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Tips (Jewelry Pieces)
| Earrings and Sleep |
| The majority of damage to earrings occur when sleeping. During sleep, you toss, you turn, and you put loads of unnecessary stress on your earrings. Prongs wear or catch on threads and pull, posts get twisted and pressed on in unusual ways, and over time, little bits of damage become big problems. Save yourself the trouble, and put them on the nightstand before laying your head down to sleep. Your earlobes will thank you as well! |
| Well Made Jewelry |
| Go with what you know! Look at the piece. Does it have a look of quality? Are the stones sparkly and clean? Are they set straight and level? What is the gram weight? Is a good amount of metal involved? Do the edges look smooth and polished, not sharp or scratchy? Finally, does it have an overall appearance of quality craftsmanship, quality materials, and a price that you feel is fair to you for this piece? If so, you have got yourself a winner! Buy and enjoy! |
| Gunked up Rings |
| There is one thing you can do to help reduce that icky build up. Remove your rings before applying any kind of hand lotions or creams. The moisturizing oils in those products stick to your jewelry making it look dull, lifeless, and dirty! Remove all hand and wrist jewelry and then apply the lotion or cream, wait for it to completely soak in and then replace your jewelry. Your precious metals and gems will stay looking clean and bright much longer. |
| Elegant Indulgence |
| To acheive a top notch, ultra glamorous look, drape layers of pearls around your neck. Multiple lengths, even different sizes and colors of pearls look great together - and the more the merrier! Quick hint: freshwater pearls are much less expensive than saltwater cultured pearls and are a *great* way to quickly add to your pearl collection! |
| Ethnic Chic! |
| Ethnic items always spark an exotic feel, and jewelry is no exception! Go wild, ethnic jewelry is all the rage. If you don?t happen to own any imported ethnic jewelry, you can still have this sizzling look! Generously drape strands of beads in rich colors all over your neck and wrists. The more the better, and you have an instantly hot look! |
| Choosing Bracelet Length |
| When choosing a bracelet, always try it on before you buy. A good rule of thumb is to be able to have a two finger gap between your wrist and the bracelet. Less than this will result in a bracelet that is too short, and will be damaged by stretching over time. More than this will result in a bracelet that gets caught on many objects and is eventually damaged by stretching or breakage. |
| Proper Storage |
| Proper storage of jewelry is essential! Choose a box sized appropriately for the amount of jewelry you have - you do not want your jewelry crowded together. Rings should be held in ring holders, earrings secured to holders or separated into little compartments, and necklaces hung or laid carefully into drawers with separators. |
| Gold Selection |
| When purchasing a gold ring, be aware of the amount of gold that is present in the piece. Look "inside" the ring, by turning it so that you can look behind the setting of the stone. While some rings have a small amount of what is called hollowing, removal of some gold to keep the ring from being too top heavy, is acceptable. Beware of paper thin areas of gold. If the ring feels feather light, put it back! Gold is a soft metal, and a paper thin ring will not last you very long. A ring that is built to last will feel like it is built to last, with ample metal, and a nice thick shank. |
| Stop that Flopping! |
| To help keep your earrings from flopping forward, the answer is simple, large diameter earring backs. You can either purchase large earring backs, or clear plastic discs that slip on before the earring back. These support the back of the earlobe and keep your earrings facing forward. |
| Bracelet Storage |
| When traveling, use a jewelry roll to store your bracelets. Tennis bracelets, chain, or link style should be laid out in a line, and rolled up in the jewelry roll like a burrito. If you do not have a jewelry roll, you can lay out your bracelets on a thick piece of fabric or hand towel, and roll up. This is also a good way to store your braclets at home when you are not wearing them. |
| Sensitive Ears? |
| For sensitive ears, even gold can often be quite painful and irritating. Alternatives that are easier to wear are platinum, and for extremely sensitive ears, titanium. |
| Pearl Solitaire |
| Floater necklaces on invisible cord started the trend, and the solitaire pearl is taking center stage. One exquisite pearl, suspended by seemingly invisible line floats in the hollow of your neck. Absolutely feminine, and ulitimately classy, the pearl solitaire necklace is a must have! |
| Cuff Bracelets with Stones |
| When wearing cuff bracelets that contain stones, be very careful to avoid squeezing or opening the gap in the bracelet too much or too often. In this type of bracelet, the settings are very vulnerable, and too much bending can cause the loss of a stone. With cuff bracelets, take it easy and treat them with great care. |
| Check for Loose Stones |
| Occasionally check your jewelry for loose stones. Shake it or tap it lightly with your forefinger while holding it next to your ear. If you hear the stones rattle or click, have a jeweler tighten the prongs. |
| Glamorous Look |
| To acheive an ultra-glamorous look with your jewelry, mix it up! Put together lots of complimentary colors of gems, richly textured metals, and varied sizes together. The richness of colors and textures gives an opulent, festive look! |
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