Tips and Tricks for Buying and Maintaining Jewelry

While it usually isn’t something we think about until we have an issue, jewelry care and maintenance are important to ensure the longevity of our favorite accessories. Our staff at Tobin Jewelers is always happy to give advice or assistance to any of our clients having issues with their most prized pieces, and we hope you’ll stop in at either of our Mequon or New Berlin stores should a problem with any of your jewelry arise.

Here are a few basic tips on selecting and maintaining a variety of pieces…

-It is crucial that all bracelets and necklaces have good clasps. Weak clasps can cause the loss of expensive pendants, chains and stones. You can purchase a safety clasp to secure expensive pieces of jewelry. If there is a piece that you simply cannot afford to lose, try an additional clasp for added safety.

-If you are looking to purchase sterling silver jewelry make sure that you have a magnet with you and a good eye. As a precious metal, silver should never be attracted to a magnet. You can generally tell genuine sterling silver by its stamp, which will look something like “.925 ster.” If the piece that you are looking at is not hallmarked, this is usually the sign that it is a fake.

-If you wear a diamonds on a day to day basis, have them cleaned at least two times every year, try doing this every six months, even when they are new. Not only will the gemologist clean your item, they will inspect it and identify if there has been any damage to it.

-Be careful on how you store all of your jewelry together. It is better to use boxes, compartments, holders, and hooks for keeping pieces separate. Do not just throw them into piles in a box. This not only harms the fragile pieces, but it can also cause items, such as necklaces, to get badly tangled up with the other pieces of jewelry.

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