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Jewelry-guide

For many people, jewelry is the ultimate accessory. It can immediately enhance any outfit, dressing up even the most basic t-shirt and jeans ensemble. Jewelry can also be a serious investment and very personal item. Few possessions can have such value and meaning. So it’s only natural people want to show these prized possessions off and take care of them to maintain their integrity.

Let’s take a look at how you can get your hands on the perfect jewelry, how to wear it and what to do to take care of it.

Getting the Perfect Jewelry

There are lots of ways to acquire jewelry. But the perfect pieces that really mean something tend to acquired through one of three means:

Custom Pieces

Diamonds Forever is a premier purveyor and creator of custom jewelry in San Diego. The company notes that custom pieces always have special meaning. Their clients come in wanting something very specific, which highlights the real beauty of custom jewelry. It’s a one-of-a-kind piece made for a particular person. Special engravings are also sometimes included to add another personal touch.

Family Heirlooms

Jewelry is commonly passed down from one generation to the next. For many, it’s a priceless heirloom that means much more than it’s worth even when the jewelry does have a high appraisal value. Why? Because there’s a story behind the jewelry and it’s part of their family’s history.

Symbols of Love

For thousands of years, people have gifted jewelry as a token of their affection. An engagement ring is the best-known symbol of love, but many other pieces of jewelry are given to symbolize undying affection. Women give their paramours watches, parents give children birthstones and mothers receive trinkets to symbolize their matriarch status. The Victorians even gave loved ones mourning jewelry.

Best-Jewelry-to-wear

Caring for the Perfect Jewelry

Now that you’ve acquired a special piece you’ll undoubtedly want to care for it. The first thing you should do is get the jewelry insured if it’s of significant value. Insurance protects against more than just theft. It also covers damage so that the jewelry can be restored to its full glory. Given that jewelry insurance costs only 1-2% of the piece’s value, it’s a good investment.

First, get the jewelry appraised. That will give you a firm idea of how much insurance coverage is needed and how much it will cost. You’ll also want to take pictures of the jewelry from every angle so that the item can be restored properly if needed.

Next, if the jewelry didn’t come with a case it’s time to get one. Even if you have a jewelry case special pieces deserve their own box. A hard-shell case will protect the jewelry while it’s stored, keep dust and debris at bay as well as preventing sunlight from causing discoloration.

Cleaning is also needed to keep jewelry in pristine condition. But before you attempt to clean jewelry yourself you’ve got to know how to treat the materials. Different precious metals and stones require different cleaning solutions, and some materials are more delicate than others. If there’s any doubt, play it safe and have a professional clean the jewelry for you. It’s also extremely important to keep fine jewelry away from chemicals. Even perfumes can cause damage and discoloration. Pearls and porous gems are particularly at risk of being damaged by chemicals.

Wearing the Perfect Jewelry

Now the fun part, wearing the perfect jewelry. Like all other parts of your wardrobe, the first rule of wearing jewelry is to make sure it’s appropriate for the occasion. Some pieces, like a gold bangle, are extremely universal and can be worn with just about everything. However, other pieces, like a diamond-encrusted, oversized brooch such be reserved for more formal events.

Another pointer for wearing special pieces of jewelry is to let it be the focal point. Jewelry is enough to dress up the outfit, and when everything else is simple, the jewelry can really stand out. Also, if you have a sizeable statement piece keep your other accessories simple so the ensemble doesn’t get too busy.

Liz Becker

Info sourced by the author for LuxuryActivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.