Buying Jewelry

 

The jewelry market is evergrowing and everchanging. It helps to know what to look for in jewelers as well as gemstones in order to avoid being ripped off. As with all modes of selling, you have those undesirable types that insist on selling lemons or defective products. The same thing goes for the jewelry market, but perhaps to a more intense degree. Because jewelry is oftentimes very valuable, this results in fake stones and bad jewelers who would try to rip you off. The purpose of this page will be to teach you tricks in how to avoid being deceived by these people who use jewelry as a weapon.

 

 

When going to jewelry stores, you often want to take a quick glimpse of your surroundings. Always be on guard. If the store looks shabby or is poorly displayed, you may want to be wary about buying pieces from them. This isnt to say that they are no good, its just more or less a visual warning to beware. Most jewelry stores feature their pieces on display in a locked cabinet. All jewelry should be allowed to be taken out and viewed by the customer. If anyone should ever refuse this to you, leave immediately. Most of the jewelry is usually sorted into Rings, Bracelets and necklaces, pendants, earrings and so forth.

 

 

Another thing to remember in buying jewelry are what jewelers and gemologists like to refer to as the three C's: That is, color, clarity and cut. Lets start out with Cut.

 

A simple cut such as round may be more expensive than a fancier cut such as marquis or princess {Square} cut. All the different cuts allow light to relfect in different ways. Round cut is probably the most reflective and sparkly. This is why they are commonly used in diamond solitaires. To learn more about cuts and faceting, visit the page before this one, or click here.

 

 

Clarity is another factor to consider. All stones have what gemologists like to call "natures birthmarks" which are indicators of genuine gemstones. All gemstones on the market have inclusions or silky threads that are woven inside the stone. Some are more visual than others. Pearls birthmarks are a little different, but the same rule applies. To get a full explanation of pearls and their birthmarks, visit the gemstones section. If a stone seems very cloudy to the naked eye, but is very expensively priced, chances are you're getting ripped off. Contrary wise, the same applies... if a stone is extremely clear and is very inexpensive, its probably a faux stone. You will also hear the term "Created" alot in the business. Created gemstones are stones that are laboratory grown as opposed to occuring naturally. These stones have very few inclusions in them and yet are still made from the same valuable elements that make it so precious. Created stones tend to be still expensive, because A: The stone is absolutely real and B: Because of its clarity and resonance. You will also hear the term "Enhanced" alot too. When stones are enhanced, they are usually altered by hue. Most gemstones begin clear, but when certain ones are heated, they turn the color blue. Two examples of this are Blue topaz and the blue diamond. The darker the color of the stone the more expensive, and this is because it takes alot of money to make them as it takes alot of energy to enhance the hue. It is for this reason that the darker versions are often sought after more than lighter. The government has put limitations on making darker stones.

Color of the stones vary. The glossary explains what colors match what stones and how to tell all the stones apart. Vibrant color is always more sought after than duller shades. Of course, the clarity also firgures into this a bit, the more inclusions the lighter the stone becomes.

 

 

Always inspect the settings of jewels. If the bottomside of the stones setting is in any way covering or obscuring the stone, be wary. Many fake stones have been put on the market and sold as precious stones. All jewelers know when making jewelry that an open setting on the underneath side of the stone is just as important as anything else, as it allows light to enter the facets as well as for cleaning purposes. Some cons will actually create a stone made of glass and colored metallic paper. They adhere them together and then obscure the bottom as to not be caught doing this. This is a common deception in the jewel marketplace.

 

 

When buying jewelry, it never hurts to have pieces appraised. Many jewelers offer this as a free service, or inexpensive at best. You may want to consider going to more than one appraiser as well. This allows you to get an idea of what the stone is really worth in order to determine if you got a deal or not.

 

 

Another section to consider is watches. You must also know how to buy these too. Most expensive watches have a very special feature. They have a stone that is bezel set in the tip end of the winder. Usually the stone is a genuine sapphire, but this can vary really. Sometimes its an Onyx cabochon, its really in what the maker prefers to use. These are the well made watches... the ones that are worth spending the money on. Again, you want to take into consideration of the cost x the metal x any stones that are incorporated into it. Its almost the same as buying jewelry.

 

 

The last and final thing to consider when buying jewelry with stones is that there are certain stones that are touchy. Opals for instance, come from the water. Therefore they must be soaked in plain water periodically to avoid cracking. Pearls are another touchy stone. Certain detergents and chemicals can actually cause the pearl to melt. It can also ruin the nacre or pearlescent finish. Pearls must be cleaned with special cleaner.

Always remember to educate yourself with the stones. It can save you from being disappointed.

 

 

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