Silver jewelry is more popular than ever. These days, I wear twice as much silver as I do gold but, tarnished silver is such a turn off especially if it can happen overnight. Storing your silver jewelry and how to care for these pieces can be daunting but it’s actually quite easy if you know how.

Causes of tarnish and corrosion:

Humidity, naturally emitted sulfur from silver, chemicals in clothing, food (onion, egg, oil based products, salt, milk, vinegar,acidic foods ) wool, felt, anything with rubber or rubber based(rubber bands), latex, skin oils, makeup, perfume and hair products(gel, hair color, hair spray) and more. Some things tarnish silver instantly. Hair color (during application) turns silver black in a second. I learned the hard way.

Jewelry Boxes and Storage

How you store and protect your silver jewelry is very important and easy. What most don’t know is that it’s not difficult or time consuming if you just follow a few guidelines.

Sterling silver jewelry must be stored in a dark, dry place away from direct sunlight , humidity and heat. All jewelry, need air circulation and silver is no different. Silver should be stored where each piece has space for itself without other jewelry under or on top of it. This allows for the air circulation as well as protecting it from scratches and other potential damage.

Never wrap or store your silver jewelry in:

• paper
• plastic wrap (baggies OK)
• cotton
• cardboard
• unlined wood jewelry boxes

All silver will slowly tarnish with age regardless.This is part of the beauty of silver and a nature’s antiquing. Remember, old silver items are usually worth more if they have that natural patina that only comes over time. If you clean them, they can actually lose value. There is a difference between natural aged patina and that horrible metallic smelling inky black colored thing that’s tarnish or really corrosion(silver rust). You can actually feel the difference too.

OK, so you don’t want your silver jewelry to tarnish or should I say get that ugly unnatural black inky color quickly. None of us do.

Here are the basics for Cleaning & Polishing

You should consider whether you wish your silver to develop a natural patina or not before cleaning your jewelry.

Best way to prevent tarnish is to wear jewelry and to store properly.

For great ideas on storage and jewelry boxes, please read, The Truth about Silver Jewelry and Anti Tarnish Jewelry Boxes.

To clean lightly tarnished pieces or pieces that you want to continue aging:

Wash in warm water and a mild dish soap(phosphate free) on a soft sponge, rinse and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.

This works great on many heavily tarnished pieces too.

To clean aging silver: Go light on the soap and just gently run the sponge over pieces you want to continue aging. Rinse and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.

Caution: If your jewelry has gemstones, be very careful when cleaning. A cello sponge is fine to clean with but, nothing more abrasive.

To clean heavily tarnished pieces:

1. In a large non metallic bowl, (larger than the silver you want to clean),
2. Place a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of the bowl shiny side up.
3. Place silver on top of the aluminum foil. The silver must come in contact with the aluminum foil.
4. Pour boiling water into the bowl, enough to the cover the silver.
5. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of baking soda over the silver.
6. Soak for up to ten minutes,
7. Rinse with water and dry well.

Not everyone wants to take off jewelry when taking a shower, swimming or before bed. You don’t need to. What you do need to do is make sure it’s rinsed in clean water after swimming and there is no soap residue after a shower. Periodically do a quick cleaning with soap and water and you should be fine. I wear a pair of earrings all the time and they have never tarnished. I do take them out when I get my hair done and if I use hair spray, I throw a towel around my neck to protect my chains and cover my ears with a hand. The little extra effort has saved me cleaning time in the long run.

For storage:

You don’t need an anti tarnish jewelry box. There are pros and cons to anti tarnish boxes and the cons outweigh the pros in my book. There are some easy inexpensive ways that allow you to store your jewelry tarnish free in any jewelry box you want.

When you are shopping for a diamond ring the first thing you need to do is set your budget. This should be decided before you enter any jewelry shop or a store. So set the amount and do not spend more then you can afford. Once you have your budget set you need to know a few basics before you go shopping. A diamond’s quality is determined by four factors; carat, clarity, cut and color.

Carat is the standard unit of weight for diamonds, one hundred points equals one carat.

Cut is the make of the diamond, and refers to the properties of a finished diamond.

Color is another way a diamond’s quality is judged, the less color in a diamond the more quality the stone. Although there are Red and Pink diamonds that are often referred to as Fancy Color Diamonds.

Clarity refers to the number of blemishes in a diamond, obviously the fewer flaws in a diamond the higher the quality.

When you do find the right diamond for you be sure that you get the certificate for your diamond. These papers will give you a map of the inclusions and flaws that your diamond ring contains. You want to look at your diamond with the jeweler’s loupe and check it to be sure you are getting what you are paying for. The jeweler can help you out with this. Most importantly, this certificate values your stone and gives you both the ownership and authenticity of the diamond.

A piece of custom-made jewelry not only adds uniqueness but it is also loaded with your sentiments and emotions. In the case of engagements people order for custom made rings instead of buying the traditional or common designs. There is no doubt that custom made designs have more life in comparison with other readymade ornaments. Jewelry is an all time favorite for any special occasion and certainly when women are concerned.

A great suggestion is to keep an eye on the daily newspapers and magazines, as you are considering your custom jewelry you’ll find great ideas from every pre-made design. All you need to do is to choose the proper jeweler who will sit with you, and help you in choosing your custom made jewelry. Apart from giving you proper advice, he/she can also help you choose the proper gemstones and diamonds as well as the precious metals for your hand-crafted masterpiece.

While talking about custom jewelry you need to understand the meaning of it. This kind of jewelry is made according to the specifications or design given by you, the customer. In some cases the custom jewelry that you want designed is more costly than a readymade piece available in the stores but remember that it depends on the jeweler or the person who is making the piece. It is quite possible that if you wish to have custom-made jewelry created, that it’s complicated in design and takes more time to create, then the price will definitely be more costly. The price will also depend on the materials used to make it. Nevertheless, a piece of jewelry designed by you will be exclusive, therefore far more valuable than the initial price. It will reflect your taste and style.

More and more people have become very interested in custom-made jewelry and engagement rings and obviously, there are many reasons behind this craze. It seems to be that you are seeking a piece that is too hard to find or you want something awesome, totally unique to your needs and tastes. Nowadays, family rings have gathered huge popularity as they contain the birthstone of that particular person, or the birthstone of their parents. Along with the brightness and balance, custom-made jewelry allows the addition of your feelings or the person that is receiving the item. Some people opt for custom jewelry design so that the size can adjust and better suit to their body structure.

Some people have tiny fingers and require more delicate designs, on the other hand – some people have stronger builds and require styling that best compliments them. In such cases, it often becomes difficult to find the exact size that fits them. Therefore, their best option is seek a jewelry that is experienced in creating one-of-kind custom designs. Once you give your specifications and explain your needs, you need not worry anymore about the design or the size and shape of ring because it can be made to match your body type. All you need to do is to select the overall style concepts and let the jeweler go to work. Today, most people prefer custom jewelry because of its uniqueness and specialty. It is an unbelievable feeling to receive an item that incorporates design elements and concepts that are unique to one’s life. You can get more ideas on how to design your own engagement ring at our website.

Finally, you’re planning your wedding. All the necessary things are planned, the gowns, registry, entourage, flowers, reception and all the things needed for the wedding. Except the rings. You want this to be a special gift for your wife. You want it unique and besides that, you are paying for it you want to add your personal touch to it, and for these you opted to build your own wedding ring. Thanks to modern technology, you don’t have to go those high-end jewelry shops in order for you to build your own wedding ring. All it will take you is a good design software and off you go and create your masterpiece.

To build your own wedding ring, first you must consider the setting. If you want to have a diamond or other precious stones imbedded, the position of the stones is to be considered, like how the stones will be placed, the overall look will enhance the natural sparkle of the diamond or the stone, the design and style of the ring. The cut of the diamond (if you decide to have it) should be considered, there are many designs to choose from and what better way is know what your bride which she prepares or better yet since your designing your own, surprise her. Besides the cut, the clarity and the carat are the most important aspect in choosing the diamond. How much you can spend will depend upon your budget.

Nowadays the higher the carat the better. Or you may want to consider putting on the birthstones of your bride. Like amethyst, ruby, opal, turquoise, emerald, sapphire, blue topaz are some of the stones you could choose from. This will surely add a personal touch and uniqueness to what you are designing. Then choose the type of band you will use for your ring. There are gold, silver, white gold, platinum or titanium this depends on your personal preference and budget. Would you want it solid gold or two or three-toned ring, again it all depends preference and budget. After all this things have been carefully plotted, you might want to consider a theme for it that will go marvelous with the stones you want to use. Be creative and let your artistic side flow in creating your masterpiece. Then find a refutable jeweler to craft them.

The benefits of designing your own wedding ring is a wonderful gift to your wife that she will cherish forever. You will be able to personalize the rings that will show your individuality and you can include both your ideas and design on it, so you are assured that you do not have the same generic ones that are out there. This will show how much you love her and how important she is. It also saves you money in this process because you are not beholden to those big brand named designer in the market that is more expensive. At the end when its time for you to give the rings on your wedding day, this will surely give you pride and joy because you have carefully crafted your wedding ring thus, will give you lifetime of happy memories to share to your children.

Colored stones are back in fashion One of the hottest fashion trends for last year and this coming spring is to incorporate color into your outfit through the jewelry that you wear. Beads have definitely seen a significant come back as they have been the staple for some of the most fashionable outfits. Spring fashions are expected to include having beaded blouses, skirts, and dresses. Beads can take the blandest outfit and turn it into something flashier, giving its wearer more confidence to stick out and shine in a crowd.

It is hard to transition into explaining why colored stones are not back in fashion without first having understood the direction that the newest fashion trends are going. Fashion and jewelry go hand in hand, that is why jewelry is called an accessory to an outfit. Jewelry designers are well aware of the trends that are popular in the fashion industry and are anxious to provide their customers with a product that will not only compliment their clothing fashions but will also give them the longevity of being well constructed and timeless in design.

Many of the colors that are popular in fashion are also available in a gemstone. Coral shades are particularly popular and you can bet that designers are making certain that they have enough of their colorful jewelry to meet demand. On the other side of the spectrum, but still just as popular are the more vibrant pastel colors of gemstones including the citrine, tourmaline, and the glowing blue of tanzanite as well as metallic shades which of course include the classic yellow gold and iridescent stones.

As it is anticipated that “milkier” versions of the fashion colors that have been popular in recent years will translate into the most popular colored stone jewelry fashions of this year. Pearls in their many color varieties are expected to be a big seller and jewellers are working hard to come up with new designs that will appeal not only to a buyer’s fashion sense but also to their emotional side. Jewelry with ethnic, religious or sentimental symbolism is always very popular and you can bet that jewellers will be utilizing their knowledge of these sentimental pieces in order to create the colored stone jewelry that we as consumers simply will not be able to live without.

If you are more of a diamond person (as many women are) do not feel left out of the fashion trend to have more color. Colored diamonds and colored sapphires in shades of pink, violet, yellow and brown are expected to be perfect compliments to the fashion trends that are anticipated to be popular this coming year. Interest in Asian styles have also lent to the resurgence of colored stones in the fashion world. Jade is particularly appealing as this color is said to blend naturally with many other colors making it an easy combination to make with almost any outfit.

Classic yellow gold is also coming back in to style, opening the door for many people who discounted their old or antique jewelry as out of style, will begin to wear and use those long forgotten styles again, perhaps exciting a new fashion trend in both jewelry and apparel. Yellow gold is also one of the most traditional metals that are used for ethnic or religious jewelry styles. With more and more people gaining interest in yellow gold, its white (and color lacking) gold counterparts’ popularity is expected to dwindle.

Colored stones are definitely back in fashion and there is little sign that this trend will be only fleeting (as we have seen a surge in demand for colored stones in jewelry for at least the last year).