Jewelry has been popular for thousands of years and there are literally millions of designs to choose from. These suggestions can help you pick out a piece of jewelry that you will enjoy for years.

Know which kind of stone you are buying with your jewelry. Jewels come in natural, synthetic and imitation forms. Natural stones and synthetic gems are both real, but imitation gems are probably just colored glass or plastic. Natural gems are dug up from the ground, and synthetic gems are man-made in a lab.

Always shop around when buying a diamond. Take a very close look at the piece you like, and then make the comparison to any others on your favorites list. With diamonds, you need to have a keen eye because of the many tricks people will use to enhance it.

Study current jewelry trends prior to shopping for a piece. Getting a nice piece of jewelry is good, but getting it at a discount is even better.

Always check with your jeweler about insurance policy options before buying anything. This is so that if something happens to your piece, you can return it to have it replaced or repaired. There are even some jewelers that will cover the replacement if the piece has been lost or stolen.

Costume Jewelry

Make careful note of the condition of costume jewelry you wish to collect. Quality costume jewelry may cost more, but a cheaply made piece will fall apart and will quickly become unusable. Jewelry that’s in good repair can be a much better investment.

Costume jewelry needs special care. Costume jewelry is generally bound by glue rather than settings and is therefore, a lot more fragile. Take care not to use chemicals or lots of water in an attempt to clean your costume jewelry. Use a damp cloth, then dry it with another clean, dry cloth. This method will keep your costume jewelry stunning and beautiful.

Have a unique piece of jewelry made for the special person on your gift list. A unique piece to match their personality shows thoughtfulness and creativity, which is exactly what you want to express to a person you care enough about to buy jewelry for.

Makeup isn’t for jewelry. Let your makeup dry before you put on a piece of jewelry. Any kind of spare dust or oil will attach itself to your jewelry, so putting it on before makeup will just make it look a little dirty. It is especially important to follow this tip for necklaces and earrings.

Gems are given chemical treatments in the process of cutting, polishing and setting. When you are thinking of buying, ask what treatment a stone was given. You will have to treat different gemstones with different kinds of care. You do not want to try to clean a treated gem with a solution that may strip the treatment and damage the gem in the process.

Plastic Wrap

If you have tangled necklaces, you can untangle them with ease. Before giving up on a tangled knotted mass of precious metal, source some plastic wrap. Put the necklace on the plastic wrap and add a little mineral oil or baby oil. Use some needles to untangle. When your necklaces are straight, use dish soap to wash the oil off and pat them dry.

The birthstone for the month of July, popular rubies were once believed to possess magical powers. Rubies range from a soft pinkish-red to a deep romantic shade of red. As a gemstone, rubies are extremely dense. They are impervious to high pressures and corrosion. Jewelers and buyers alike value rubies for their resilience as well as their beauty.

It can be hard to tell a lab-created sapphire or ruby from a natural stone. They are both physically and chemically identical, however, the artificial stones may be much cheap than the natural flawless ones. Before investing a great deal of money in a piece of sapphire jewelry, you should first have it verified by an experienced, respected gemologist.

To keep the setting strong, use a cloth that is slightly damp to safely clean the piece. Afterwards, dry the whole piece with a soft cloth. Keep costume jewelry away from steam cleaners or powerful chemicals.

Give your loved one a special surprise with a new piece of jewelry. Jewelry is a wonderful surprise that any woman will love. Not only that, you get to see her beam with joy as she opens up that cute little box you gave her as a surprise.

It is possible to wear daintier, childhood necklaces by layering them between newer, modern necklaces and pendants. A pendant featuring a heart or cross can seem more personal than other necklaces and will blend well if worn in a cluster of necklaces.

If you want the effect of a large, dazzling diamond, an illusion setting is a good choice. In this effect, a small mirror is put under the diamond before it is set into place. This will give the diamond a mirror effect on your hand and make the diamond look much larger and more shiny. However, keep in mind that repairing this type of ring can be difficult.

The information above will give you guidance for the next time you go out shopping for jewelry. There are millions of different kinds of jewelry, and they can be hard to sort through.