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.
If the piece you are looking at is stamped with a . 925, 92.5, or 925 hallmark, that is a good indication that you have real sterling silver. This is only true however, if it is an American piece. The stamp indicates the presence of ninety-two and a half percent silver. The remaining percentage is some other metal, usually copper, to strengthen the piece.
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.
You can check the overall quality of any piece in a variety of ways. You can examine the clasp to see how secure it is. The clasp should not be difficult to open. Chains need to be free of kinks and bends in the metal. When you are looking at new jewelry, it should be shiny, not tarnished. Used or vintage pieces are often tarnished. This is not a reason to avoid them or presume they are inferior pieces.
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 love vintage metallic jewelry, antique shops, thrift stores, and flea markets are great places to find them. Sometimes you can find rare and unusual pieces for a fraction or what you would pay for new ones. Older jewelry can be a lot more interesting than their modern counterparts. When you see a person with a striking piece of jewelry, you might ask where they got it.
You can find anything online if you look long enough. You need to be careful if you decide to buy expensive jewelry from a seller you don't know though. Since you can't physically examine it, you have to depend on the seller's word. The description and return policy will tell you a lot.
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.
If the piece you are looking at is stamped with a . 925, 92.5, or 925 hallmark, that is a good indication that you have real sterling silver. This is only true however, if it is an American piece. The stamp indicates the presence of ninety-two and a half percent silver. The remaining percentage is some other metal, usually copper, to strengthen the piece.
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.
You can check the overall quality of any piece in a variety of ways. You can examine the clasp to see how secure it is. The clasp should not be difficult to open. Chains need to be free of kinks and bends in the metal. When you are looking at new jewelry, it should be shiny, not tarnished. Used or vintage pieces are often tarnished. This is not a reason to avoid them or presume they are inferior pieces.
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 love vintage metallic jewelry, antique shops, thrift stores, and flea markets are great places to find them. Sometimes you can find rare and unusual pieces for a fraction or what you would pay for new ones. Older jewelry can be a lot more interesting than their modern counterparts. When you see a person with a striking piece of jewelry, you might ask where they got it.
You can find anything online if you look long enough. You need to be careful if you decide to buy expensive jewelry from a seller you don't know though. Since you can't physically examine it, you have to depend on the seller's word. The description and return policy will tell you a lot.
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.
About the Author:
When you are searching for information about sterling silver 925, visit our web pages today. More details are available at http://www.thejewelryboxplus.com now.
Post A Comment:
0 comments:
Thanx for viewing us