If you’ve ever gone on a trip and purchased what you thought was a beautiful silver piece of jewelry, only to come home and find that it turns your skin green after a few wears, you know that some jewelry can react with your skin. It’s true that some metals darken over time and that others can even turn your skin green. The good news is that stainless steel is not one of them.
If your gold and silver jewelry has lost its sheen and is starting to look dull and tarnished, it’s time for a good cleaning. Although you might be tempted to reach for a special product designed for stain removal, such as OxiClean, you can actually get very good results with items already in your cupboard.
Changing bead jewelry is something you can do in a number of ways, including by changing the clasp. Change bead jewelry with help from an experienced crafts expert in this free video clip.
Jewelry storage is actually an excellent opportunity to get really creative with your accessories. Get jewelry storage ideas with help from an experienced crafts expert in this free video clip.
Decorating a foam tiara is something you can do in a wide variety of different ways depending on your preferences. Decorate a foam tiara with help from a crafts expert in this free video clip.
Multiple stone engagement jewelry with antique settings are a very interesting topic that you're definitely going to want to learn more about. Find out about multiple stone engagement jewelry with antique settings with help from an experienced watch expert in this free video clip.
Spotting antique jewelry is one thing - spotting good antique jewelry is something else entirely. Learn to spot good antique jewelry with help from an experienced watch expert in this free video clip.
There is a time and a place to wear bling and you should always familiarize yourself with these conditions so that you don't look out of place. Find out where to wear bling with help from a distinguished fashion and shopping professional in this free video clip.
Vintage jewelry serves a number of different goals in the grand scheme of things. Get ideas for vintage jewelry with help from a fashion professional in this free video clip.
Wholesale jewelry crafts are designed to be both great looking and inexpensive. Make wholesale jewelry crafts with help from a longtime crafts expert in this free video clip.
Not all types of jewelry are going to match with a nude dress equally well. Find out what jewelry will match with a nude dress with help from the founder of the San Antonio Fashion and Design Incubator in this free video clip.
Matching jewelry with a dress and shoes always requires you to keep a few very important things in mind. Match jewelry with a dress and shoes with help from the founder of the San Antonio Fashion and Design Incubator in this free video clip.
A fabric-covered jewelry display stand is a great way to display all of your prized pieces with style. Make a do it yourself fabric-covered jewelry display stand with help from a longtime crafts professional in this free video clip.
A mini tiara is the perfect way to really dress up a variety of different outfits. Wear a mini tiara with help from a hair stylist in this free video clip.
Many different great hairstyles naturally lend themselves to being worn with a tiara. Learn about hairstyles with tiaras with help from the owner of a hair salon in this free video clip.
White gold jewelry can be properly identified by looking for a few key characteristics. Identify white gold jewelry with help from a jewelry buyer in this free video clip.
Clear quartz jewelry items need to be cleaned in a very particular way for the most positive results. Clean clear quartz jewelry with help from the president of Safian & Rudolph Jewelers in this free video clip.
You don't necessarily have to buy expensive and special cleaning solutions to clean your jewelry. Clean jewelry with natural or household products with help from the president of Safian & Rudolph Jewelers in this free video clip.
There are a variety of different alternatives to tiaras out there that can achieve essentially the same effect. Learn about alternatives to tiaras with help from a beauty and lifestyle expert in this free video clip.
You will have to estimate the value of a lot of personal property items, like jewelry, during the bankruptcy process. Estimate jewelry value in bankruptcy with help from a bankruptcy and personal finance expert in this free video clip.
Hemichormis bimaculatus, or the jewel cichlid, is a colorful red fish with two or more distinctive dark spots on its body. The term "jewel" refers to the light iridescent spots that are present on the fish's body that look like jewels or rhinestones. Originating from freshwater streams, lakes and rivers in Africa, the jewel cichlid can grow up to 6 inches in length and have an average lifespan of five years.
Stringing and finishing jewelry beads lets you put the finishing touches on your creation. String and finish jewelry beading with help from a visual artist and product developer in this free video clip.
Scratches need to be polished out of your gold jewelry in a very specific way. Polish out the scratches from your gold jewelry with help from a visual artist and product developer in this free video clip.
Matching jewelry requires you to keep a few very important things in mind. Match jewelry with help from a visual artist and product developer in this free video clip.
Handmade jewelry makes a great gift for coworkers to show your appreciation. Make handmade jewelry for coworkers with help from a visual artist and product developer in this free video clip.
Handmade moonstone jewelry makes a great gift for someone you care about. Make handmade moonstone jewelry with help from a visual artist and product developer in this free video clip.
Removing antique glue on jewelry is a lot easier than you might be assuming. Find out about removing antique glue on jewelry with help from a visual artist and product developer in this free video clip.
As with any new or unusual sound noticed when driving a vehicle, squeals from the brakes should be investigated to learn if that indicates a mechanical problem. Under no circumstances should any household product ever be used to attempt to address any noise emanating from a vehicle’s braking apparatus.
If you have antique costume jewelry pieces lying around -- either broken or seldom used -- create a new piece of custom-made jewelry by fashioning your pieces into a bracelet. You can use any vintage items, including buttons, pendants, charms, shoe buckles, earrings or rings. Once you have enough pieces to go around your wrist, or one piece you want to really show off, you are ready to create your new bracelet.
Stiffel is a company that manufactured and sold a variety of lamps for over 75 years, but no longer offers new lamps. The previous lamps contained intricate detailing and consisted of brass, bronze and pewter finishes. Like most metals, the Stiffel lamps develop a dark cloudy coating over time called tarnish. Tarnishing is the result of oxidation caused by exposure to air. Removing the tarnish from Stiffel lamps requires only the use of a mildly abrasive polishing paste.
Jewelry puts a finishing touch on any dress. Without accessories, the overall outfit can look plain and incomplete. Instead of sporting a boring dress, use jewelry to complete the look. Because of its versatility, jewelry can increase a dress's elegance or a dress's funkiness. It all depends on you and your personality.
Few metals command the value of gold, a chemical element represented by the symbol Au. Many areas of the world boast the shiny, soft and naturally yellow metal, and great deposits have been found in the South American republic of Colombia. Historians have found evidence of the malleable and ductile substance in the country as early as 325 BC during the time of the Tumaco people. Spanish Conquistadors came for it and it still plays a large part in the economy and lives of the Colombian people.
Founded in 1837, Tiffany & Co. designs and produces high-quality jewelry of all types, from precious gemstones to sterling silver. Like any fine jewelry, your Tiffany & Co. pieces require care and protection. Sulfur compounds in the air along with the salts and oils in your skin fade and tarnish sterling silver. Regularly polishing supplements protective care, but certain measures will prevent your sterling silver jewelry from fading.
Gold, whether displayed in jewelry, instruments or ornamental pieces, comes in a variety of weights and qualities. Pure gold and gold-filled pieces consist of all gold or a substantial percentage of gold respectively. A more affordable option is a piece covered in gold electroplate. Gold electroplate pieces are far less valuable than gold-filled pieces and require extra care to avoid scratching the thin layer of gold that surrounds a more affordable and sturdier metal. Some basic care and maintenance will keep the gold electroplate clean without rubbing away the beautiful veneer.
Few things in life are as exciting for a diver than finding treasure in the ocean. Whether it came from a shipwreck or you just found it lying on the ocean floor, your piece of jewelry will be a conversation piece for years to come. If the jewelry is heavily tarnished or corroded from years of lying under the waves, you will have to take steps to clean it. How you clean the jewelry depends on its composition.
First developed in England in the 1850s, celluloid became a popular material for jewelry making in the early 1900s. While celluloid is thought of as an early form of plastic, it is in fact derived from natural plant fibers. However, it is far more fragile than its predecessors, Bakelite and plastic, both synthetic-based, hardier materials that replaced celluloid in jewelry making after the 1940s. Because of its brittle nature, celluloid is easily damaged and broken. It's also vulnerable to moisture, so owners of celluloid jewelry must take particular care in cleaning and wearing it.
Costume jewelry frequently includes vintage pieces, handmade jewelry and imitations of more expensive jewelry. Generally speaking, costume jewelry is not as durable as jewelry made from precious gemstones and fine metals, but with proper care it can often last a lifetime. Many metals used in costume jewelry, including brass and pewter, tend to lose their finish over time, but you can prevent this from occurring with proper cleaning.
Kundan jewelry is known for its beautiful and unique handmade designs, but you must handle it carefully to avoid causing damage. Kundan jewelry is made of 24 karat gold, with gold foil wrapped around its frame to support gemstones. A Kundan piece is coated with refined gold -- which is known as the "kundan" -- in spots to affix stones and give it clean edges. Pure gold is a soft substance, so if you need to clean your Kundan jewelry, you must do so carefully and with the proper substances.
It’s happened to us all: You’re rushing to get ready, pulling a sweater over your head, when you break your favorite necklace. You're too busy to rush to a jeweler, so your necklace ends up gathering dust until you get around to fixing it. It’s the same story with that brooch with the loose stone setting, or that silver ring that's become nearly black with tarnish. But there are some quick and easy ways to fix jewelry, restore it to its natural finish, or mend it temporarily.
The right jewelry display draws interest to your wares while presenting them in the best light. An old suitcase not only displays the jewelry in an organized fashion, it also gives you sturdy container for transporting the pieces to fairs and shows. Look for well-made suitcases that are securely hinged. Avoid suitcases that have a musty smell that indicates mildew, as the bad odor can turn potential clients away.
Many people have had a hair dye mishap in their lives, whether it be from dye creating an unexpected effect, or a colorist taking too many liberties. Before heading off to the salon to have orange or any color dye stripped from your roots, use hair dye removal methods with products from around the home.
Costume jewelry started in the 1920s as a way to design jewelry specifically for certain articles of clothing or costumes. As a result, the jewelry was made primarily of base metals and cheaper stones, emphasizing the style and look over the precious metals and stones found in regular jewelry.
If you enjoy making jewelry for yourself and your friends, or people compliment you often on the gifts they receive, you might be onto something -- you might have stumbled upon a craft that you can actually make money from. The first thing you need do to do is to set up a way to get your brand known. You need to market yourself. So gather up your homemade costume jewelry and get ready to brand yourself.
The history of enameling dates back more than 2,000 years, with some of the earliest known examples created by Mycenean artisans in Cyprus. Since the inception of the craft, a number of enameling techniques have developed, with each providing a slightly different style and finish. Artisans that practice the craft have a few options to create decorative enameled pieces.
The Navajo originated in the southwestern part of what is now the United States, and were well-known for their craftsmanship when it came to jewelry. Specifically, the Navajo worked with sterling silver and turquoise, but incorporated other precious stones and metals into their art. If you are studying Navajo jewelry or are interested in purchasing some, familiarize yourself with the characteristics that constitute real Navajo jewelry so that you are not fooled by imitations or fakes.
Vintage costume jewelry is usually made from inexpensive materials, such as gold plating, rhinestones and mirrored foil. These items look fantastic when they are new, but they do show age more than fine jewelry, so caring for them correctly will ensure that any cleaning you need to do will be infrequent and small. If your pieces have already begun to tarnish, they may require a few additional pick-me-ups.
Unlike fine jewelry, costume jewelry is made from nonprecious metals called base metals. Most of these are both beautiful and relatively benign. However, nickel can cause an allergic reaction, while the lead found in some alloys has been linked to far more serious conditions and is highly regulated.
Leaves are natural beauties that come in many shapes and sizes, and they can be shaped into organic, element jewelry that is sure to attract attention and compliments. There are a number of ways to transform leaves into jewelry, ranging from an electromagnetic process, which causes a metal such as copper to cling to the leaf itself, to sealing the leaf in a blob of clear resin. Plaster can also be used to cast real leaves to create jewelry. The lost wax method can create casts that are then filled with metal, or the plaster casts themselves can be turned…
You open your jewelry box and instead of seeing your favorite silver necklace, you find a browned chain. Tarnish occurs when silver is exposed to hydrogen compounds which are found naturally in the air and other materials such as latex, wool and rubber bands. Corrosive salts, oils on your skin and in certain foods, also create tarnish. While tarnished silver appears initially gray or dull, an accumulation of tarnish turns silver yellowish-brown and eventually, brown or even black. Removing tarnish from your silver jewelry isn't difficult, but does require specific steps to ensure complete and thorough restoration of your sparkling…
Over time, jewelry tends to lose its shine. Engagement rings and gem stone studded necklaces go from glittery to dingy with wear and exposure to the elements. Rather than sending beloved pieces of jewelry away to be cleaned and polished or purchasing expensive cleaners, household items found in a medicine cabinet, such as Alka-Seltzer, help erase a layer of grime and make your bling look shiny again.