Jewelry Shoppers Top Ten TipsWritten by Sam Serio
Buying jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you’re considering a gift of jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn terms used in industry. Here’s some information to help you get best quality jewelry for your money, whether you’re shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.Top Ten Tips 1.When you’re in market for a piece of jewelry for yourself or someone you love, shop around. Compare quality, price, and service. If you’re not familiar with any jewelers in your area, ask family members, friends, and co-workers for recommendations. 2.Ask for store’s refund and return policy before you buy. 3.Check for appropriate markings on metal jewelry. 4.Ask whether pearls are natural. cultured, or imitation. 5.Ask whether gemstones have been treated. Is change permanent? Is special care required? 6.Make sure jeweler writes on sales receipt any information you relied on when making your purchase, such as gem’s weight or size. Some jewelers also may supply a grading report form a gemological laboratory.
| | The Sterling Silver StoryWritten by Sam Serio
Silver is most common of Precious Metals. It’s working qualities are very similar to gold. Pure silver, which is seldom used for jewelry because it is too soft. Silver weighs about half as much as gold and has greater flexibility. Though silver is not as malleable as gold it can achieve a more brilliant polish. In fact, silver shines above all other metals in this respect. Silver has been used for many centuries, going back to ancient times, but because it tarnishes and decomposes; it has not survived as well as gold. Periodically, however, silver enjoys great popularity as it does currently. As far as price goes, silver generally lags behind gold by about four or five times. The price of silver jewelry follows price of gold jewelry, however, so as gold rises, silver inevitably does too. The words silver or sterling silver describe a product that contains 92.5% silver. Silver products sometimes may be marked 925, which means that 925 parts per thousand are pure silver. Some jewelry may be described as silver plate: a layer of silver is bonded to a base metal. The mark coin silver is used for compounds that contain 90% silver.
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