The concept of jewelry is nearly as beautiful as physical pieces of jewelry are themselves. Jewelry can bring back memories of an important event or occasion and provides a way for people to show how much they care about each other. When you understand how jewelry works, it makes the whole process more memorable.

Get a polishing cloth for your jewelery. This is a natural way to shine all of your jewelry without relying on abrasives or other harsh chemicals. Use the two-sided cloth to polish your jewelry as if you were cleaning glass. 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.

Some precious metals and gems need to be kept away from moisture and humidity. Keep them stored safely in a closed, dark area, like a jewelry box or drawstring bag. Certain metals begin to tarnish when exposed to humidity. The thing about this is that non-precious metals cannot fully recover from this because underneath, the copper shows through. However, keep in mind that precious metals can go back to their own original forms.

When you go shopping for sterling silver jewelry pieces, take with you a magnet and a monocle. To spot scams, see if the magnet attracts the piece. If it does, then shout “FAKE!” at the top of your lungs and move to the next store. True sterling silver will also have a mark on it to indicate its quality, such as “0.925” or “ster”. If the piece that you are looking at is not hallmarked, this is usually the sign that it is a fake.

Before committing yourself to a piece, do research to determine which styles are hot and which are not. Purchasing a new trinket to add to your collection is always delightful, especially if you find it on sale.

If you want to maintain the look of your jewelry, you should prevent it from becoming tarnished. One of the best ways to keep your jewelry looking beautiful is to avoid wearing it in water. Exposure can result in tarnishing, rusting or dulling of different metals. If you must take your jewelry somewhere wet, prepare it by adding some clear nail polish on the surface.

If you own costume jewelry, it is important to properly care for it. Costume jewelry can prove to be a good investment, but also a costly one; keep in mind the pieces you wish to add to your collection don’t show too much wear. Maintaining a piece of costume jewelry’s condition preserves the beauty and value that attracted you in the first place.

Consider unique pieces of jewelry for unique individuals. Finding something that shows you put thought and effort into the gift is more important the the gift itself, so whether or not what you choose exactly what they wanted, they are sure to be pleased.

Each piece of jewelry bought, sold or owned will hold a little spot in your memories for the years ahead. Jewelry symbolizes many things in the human journey; past, present and future.…