If you love jewelry, you are probably always on the lookout for a great piece. Necklaces, bracelets, and rings don't have to be expensive to appear striking and impressive. If you go into a discount store and purchase a piece of jewelry for a few dollars, you shouldn't expect it to be fine jewelry. When you pay a significant amount for a genuine sterling silver 925 piece however, you have a right to expect it to be real.
Those who are new to investing in good jewelry may not be aware of the easiest way to identify an authentic piece. With sterling silver, you need to look for the hallmark 925, . 925, or 92.5. This designation is American. It means that the piece you are looking at is ninety-two and a half percent silver with seven and a half percent another metal, such as copper.
If you regularly shop for jewelry, you have probably noticed pieces described as plated. They are not expensive, nor should they be. Plated jewelry is simply coated with good metal that covers less expensive elements like copper or nickel. After it has been worn, the coating will tarnish and start to wear off. This is not something you can repair.
There are other ways to test the general quality of a piece of jewelry. The clasp should be secure and easy to open and close. If you lay the chain down on a hard surface and stretch it out, it should lay flat. Bends and kinks in the metal are an indication that the piece is not well made. New jewelry should look shiny instead of tarnished. Vintage pieces may be tarnished, but that simply means they need to be cleaned.
You may find nice pieces in department stores, but experts warn that the markup can be extremely high. That's one reason the stores are able to able to have such great sales. Independent jewelers, on the other hand, normally don't markup up their jewelry in the same way. They seldom have the same kinds of sales for that reason.
If you like vintage jewelry thrift and second hand stores, flea markets and antique shops are great places to find it. You may have to sift through the assortments, but you can sometimes find pieces that are quite striking and unusual for much less than you would pay for brand new jewelry. When you notice someone wearing something interesting, ask how they came by it.
You can find anything online, but you have to be smart about what you purchase, especially if you are looking at expensive metallic pieces. You have to depend on the photos and descriptions, which can be deceptive. The seller should be willing to discuss the pieces you are interested in and have a reasonable return policy.
There is nothing wrong with buying cheap, trendy jewelry. If you are going to purchase the real thing however, you need to know what to look for. It's easy to end up spending a lot of money on an imitation.
Those who are new to investing in good jewelry may not be aware of the easiest way to identify an authentic piece. With sterling silver, you need to look for the hallmark 925, . 925, or 92.5. This designation is American. It means that the piece you are looking at is ninety-two and a half percent silver with seven and a half percent another metal, such as copper.
If you regularly shop for jewelry, you have probably noticed pieces described as plated. They are not expensive, nor should they be. Plated jewelry is simply coated with good metal that covers less expensive elements like copper or nickel. After it has been worn, the coating will tarnish and start to wear off. This is not something you can repair.
There are other ways to test the general quality of a piece of jewelry. The clasp should be secure and easy to open and close. If you lay the chain down on a hard surface and stretch it out, it should lay flat. Bends and kinks in the metal are an indication that the piece is not well made. New jewelry should look shiny instead of tarnished. Vintage pieces may be tarnished, but that simply means they need to be cleaned.
You may find nice pieces in department stores, but experts warn that the markup can be extremely high. That's one reason the stores are able to able to have such great sales. Independent jewelers, on the other hand, normally don't markup up their jewelry in the same way. They seldom have the same kinds of sales for that reason.
If you like vintage jewelry thrift and second hand stores, flea markets and antique shops are great places to find it. You may have to sift through the assortments, but you can sometimes find pieces that are quite striking and unusual for much less than you would pay for brand new jewelry. When you notice someone wearing something interesting, ask how they came by it.
You can find anything online, but you have to be smart about what you purchase, especially if you are looking at expensive metallic pieces. You have to depend on the photos and descriptions, which can be deceptive. The seller should be willing to discuss the pieces you are interested in and have a reasonable return policy.
There is nothing wrong with buying cheap, trendy jewelry. If you are going to purchase the real thing however, you need to know what to look for. It's easy to end up spending a lot of money on an imitation.
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