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Maintaining Jewelry
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Tips on appraising and maintaining jewelry.
A quick way to find out if pearls are real is by rubbing them against your
teeth. If they feel smooth, they are probably simulated. If they are rough, they
could be real cultured or Oriental pearls.
A good rule of thumb about stones is, "If it's too big to be true, it's too big
to be true."
Even if the piece is real, if it is ugly, it probably won't be worth much.
Check your jewelry for a hallmark--a stamp that is put on nearly every piece of
gold that tells its carat. You may need to use a magnifying glass.
Buy a magnifying glass for examining jewelry (called a loupe) at a jeweler or
jewelry supply store. The first thing to look for are the seams. Various colors
of gold may indicate an alteration. Look at the back of a pin, and if you see a
seam, then it's possible it had a previous life. Seams can also indicate
repairs, which is not necessarily bad news unless it was poorly repaired.
Appraising Jewelry
Deal only with a qualified, trained appraiser and have them provide you with a
thorough, detailed document that would supply a third party with all pertinent
information. Be clear about the purpose of the appraisal (insurance, donation,
estate). An insurance appraisal, for example, requires jewelry to be appraised
at retail replacement cost, while an estate appraisal does not.
The appraisal should include millimeter dimensions, quality, weight and
identification of each stone, plus a description of small stones or groups of
stones. Cut, color, clarity and carat weight of diamonds should be included. For
colored stones, the hue, tone, intensity, transparency and clarity of the stones
should be noted. For pearls, the report should describe the luster, nacre
thickness, color, shape and blemishes. Identification and assessment of the
workmanship of the metals used in the mounting are also important, as are a
thorough description or photograph of the items and the estimated value of the
items.
Be wary of brief, while-you-wait appraisals.
Be cautious of appraisers who charge a percentage of the jewelry's value for the
appraisal, rather than an hourly fee.
Be prepared to leave your jewelry with the appraiser.
Get the appraisal in writing, signed by the appraiser.
Have your jewelry appraisals updated approximately every two years to keep
current with changing gemstone and metals value. Remember to have your piece
appraised for its characteristics, not just its worth. Worth can change
drastically, but the characteristics will remain the same.
Maintaining Jewelry
Put your jewelry in a covered space to protect it as well as make it easy to
find. Examples of commonly used containers are fishing tackle boxes, empty egg
cartons, ice-cube trays (for earrings), velvet-covered frames, plastic shoe bags
and utensil trays.
Never store jewelry in the freezer, as some gemstones can become discolored.
Never put your jewelry in tissue, as it could be mistaken for a piece of trash.
If you have a lot of small pieces, choose a container that has several
compartments, rather than putting it all into one large container. Some stones
can scratch one another and leave permanent marks.
Fasten the clasps of necklaces and bracelets so they won't wind around each
other and become tangled.
When storing pearls, use a cloth or velvet bag because plastic can dry them out.
When getting dressed, always put on makeup, hairspray or perfume before you put
on your jewelry because the chemicals in hairspray and perfume can damage the
finish.
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