Buying or selling jewelry requires a lot of research and understanding to get what you want or what you need. Jewelry buying can be an overwhelming process for beginners.
Take a polishing cloth to each piece of jewelry in your collection. This is a very easy way to make them shine and not have to use any type of chemicals or solvents. Use the two-sided cloth to polish your jewelry as if you were cleaning glass. Use the side that is designated for polish, and the other to make it shine.
When shopping for sterling silver jewelry, it is a good idea to bring a small magnet along with you. Precious metals, like sterling silver, will not be attracted to the magnet. You will always find a hallmark stamp such as “.925” or “STER.” on genuine sterling, or alternately, it might simply say, “STERLING”. If the item has no markings indicating its authenticity, then be wary.
Be sure that you understand the kind of gemstone that is in the jewelry that you are purchasing. Gems can be natural, imitation or synthetic. Imitation has little value, as it is generally plastic, while synthetic and natural are considered to be real gems. Natural stones are found in the earth and are mined out, while synthetic ones are grown in laboratories.
Know the type of gem you’re buying, when you buy it. Jewels come in natural, synthetic and imitation forms. Natural and synthetic are both real, while imitation is just basically colored plastic. Synthetic gems come from a lab and natural ones are found in the ground.
Hopefully you can take this advice and use it to make your next jewelry purchase a memorable one. Keep this advice in mind in order to save both time and money when buying jewelry.
