemicals like chlorine found in many swimming pools that can turn stones and badly stain metal jewelry.

To keep your jewelry looking attractive, polish it regularly using a cloth made especially for this purpose. This is a very easy way to make them shine and not have to use any type of chemicals or solvents. To clean your jewelry, obtain a soft two-sided cloth and gently rub in a circular motion. Use the side of the cloth that is designed for polishing to remove fingerprints, dust and other surface imperfections, and then use the opposite side to buff the jewelry and make it gleam.

When choosing an outfit for work, think about what jewelry may or may not be appropriate. Accessories can make an outfit seem more finished, but some items may not be appropriate for your place of work. Check to make sure that all of what you’re wearing fits with your work’s dress code.

Much like a bride’s dress, wedding jewelry may have to be adjusted and sized, therefore you should choose your jewelry as soon as your dress choice has been made. Your best estimate is that when your dress is done, your jewelry will be sized correctly as well, so include that in your time management planning.

Unless you’re giving your fiancee an heirloom ring, don’t shop for an engagement ring alone. Don’t feel pressured to buy something out of your price range, but make sure you can find a ring that fits your future bride and that she loves the ring. Why ruin the moment, by having to take the ring back for resizing or, even worse, just take it back?

If you’re having a difficult time finding that perfect piece of jewelry, consider buying a stone and visiting with a specialist. A jewelry specialist can design a setting just for you, in exactly the way you are envisioning it to be. Your piece will be unique and possibly more valuable because of it’s one of a kind nature.

Get everything in writing. If the salesperson tells you that the gem has a warranty, or that it is on sale for a certain price next week, you want to have a record of that. Keeping a detailed written account of whatever information passed between you and the salesperson can help you be on top of any discrepancies that may appear later on.

If you have the cash resources, consider buying findings, fasteners, chains, and beads in larger quantities; most jewelry and craft suppliers offer significant discounts on large orders to encourage quick inventory turnover. Your jewelry-making business will consume less cash, but only if you purchase large quantities of items that can be used in a variety of pieces and styles.

Deep, rich blue sapphires are commonly known as the birthstone for those born in September. Their dark, mysterious coloring is often thought to have protective powers over anyone who wears the gem in their rings, bracelets, or brooches. Blue sapphire nicely complements purples and deep scarlet accents and looks beautiful with all settings, but especially platinum or silver.

One way to prevent damage to jewelry is to always be careful with clothing. The best way to ensure that clothes don’t hurt the jewelry is to always add accent pieces after being fully dressed. In a similar fashion, make sure that jewelry is always removed before any articles of clothes.

In order to keep your jewelry at its best, remove your jewelry before doing house cleaning, going swimming, performing personal care such as using lotion and bathing, or before exposing yourself to extreme heat or cold. The metal in your jewelry can tarnish or even crack if it is exposed to harsh chemicals such as chlorine, or if it is rapidly heated and cooled.

If you are purchasing jewelry as a gift try to be sneaky. Use a friend, or snoop around when they aren’t looking to find their jewelry size. You wouldn’t want to spend all the time and effort on jewelry for that person and then come to find out it doesn’t even fit them.

As a jeweler, you should do your best to differentiate yourself from the concurrence. Set up your store in a unique way or create an original website. Create original pieces as well as classics. Choose the strategy that works for you: find your audience and create pieces that correspond to a certain style.

If you want to buy cheap jewelry, buy homemade jewelry instead of going to a store. A lot of people use their blogs to sell their own creations. You can also look at online auction and shopping websites to find artisans selling cheap jewelry. Make sure you buy something from someone you can trust.

If you are low on cash but still want to make some jewelry, you can make paper beads! These are bright and colorful and also, very fun to make for yourself or if you have children. All you need is some old magazines that you may have laying around!

When photographing jewelry, lighting is key. By now you know that your camera’s onboard flash is horrible. Too harsh, too bright for close distances, is impossible to previsualize and is likely in the wrong place. For jewelry, use continuous, diffuse (soft) lighting on stands. Photographic daylight-balanced fluorescents are recommended as they remain cool. Note that even those fluorescents will need some kind of diffusion.

In conclusion, you want to make sure that you are not being cheated when you are purchasing jewelry. The advice that we have provided in this article will give you a great background on the industry itself so that you can learn to spot tricks or manipulations that dishonest sellers may use.