Saturday, June 30, 2007

Proper Cleaning and Maintenance of a Jewelry Watch

Watches are considered jewelry and they should be treated like they are. A jewelry watch is available for most men or women and sometimes even children.

If you are the owner of a piece of jewelry you will regularly take the time to ensure it is cared for and cleaned correctly. The same precautions should be made for a jewelry watch. Many watches may have silver or diamond studs and they are expensive to replace or repair if damage occurs. If you notice that your watch is not functioning properly and may need repairs you should take it to an expert. Although you may be able to fix the watch on your own, dust particles and other materials can end up inside important watch parts. If dust particles or other debris gets trapped inside the mechanical portion of the watch, it may continue to not properly work and additional damage may occur. A jewelry watch is not a cheap watch and taking the watch to a professional can be a wise investment in the long run.

Typically a jewelry watch will be purchased form a jewelry store. Many jewelry stores will offer a warranty or a service package for their products. It is recommend that you purchase both, if they are available for your watch. A service package will generally allow you to bring your jewelry watch in for regularly checkups. At this time your jeweler will most like do a quick clean of your watch and make sure all the components are working properly.

When you are not wearing your watch, it is important to remove it and store it in a safe place. A jewelry watch will traditional come with a display case or gift box. You may want to consider storing your jewelry watch in one of those items at night. This will generally prevent dust and other dirt particles from gathering on the surface of your watch. If dust does gather on the watch surface, it is important that you try and wipe it off with a soft dry cloth. Using a wet cloth is not patricianly advised. If you have a marking or spot on the jewelry watch that will need to be washed, try taking a slightly damp cloth to the surface. It is advised that you only use a soft cloth to prevent the jewelry watch surface from being scratched.

When in doubt it is extremely important that you take your jewelry watch to a professional for a cleaning or at least advice. Some jewelry watches are worth in excess of over one thousand dollars and quite frankly it is not worth damaging your watch while trying to cleaning it.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Popular Celtic Jewelry Items

Celtic jewelry is popular among individuals of Irish decent; however, anyone is free to love and enjoy the jewelry and many do.

Celtic wedding bands can serve as an alternative to traditional wedding rings. Many Celtic jewelry owners choose to have their ring engraved. This Celtic jewelry style wedding band is often referred to as a Claddagh ring. These will generally have two holding hands, a crown, and a ring on the band. According to Celtic history, the heart symbolizes love, the crown loyalty, and the hands symbolize friendship, all an important component in a marriage. Most bridal Claddagh wedding rings have a stone inlaid. You can still purchase Claddagh wedding bands with an antique style or modern day variation.

A Celtic lovers knot ring is another piece of popular Celtic jewelry. The engraved knot serves as a lover knot; thus the title for the wring. Although the knot rings may have different styles, they still mean the same thing. For Celtic jewelry, the knot symbolizes a crossing where two individuals meet. The most common form on knot jewelry is to represent love; however, some are for friendship or family.

Celtic jewelry also takes form in an Irish cross. Different style crosses are available. Your selection will mostly depend upon where you purchase your Celtic jewelry from. There are many jewelers who can insert your birthstone into the cross if you want it placed in. Other style pendants are available too. Besides a cross, the most popular pendant is of a shamrock. Brooches, cufflinks, earrings, and bracelets can also be made. Celtic jewelry traditional comes in white or yellow gold; however, there are additional styles available.

Traditionally Celtic jewelry is handcrafted by a professional; however, they are some forms of the Celtic jewelry that are not. To ensure that you are getting a piece of Celtic jewelry, you should properly research the jewelry and visit different locations that sell it. In Irish communities, a local jeweler may sell the Celtic style jewelry. There are also online jewelry stores devoted only to Irish and Celtic jewelry styles. As with any piece of jewelry it is recommend that you check into the jeweler’s refund or warranty policy. Should anything happen to your newly obtained Irish Celtic jewelry piece, you will want to be reassured it can and will be fixed.

Celtic jewelry has become popular for individuals of every decent. The patterns and themes in the jewelry represent friendship and/or love, a widely felt emotion around the world.

Friday, June 22, 2007

On Finding a Quality Custom Jewelry Maker

If you are interested in having a certain type of jewelry made a certain way, you will need to acquire the services of a custom jewelry maker. Custom made jewelry makes great gift ideas for special occasions.

Finding a local custom made dealer might be somewhat complicated, depending on where you live. Larger towns and cities tend to have more custom jewelry makers than smaller areas. If you are unsure of how to start searching for a custom jeweler, you could contact your local jewelry store. Sometimes there may be an employee in the store who will also act as a custom jewelry maker. If the jewelry store is unable to provide you with the service you need, they can generally recommend a qualified professional who can.

You can also search online for a custom jewelry dealer; however, it may be more convenient to physically speak with the person. Once you have found a maker who will custom design jewelry you should discuss what type of jewelry you want. Some custom jewelry makers will prefer to make a homemade item the way you wish. Many custom jewelers tend to make and design their own products. However, if you wish to have specific item altered or you have an item designed yourself, almost all of them are willing to work with you. If you are planning on having an ring or other piece of jewelry that you own altered by improvements, you should discuss what would happen if a problem occurs. Most custom jewelry makers are professionals; however, all individuals make mistakes at one time or another. If something happens and your jewelry piece is ruined, will you be compensated for the damages or will the item be replaced? Those are all important questions that you should have answered before the work begins.

If you choose to use the services of an online custom jewelry maker, they may require you to send in a drawing or diagram of the piece you want made. If you are unable to draw the item, you can ask the jewelry maker to draw up a design based on your description. To ensure that your product is exactly as you want it to appear, you should ask to have them mail or email you a scanned copy of the design. This may slow down the process of obtaining your custom jewelry piece, but it will help to ensure that you will be satisfied in the long run.

If you are having a piece of jewelry that you bought from a jewelry store altered by a professional custom jewelry maker, you should keep in mind that it may change the warranty plan on the item. Most warranty plans are for the original items only and once the jewelry piece has been altered, your agreement may change. Finding a quality jewelry maker may take sometime; however, the more patient you are the more likely you will be proud of the
final result.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Jewelry Gift Ideas for All Occasions

Jewelry makes a great gift idea; however, which type of occasions warrant a jewelry gift? Honestly, any occasion that you prefer.

Some individuals will choose to give a jewelry gift for someone’s birthday. Typical jewelry gift ideas for a birthday are earnings, a necklace, or a bracelet. Many teenagers or young adults love to collect charm bracelets. If the individual you are purchasing the jewelry for already has a charm bracelet or necklace, you could purchase additional charms for them. Another jewelry gift idea for a birthday could be to purchase birthstone jewelry. For example, rings, necklaces, and earnings may have birthstones attached. These items are often easy to buy because many of the stones are labeled and include the birthday month that they are applied to.

Another important occasion where jewelry is given as a gift is for high school or college graduation. Graduations are an extremely important step in the lives of any individuals and many parents chose to celebrate that step with a jewelry gift. One of the most popular gift ideas is a chain with the year the gift receiver graduated from high school or college. Like a class ring, a pendant stating the graduation year will serve as a memento for a past time. Rings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, or earrings can also serve as jewelry gift ideas. Since graduation symbols a step into the future and signals adulthood, family members may decide to pass on jewelry that may have been passed down through the family before.

On or around wedding days mother and fathers tend to give their daughters a jewelry gift as a sign off good luck and things to come. Sometimes this item is to be used for bridal jewelry during the wedding; however, often times it is just given as a thoughtful gift in the form of jewelry.

Christmas is a holiday where a jewelry gift may be given. Many husbands tend to purchase a jewelry item for their wife at this time. If you are planning on purchasing a jewelry gift for Christmas, you should shop around for the greatest deal. During Christmas and Valentine’s Day, another popular holiday, many jewelry stores will offer sales on many popular jewelry gift purchases.

Presenting your friend or loved one with a jewelry gift is just as important as purchasing the item. Many jewelry stores, physical or online, will offer complimentary gift packaging. There are some jewelry stores that may charge a small fee to have a jewelry gift wrapped; however, it is a wise investment. Most jewelry looks amazing if it is set inside a professional looking and wrapped jewelry box. Surprise someone today and buy them a gift.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Indian Jewelry Styles

Indian jewelry is often times also referred to as Native American jewelry. Both styles of jewelry originated during and possibly even before the time of the Indians.

Many Native Americans began by making Indian jewelry out of rocks and other natural materials. Although the materials available have increased the appearance of Indian style jewelry, the Indian touch is still apparent. Santo Domingo, Zuni and Navajo are Indian jewelry styles form the Native American Indians. The most recognized stone on Indian jewelry is that of a turquoise.

Indian jewelry is showing up in store in the form of earrings, pins, pendants, necklaces, rings, belts and belt buckles. Many women love to wear Indian jewelry styles; however, there are men who are avid fans of the style too. Indian jewelry is popular among many ranch and farm owners. Rodeos have also increased the popularity of Indian jewelry. There are individuals who want to be just like their favorite bull rider after seeing a rodeo. If that rider was wearing an Indian style belt buckle or had Indian designs on their hats, you can pretty much guarantee that others will want to buy the same items too.

In addition to every day people, many famous movie and music stars are beginning to help increase the popularity of Indian jewelry by wearing it. Indian jewelry can add a touch of style to just about every outfit imaginable. There are some standard jewelry stores who may carry a small selection of Indian jewelry. For a better selection you should search for an Indian jewelry dealer. There are stores, on and offline, that specialize only in the making and the sale of Indian jewelry. There are some areas, many in tourist towns out in the western United States, where there are whole towns that follow the Indian culture. Visiting an online Indian jewelry website will allow you to quickly purchase your items and be on your way. If you are interested in learning more about the culture and history of the Indian jewelry piece you are purchasing, you should visit a physical Indian jewelry store. Most of the employees or sellers of this jewelry would love to explain to potential buyers the origins of this famous style.

Although the Indians wore Indian jewelry as a sign of prosperity and most of the world wears to be fashionable, it is undisputable that the Indian jewelry style is an amazing tradition that will remain around for centuries more to come.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Finding Designer Jewelry

Teenagers and young adults love designer clothing, so it can be assumed that they would love to own designer jewelry too. The only problem with supplying children with expensive designer jewelry is what will happen if the item gets lost. A pair of designer earrings are a lot more easier to lose than a pair of designer jeans.

Before you decide to purchase designer jewelry replicas or knockoff items, you should check local and online discount jewelry stores. You may get lucky and come across a close out or other kind of sale on designer jewelry. If you are planning on purchasing replica designer jewelry for your children, you may want to consider taking them with you to select the items. This may prevent any tension or disagreement if the proper or wanted brand was not purchased.

When you are looking to purchase a style similar to that of a popular designer, you should still visit actual jewelry or retail stores. Although it mostly occurs in larger cities, there are some street corner vendors who may be selling illegal or full fledge knock off items. Full fledge knock off items are when someone will purposely reproduce a designer jewelry or other item and misrepresent it by stating that is actually the designer brand. Unless you are familiar with the designer label or jewelry style, it may be hard to distinguish if the designer jewelry item is authentic. The selling of this kind of merchandise is illegal. Although to most people it may seem like common sense, there are individuals who will purchase this kind of merchandise with or without knowing it was real.

Some jewelers who are selling replica designer jewelry may often refer to their product as designer inspired jewelry. In case you ever come across that phrase on the internet, know that is generally just a more professional way to say replica or copied jewelry.

The amount of money that you will spend will generally depend up which type of jewelry you select. Most silver jewelry can be bought at a fairly cheap price, including the designer style accessories. In your search for designer jewelry you may come across a few replica items that are actually around 14 or 18 karats in real gold. Replica designer jewelry is pretty much just trying to compare the jewelry to a popular brand or style. There are many replica jewelry items that are composed of real gold or pearls and they may be from a fairly new brand. Stating that their items are replicas of designer jewelry may help increase the traffic to their items.

Whether you choose to purchase real or replica designer jewelry you are sure in for a treat. Many of these designer jewelry pieces offered on or offline
are absolutely beautiful.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Finding and Reselling Antique Jewelry

To find antique jewelry, you must have an eye for spotting antiques. Are you aware that someone who collects antique jewelry and then resells it can make quite a profit?

If you are planning on searching for and purchasing a large amount of antique jewelry, you may wish to consider buying a magnify glass. A magnifying glass will help you examine some jewelry conditions that may go unnoticed otherwise. Antique jewelry dealers can sell merchandise at regular jewelry stores, flea markets, their own shops, or online. It is advised that you carefully examine the antique jewelry at a flea market before purchasing it. Although some antique jewelry sellers at flea markets are completely legitimate, you may come across some who are not. Fleas markets are often where some jewelry cons take place. Just because someone has a booth set up today, does not mean they will be there tomorrow.

Whether you are purchasing antique jewelry from an online or physical jeweler, it is important to ask questions. The person selling the jewelry may be able to explain important details about the jewelry piece that you might not have noticed by just looking at it. If you are unsure, you will want to ask the jeweler which type of material the jewelry piece is made out of, how old it may be, and if the item has even been repaired before. If repairs were not done properly, the resale value of antique jewelry may drastically decrease.

Another common place where buyers find antique jewelry is at yard or estate sales. If you were to go to either two, you will probably have more luck finding antique jewelry pieces at an estate sale. Estate sales are generally held when an individual has passed and their items are now up for sale. Depending on the age of the individual who passed, estate sales may be a good opportunity to come across some vintage jewelry. Yard sales generally have household and other items for a cheap price. If you are to find a piece of antique jewelry at a yard sale, the seller may not realize that their item is an antique.

Some people will purchase antique jewelry to wear or resell. If you are planning on reselling the jewelry you should shop around. Finding quality antique jewelry at a low price will help to maximize your profits. If you have any antique jewelry that you would like to sell, you can visit a local antique dealer or jewelry store. You may also be able to sell your items at online bidding sites; however, you may be required to post certain information proving the item can be considered an antique. Most forms of antique jewelry are beautiful to wear, nice to collect, and profitable to sell.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Finding a Quality Jewelry Store

If you are planning on purchasing jewelry for a special occasion you will have to decide which type of jewelry store to purchase the merchandise at. There are millions of physical jewelry stores located around the world and there are thousands of online stores.

A physical jewelry store is often times where many first time buyers purchase their merchandise. A jewelry store should have all of their available merchandise prominently displayed for customers to see. At a quality jewelry store, the employees will approach you and ask if you need any assistance. You will often find that a jewelry store is traditionally located in a mall or small shopping plaza. If you continue to shop, you may find another jewelry store within the vicinity. It may be a good idea to view the selection of each store and compare their prices.

An online jewelry store is convenient for internet savvy shoppers or customers who are just short on time. Before purchasing from an online jewelry store, the proper research should be completed. For many online jewelry stores, the only form of accepted payment is credit cards. With identity theft on the rise, you should ensure that you are giving your credit or debit card information to a reliable jewelry store. As with a physical jewelry store, you should also compare prices with other online stores. If you are searching for an engagement ring, be sure to fully read the online description. You may wish to compare the description to the ring in the photograph.

Whether you decide to shop at an online or local jewelry store, it is important to examine your decision before making a purchase, especially a large one. Many quality jewelry stores will have a limited time return policy or a warranty plan, incase damage to your merchandise occurs. At the time of your expected purchase, if you are on a limited budget some storefront jewelry stores may offer payment plans or financing options. Due to the nature of online businesses, it may be hard to find an online jewelry store that is willing to set up a payment plan. If you are unsure of the availability of financing, be sure to ask a jewelry store employee or fill out an online questionnaire and someone should contact you soon.

If you have shopped and received outstanding service from a jewelry store, it is recommended that you continue to shop there. Finding a store that offers top of the line product with an amazing customer service driven staff is hard to find these days.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Coral Jewelry

Many individuals believe that coral jewelry originated from coral reefs in the sea; however, that is a common misconception that many make. Despite its name, coral jewelry appears in branches of underwater-like trees. Coral is the remains of a marine animal and it is mostly made up of calcium carbonate.

Coral has been used to make coral jewelry for over thousands of years now. The Egyptians and Romans would take great pride in wearing coral jewelry. In addition to a historical importance, coral jewelry also effected religion. At one point coral jewelry was attached to rosary beads to help prevent people from danger. There were also others who believed that the coral would help keep them healthy and well. Coral used to be a popular gift idea for newborn children.

Coral can come in a wide selection of colors. For example, coral jewelry has appeared in the colors of blue, brown, black, red, white, pink, or orange. Some of the colors are more rare than others, which may increase their market value. Some pink colored coral items are referred to as angel skin coral.

Coral jewelry is most often used in making brooches, earrings, necklaces, and other jewelry products. Finding a wide selection of coral jewelry can sometimes be difficult. There are a limited number of online jewelry retailers that offer coral products. Many jewelry or retail stores may not have a selection is stock or it might be a fairly small selection. Since not as much coral jewelry is made today, you are likely to come across a vintage coral jewelry piece.

Coral jewelry must be cleaned carefully and with caution. Since coral jewelry is often softer than other forms, it should be properly cared for and possibly stored separately. Even the slightest nudge of coral jewelry against metal or a hard object could cause the item to scratch. It is not recommended that coral jewelry be cleaned with any chemicals. A moist cloth should be sufficient enough to clean coral jewelry. If the moist cloth does not get the jewelry clean, you may wish to contact your jeweler or a professional cleaner for more information or instructions.

Coral used for coral jewelry can still be found today around Japan, Hawaii, Australia, and a few other shore locations. Although the popularity of coral jewelry has dramatically decreased from a few decades ago, its beauty is still one of a kind and appreciated around the world.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Gem Stone Jewelry

Birthstones and Other Popular Gem Stone Jewelry

Birthstones are a from of gem store jewelry. Birthstones were developed when previous cultures started assigning a certain gemstone to each zodiac sign. Even now birthstones and other gem stone jewelry types are extremely popular.

When searching for gem stone jewelry it is important that you are cautious with what you are buying. Many larger stores are able to determine if their gem stone jewelry is the real thing. If jewelers know that their gem stone jewelry is not original or naturally made, they are sometimes required to post it or inform you before a purchase is made.

A natural gem stone is often found in gem stone jewelry and it should appear similar to the way it was originally discovered. To order to help turn the gemstone into jewelry, the item will have to be cut, sized, and possibly polished; however, no other alterations should be made. There are some gemstones that are created in laborites and they are referred to as synthetic gemstones. Although gemstones that have been produced in a lab may sound like they may not be real, they still carry many of genuine characterizes of a gemstone.

Imitation gem stone jewelry can often be found at department or discount retail stores. This imitations gem jewelry is often made out a glass or even plastic. A normal person should be able to look at a piece of imitation gem stone jewelry and realize that it is fake; however, there may be some individuals who do not know. These individuals may just be completely unfamiliar with jewelry or gemstones. You may have to look real hard and read the fine print, but most packages will state that the jewelry is an imitation only. Since this type of imitation gem stone jewelry is fairly easy to spot, it is almost never seen or passed off as real gem stone jewelry.

Many gem stones are have to undergo heat or other treatments to help make their appearance more noticeable. It is hard and nearly impossible for the average person to notice treatments with the naked eye. Be sure to properly discuss how the gem stone jewelry you are interested in purchasing came about. Gem stone jewelry with natural gemstones, the ones that remain untouched, will generally run at a higher retail price than the synthetic gem stone style.

In short always remember to discuss or obtain the proper information about the origin of your selected gemstone before purchasing it. Whether you choose gem stone jewelry made out of natural or synthetic gems really doesn’t not matter because both of them are beautiful, you need ensure that the prices are not the same.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Popular Turtle Jewelry

Turtle jewelry is exactly what it sounds like. Turtle jewelry is jewelry having to with turtles. The popularity of turtle jewelry has dramatically increased over the years. Turtle jewelry is even developing to into different cultures.

Why is turtle jewelry so popular? Turtles are old and mysterious, perhaps that is one of the reasons why turtle jewelry has become so popular among jewelry wearers. One of the most common species of turtles found on jewelry is the sea turtle. There are other turtles, such as loggerhead and snapping turtles which are popular for jewelry designs.

Turtle jewelry can be made out of gold, silver, and other fine materials. Turtle jewelry is remarkably amazing because many of the makers pay extremely close attention to detail. Just about every piece of turtle jewelry is unique in someway or another. Some turtles can appear on jewelry to be swimming or even hatching eggs. There are some jewelers who will try and keep their turtle jewelry pain and simple, by not including additional colors. There are jewelry makes who will have their turtle designs appear in full color or have just a portion of the jewelry be colored.

Many wearers of turtle jewelry are women; however, there are some turtle jewelry pieces that are made for men. For examples, there are jewelry designers who make cufflinks and other pins with a turtle design for men. Sometimes you can find a set with matching turtle buttons for the cufflinks on a tuxedo or other suit. It seems that turtle jewelry is taking many forms. You can purchase turtle jewelry in the form of a necklace, bracelet, pin, pendant, earnings, and even rings. There also different sized and styled turtle charms available for charm bracelets or necklaces.

Turtle jewelry can be purchased from most jewelry stores; however, there are online store that offer a wider selection of turtle jewelry. In addition to online jewelry sites, the rise of the turtle style jewelry has increased the popularity of catalog orders Many companies are sending out catalogs with general product and order information on different types of jewelry they carry, including turtle jewelry.

Some individuals wear turtle jewelry because they like the fashion style it has; however, there are many individuals who wear turtle jewelry as a way to help and protect the creatures that they love. Turtle jewelry items are beautiful, fashionable, and somewhat mysterious, yet everyone around the world can’t help but wear them.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Acquiring Titanium Jewelry

Titanium jewelry is most famously known for its strength. Titanium is known as being one of the strongest materials on earth. For numerous decades, titanium has been used to make much needed materials and it was recently started being used in jewelry.

Titanium is an extremely durable material, which makes it so appealing to jewelry. How often have you had a ring that bent or needed to be replaced due to another reason. Titanium pretty much eliminates the damage to jewelry. It is possibly that titanium rings can retain their new look for up to ten years or longer, if properly taken care of. Before it was used to make titanium jewelry, titanium was used to make goods for the military and even space. Titanium jewelry is most commonly used on men’s and women’s wedding rings. Titanium jewelry is lightweight compared to most other jewelry. The less weight you are carrying around, the easier to is to wear the jewelry piece.

Titanium jewelry can be found at most online or retail jewelry stores. If you choose to have a titanium ring custom made, there are jewelers who will be willing to do this for a prearranged fee. Titanium rings can have gold or silver inlays and some may even be able to have their color slightly tinted or changed. If you purchase an titanium ring and take it to another jeweler to have the ring customized, a warranty should be established. Although the titanium is hard to ruin, the style of your ring could be disrupted if not properly done. Having a contract will help ensure your ring will be taken care if, if something goes wrong. The most common type of titanium jewelry is rings; however, some jewelers will sell additional titanium items. Watches, cross pendants, chains, and bracelets are just a few of the examples.

Typically titanium jewelry pieces can be cleaned with standard jewelry cleaning products or polishes. It is extremely important that you do not try and attempt to clean titanium jewelry with standard household cleaning products. There are some chemicals inside those cleaning products that may be able to damage your jewelry.

Most jewelers will offer warranties on their products. This warranties may help fix or replace a piece of jewelry that has been lost or damaged. Since titanium is so strong, some jewelers will offer a lifetime warranty on the titanium jewelry purchased at their location. If a lifetime warranty is not offered, there should be a least a ten year warranty on most titanium jewelry products. If you are looking for jewelry that can offer you strength and dependability, buy titanium today.