Take Good Care of Your Artisan Made Jewellery

Beautiful jewelry deserves the best care. After all, you’ll get a lot of pleasure from wearing your pieces of artisan made jewellery, and taking good care of it ensures that you’ll get many years of enjoyment in wearing your gemstone rings, gemstone pendants, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and even barrettes. These tips can help you preserve the beauty of artisan made jewellery so that it always looks its best.

Invest in Good Storage Solutions

The most important thing you can do for jewelry crafted by artisans is to store it properly between wearing it. A typical jewelry box is not necessarily the best place to store artisan made jewellery. Instead, use these storage solutions.

Gemstone Rings

Keep precious rings in soft cloth bags or wrap each ring separately in acid-free paper or cloth. Many semiprecious stones are soft and can be scratched or damaged if they come into contact with metal or with harder gemstones. Harder precious gems, such as diamonds, sapphires and emeralds, can scratch other jewelry if they’re not wrapped or cushioned.

Gemstone Pendants

Wrap gemstone pendants in soft cloth or acid free tissue paper to protect them from scratching and to protect their settings from tarnish. In many cases, it’s best to remove the pendant from its chain to avoid tangling. If you choose to leave the pendant on its chain or cord, carefully wrap the chain around a folded piece of acid free paper to keep it from tangling and knotting. Never hang items on chains. The weight of the pendant can put stress on the clasp or chain and weaken them.

Earrings

Store earrings in small, separate bags, preferably pushed through a cloth-lined piece of cardboard. This will help keep the earrings together without allowing them to rub against each other and scratch the stones or metal.

Barrettes

Clean barrettes carefully before storing them to remove any residue from oils or hair care products. Clip pairs over a piece of acid free paper to keep them from rubbing against other and scratching each other. Store each pair in a separate small cloth bag or wrap them in soft cloth to protect them from damage.

Bracelets

Store bangle bracelets in soft cloth to protect them from scratches and damage. Carefully wrap chains around folded, acid-free paper to keep them from tangling and knotting.

When you care for your artisan made jewellery pieces properly, you’ll get a lifetime of wear from them. It only takes a few minutes to put each piece away properly, and the time is well-spent in preserving your beautiful gems.

Give Artisan Made Jewellery A Place in Your Jewelry Box

Most people have no trouble defining the difference between fine jewelry and costume jewelry, but when it comes to defining jewelry items that fall between the two, it’s harder to find a consensus. In the jewelry industry, there are two terms used that fit the mid-priced niche between costume and fine jewelry: bridge jewelry and artisan made jewellery. What’s the difference between them and how do you tell one from the other?

Some Definitions

Fine Jewelry: gemstone rings, bracelets, pendants, barrettes and other adornments made with high quality gemstones and fine metals by skilled craftsman. These one-of-a-kind pieces transcend fashion trends and are designed to become heirlooms, handed down from one generation to the next.

Costume Jewelry: Rings, pendants, necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry pieces that are mass-produced of base metals and synthetic gemstones or plastic. They are trendy and “disposable” but not necessarily “cheap.” They run the gamut from inexpensive plastic barrettes stamped in sheets to designer necklaces, pendants and earrings created by such names as Chanel, Monet and Dior.

Bridge Jewelry: Meant to be a bridge between inexpensive costume jewelry and high-priced fine jewelry, bridge jewelry is generally made of a precious metal, including sterling silver and gold-fill, and is set with semi-precious gemstones, crystals and pearls. Gemstone rings and gemstone pendants made with turquoise, opals, alexandrite, tiger-eye and other semi-precious stones often fit this category. Bridge jewelry is most often mass-produced and sold at fashion boutiques and better department stores.

Artisan Made Jewellery: Sometimes considered a segment of the bridge jewelry market, artisan made jewellery has one major difference that sets it apart from the typical items that are mass-produced in factories. Each piece is carefully crafted by hand using precious metals and semi-precious gemstones or pearls, and is either one-of-a-kind or one of a very limited edition. Since these pieces are not necessarily designed to appeal to a mass market, they often feature a distinctive style that really allows the wearer to express his or her individual style. The unique style can raise their value far above the intrinsic value of the materials.

Artisan made jewellery like gemstone rings, bangle bracelets, dangle earrings and stamped barrettes are affordable, high quality jewelry items that deserve a place in your fashion wardrobe. You’ll find a wide selection of finely made jewelry crafted by artisans and skilled craftsmen from around the world when you shop online for beautiful jewelry.