Fashion Blogs

Tag your girl gang and we bet none of them will deny having at least one necklace in their jewelry case. Pendant necklaces and even metal chains have been popular not only among women but also men. If you have been wearing necklaces as a token of beautification, don’t think twice before styling them as fashion statement jewelry. But to make that happen, what you need to do first is to take note of some prominent tips on buying a necklace and taking good care of it. So, let’s get started…

Tips on Buying Necklaces

Planning on buying a pretty necklace as your birthday present or as a wedding gift for your bride-to-be bestie? Refer to the tips below to ease your buying experience.

Decide on the Budget

Jewelry purchase is not at all like your usual wardrobe or accessory shopping, is it? Whether you wish to buy a ring or a pendant necklace, any piece of jewelry either features gemstones or just possesses lustrous metal bodies. Aren’t they a constant reminder that you must spend a considerable amount of your savings on owning a sparker? If that thought doesn’t bother you then it’s fine but if it does matter, we recommend estimating your budget for the purchase beforehand only so that when your heart is stuck on something, you don’t have to compromise with it. 

Consider 4Cs

Considering the beauty of your gemstones is equally important. When quality is in question, the 4Cs come into the picture - Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat. The relevance of each of these four factors changes from one gemstone to another and has a direct impact on the price of the jewelry. The best way to analyze the 4Cs is to ask your jeweler for a grading report from an authentic gemological lab. Alternatively, trusted jewelers can also help you in choosing the best gemstone jewelry that is not only genuine but also fits your budget. 

Gemstone Treatment

Treated stones are generally those with low clarity, pale colors or surface fractures. Such gemstones are then treated with heat and oiling methods to make them marketable. Gemstone treatment is also a major disclosure every buyer should expect from their jeweler. Don’t panic, there’s nothing wrong in buying treated gemstone jewelry provided your jeweler discloses the fact before you make the purchase and charges you accordingly. Also, the cleaning manual for treated gemstones is different and must be taken into consideration to ensure proper maintenance. 

Choose Metal

Choosing an appropriate metal is equally important so that skin reactions don’t bother you and prevent you from wearing your favorite necklace. Metals such as pure gold and platinum are considered hypoallergenic whereas metal alloys containing nickel often cause skin irritation in a few cases. If you are not sure about metal suitability, get it checked before investing in your necklace or rather any piece of jewelry. This way you’ll save yourself from medical bills and unnecessary jewelry purchases. 

Tips on Caring for Necklaces

Now that you have learned how to buy necklaces, here are some quick tips on taking care of them so you can cherish your necklaces for years to come and can even pass them to the next generation as good as a brand new jewelry creation…

Store Them Separately

When it comes to jewelry, how you store it can increase its lifespan and this is especially true for delicate and heavy jewelry pieces. In the case of necklaces, the best way is to store them separately in different jewelry cases. It’s better to place custom made necklace or rather any gemstone necklace flat in the jewelry box instead of stuffing it in a pouch. Such a practice will reduce the chance of the gems being scratched or any polish being removed from the metal. 

Home Wash or Electronic Wash

Since ultrasonic cleaners use high-frequency waves to clean any piece of jewelry, the best way is to avoid using them for cleaning treated gems (fracture-filled or heated) or any gemstone that is not hard enough to sustain extreme heat and pressure. 

So even if it’s a natural sapphire necklace you are planning to clean (with a superb score of 9 on the 10-point Mohs hardness scale), it might not be friendly if the sapphires have been treated. Similarly, organic gemstones, such as ivory, pearls, coral, etc. should be kept away from electronic cleaners. So, shouldn’t we clean less durable, treated or organic gemstones ever? That’s absolutely not the case, rather all you need is to make a mild soap solution and use a soft brush to clean such gemstones at home only.

No Harsh Chemical Treatment

Even if it's a diamond necklace you want to wipe off the dirt from (a special mention with a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale), avoid using cleaning agents that have harsh chemicals in them. Cosmetics, hairspray & perfumes should also be kept miles away from any piece of jewelry, so wear your necklace once you are done with your makeup and ensure to remove  it after you take off your necklace.

Whether you are using ultrasonic cleaners or mild soap to clean your necklace, it is a must to check the contents of the cleaning solution before treating your gems with them. If you feel you need help deciding which one to purchase, contact your jeweler for the same. They are probably the best folks to give you tips on cleaning and taking good care of your jewelry.

It’s a Wrap Up!!!

Whether you wish to buy or care for your infinity necklace or a heart necklace, the tips suggested in this article will definitely be a great help to you. Well, if you have already made up your mind to gift a pendant necklace to yourself or your dearest one, GemsNY has got you covered with its exclusive range of preset gemstone necklaces at the best prices. 

And that’s not it, you can design your necklace from scratch from loose gemstones, pendant settings and metal options, isn’t that a perk you can’t simply miss? Moreover, you are more than welcome to bring onboard your custom-made necklace designs and the brand will shape it to reality.