If you are lucky enough to have been handed down or have purchased a piece of antique jewelry whether it is a necklace, ring or broach it is strongly recommended that you insure your treasured piece.

You may assume that your antique jewelry is covered by your home insurance however this is not always the case, quite often your home insurance will cover your piece of antique jewelry is stolen but it may not cover your jewelry if it is lost or damaged.

Although you will never be able to replace the sentimental value of a piece of antique jewelry it may easy your mind if you can at least replace the item should it be lost.

It is wise to read your insurance policy very carefully or contact your insurance company to ask if you are covered for this type of event.

If your current insurance policy does not cover you fully for your antique jewelry then you may be able take out additional cover however it important to know and understand the cover you are going to be paying for.

Make sure your policy will cover you for loss and damage and also check if you will still be covered should the loss or damage happens when you are out of the country.

Check that you will be reimburse for the items full replacement cost and will you receive a replacement piece of jewelry or could you opt for a cash settlement.

Quite often your insurance company will ask for an appraisal before they allow you to take out the insurance to cover your antique jewelry. Check if this is something you can arrange yourself or if it is something your insurance company will need to arrange.

Will you have to pay an excess, if you lose or damage you antique jewelry and need to make a claim will you have to pay a sum of money before the claim can go through, how will this effect your existing policy and most important how much is the excess.

The best place to store a handmade gold ring or silver ring is in a re-sealable plastic bag or jewelry bags with a silica-gel sachet, as this will prevent tarnishing. Owners should also try to wipe down their handmade rings after wearing them to remove dirt and skin oils. Gold and silver rings can also be washed in warm soapy water providing they are dried carefully before storage. Then they should be rinsed carefully and patted dry with a soft non-abrasive cloth.

Handmade rings of silver and gold should generally be cared for very gently and carefully. Commercial silver and gold cleaners should only be used if any stones in the jewelry can withstand the chemicals in the cleaner. Some handmade rings with gemstones that can’t be placed in commercial cleaners include those with pearls, lapis lazuli, malachite, opals, coral and turquoise.

A handmade gold ring or silver ring can also be cleaned using a solution made of ammonia and water. Owners should use a light solution of ammonia and water on a toothbrush or soft cloth and then rinse thoroughly with water. The same can be said about using this solution on handmade rings with gemstones; it should be used with caution. Tarnish can be prevented by storing gold and silver rings in re-sealable plastic bags together with a sachet of silica gel. This will absorb any moisture on a handmade gold ring or silver ring. Handmade rings containing pearls and opals, however, should not be stored in plastic bags.

With a little care and preventative maintenance, hand made rings of silver and gold should be able to last for generations. Even silver rings that aren’t worth a lot of money often have sentimental value in the family, and they should be treated accordingly. The same can be said about a handmade gold ring that has been passed down for generations; it should be cared for so many more generations can enjoy it.

Store sterling silver earrings in plastic bags to avoid oxidation. Silver becomes black when it is exposed to air. This is due to the process of oxidation. When you store your silver jewelry in plastic, the air supply is cut off. Remove silver jewelry before washing your hands or having a bath.

Coating: Many jewelers recommend dipping sterling silver earrings to remove the black color of oxidized silver and bring back its sheen. But, dipping is not recommended because even the most careful hand can and will leave microscopic humps and bumps on the jewelry. A number of dips can seriously alter the shape and character of your jewelry.

Cloth: In most jewelry shops, you will get what is called the Sunshine Polishing Cloth. This is a soft cloth that can be used to clean both gold and silver jewelry. The cloth becomes black as you use it, but you can continue to use the cloth for a while. This cloth contains a number of chemical cleaners. If your sterling silver earrings lose their sheen, simply wipe the jewelry with this cloth.

Cleaning: Do not use water or soap to clean sterling silver earrings. Instead, clean silver jewelry with baking soda. Since you do not want to handle or inhale the powder directly, an easy way is to drop the sterling silver earrings into a plastic bag that contains baking powder and squish the bag so that the powder is rubbing against the jewelry. Any powder stuck to the crevices in the jewelry may be taken out using a toothbrush. You may rinse the jewelry with water and then use the toothbrush with a light hand. Rinse well and dry with a paper towel immediately.

Alternatively, you can also use a tarnish remover to clean silver jewelry. But make sure that the tarnish remover does not come into contact with pearls or opals. Or, use a tarnish remover that is safe for these.

In case your sterling silver earrings have a antique look and you feel you have polished it too bright, you can use a piece of steel wool to polish the places that need the matt look. Remember, this will leave tiny abrasive marks on the jewelry. Do not use steel wool on rhodium plated silver jewelry.

There! Now, you have no more excuse to wear silver jewelry that has gone black with age!

The procedure for making each piece will need as much of attention to detail as the first piece was given. Jewelry is chosen mostly for its looks. So no compromises can be made in the production line.

Wholesale jewelry suppliers can either manufacture the jewelry on their own or source it from jewelry designers. However, several designers market their pieces themselves, functioning as wholesale jewelry suppliers. Either way strict quality control measures are a must.

Wholesale jewelry suppliers can even function from their homes. However, for doing so there are few factors that need to be considered. As wholesale jewelry suppliers deal in large stock lots, they will need to store large quantities of raw material. They should also consider earmarking adequate storage space for finished goods.

A ready supply of basic tools and supplies should be maintained to ensure that the manufacturing process is carried on smoothly. A ready supply of chains, links, bead bands, hoops, loops, clasps, certain commonly used precious and semi precious stones and the like should be kept ready for use. The working area should be prepared in a way that aids the manufacturing process of jewelry pieces.

Wholesale jewelry suppliers get into agreements with their buyers that specify the line of action to be taken on returns of unsold jewelry pieces and faulty or below par jewelry. So, due care should be exercised during the manufacturing process to turn out quality pieces.

Writing about your beads. When writing the description of your product you will want to be specific, yet concise. Online shoppers become bogged down and weary of auctions and descriptions that are too wordy. After all, the photos of your beaded jewelry is what will really sell them. Keep these handy tips in mind when writing about your beaded wares:

Creating headlines and titles. Generally, the shorter your headline the better it will be to grab the attention of potential buyers. For example, Sizzling Swarovski Cuff is a better title than Crystal Blue Swarovski Cuff That Will Melt Your Heart and Make You Sing. Also, experiment with words that pop and don’t be afraid to get creative. After all, it is your creativity that led you to beading in the first place! Try headlines with allure, such as Blue Lagoon Beaded Bracelet, or Mint Julep Gem Stone Choker. This will assign your product an appealing air of exoticism, and tempt shoppers to browse your site.

Describing your beaded jewelry. Maintain a conversational tone throughout your description that shoppers will identify with; avoid both slang and overly-professional jargon. Write as if your audience doesn’t know anything about beads or beaded jewelry. Include information such as the size, length, and dimensions, as well as the materials, beads, or gem stones you used to create it. A reader will want to know if it’s Swarovski, TOHO, acrylic, plastic, or glass beads that you are using. The more descriptive you are about the history of your jewelry, the more you will lessen any doubt or questions a buyer may have.
You can provide a detailed description while still remaining concise by breaking up your text into bullet points and lists that are easier to read than a large block of text. Use caps or boldface to highlight important information.

Being clear about your policies and guidelines. Shoppers must know that they are purchasing their beaded jewelry from an actual person, and not a factory or conveyor belt with automatic shipping systems. If you present your jewelry accurately, you can protect yourself from buyer fraud, complaints, and unhappy customers. Have all your bases covered regarding your policies on payment, shipping, returns and exchanges to ensure that the transaction goes smoothly.

Editing. Buyers are much less likely to bid on or purchase items with a description that contains spelling or grammatical errors. Sloppily composed descriptions errant with mistakes will only draw negative attention. An outside opinion can be very helpful, so ask a friend or family member to review it once you are done.

Photographing your work. A picture is worth a thousand words, and the purchasing appeal of your beaded jewelry is made, or broken, with the photos you present. The initial photo of your gem stone jewelry is displayed amongst many others in the same category, so it is important for yours to stand out amongst your competitors. Experiment with a magnified view, eagle eye photo, or various angles that are eye-catching and unique. If you can, use a macro lens to create a sharp and interesting image. Good lighting is equally as important, as well as using a backdrop that will not take away from the appeal of the item. Use smooth, cool colors to create a contrast against your beaded jewelry. Set aside time to play around with your photos on computer programs such as Photoshop or Picasa, and make your photos transform from fuzzy to fit.

Your first step whenever you encounter a situation like this should usually be to go online and see what’s going on. The reason for that is that there is a lot of good information online around a number of different websites regarding different types of jewelry from silver jewelry to sterling silver jewelry to gold jewelry and others that discusses exactly what you should look for when it comes to appraising your own jewelry. It will also usually have some good photographic aides for you as well as some specific information for different materials because different materials are treated differently when you are considering antiques.

If you don’t really want to do it yourself or want to but simply are not interested in devoting the time necessary to doing it, well then that’s what professional appraisals are for! You always have the option of taking your antique jewelry to a professional and getting them to look it over for you. Some professionals specialize in different types like silver jewelry and gold jewelry whereas others are more general in their tastes and expertise. Either way, you can get an appraisal from them pretty quickly, an appraisal that ultimately will help you figure out exactly how valuable your jewelry antiques might be. Once you know how valuable your antique jewelry is, then you can figure out exactly what it is that you want to do with it.

No matter what silver is worn with, it always looks its best when it is clean and shiny. What causes silver to look dull and aged is if the metal is dirty, and the process of oxidation. Oxidation is just the exposure to air. Harsh cleaning products such as bleach and chlorine are also very damaging to sterling silver. You can clean silver with a silver polish but that often gets stuck in intricate designs and be difficult to remove. Silver polish also wears away at the surface of the metal, as does a polishing cloth.

Care Tips for Your Silver:

* Remove your jewelry before cleaning with harsh cleaning products.
* Store jewelry when not worn in sealable plastic bags. This will help slow the oxidation process.
* No-tarnish strips can be put in the plastic bags and this will further slow the oxidation process. These strips can be purchased at a jewelry supply company, or possibly a fine jewelry store. It is best to periodically replace these strips.
* Basic kid blackboard chalk works similarly to the no-tarnish strips and may be easier to purchase. They work by absorbing any airborne impurities that may tarnish the silver. Place them in the plastic sealable bag and replace them monthly for best results. With a little extra care, your special piece of jewelry can look bright, brilliant and shiny for many years of wear.

It’s not just jewelry, Sterling Silver has made a fashion impact on gift items such as Sterling Silver Frames, keepsake boxes, money clips, bridal gifts and other items. This has made Sterling Silver a must have unique gift idea. More and More jewelry companies are now designing new fashion jewelry for the sterling silver market and trends are showing that items like Sterling Silver Bracelets are hot.

The Economic change may have something to do with the change in popularity or at least started the change but after observing internet search trend reports Sterling Silver is for now here to stay and holding its ground against other precious metals. The recent Jewelry Fashion trend for Sterling Silvers popularity has caused an increase in price over the past year or so but the best thing about sterling silver is that it’s still a very affordable and fashionable option.

The advantage of using silver for making serving set is discovered long time ago. As dated back in the 17th century, silver serving set was already introduced in England and America for serving tea and coffee. Thus, silver serving set has a very long history. People keep using silver for producing durable and awesome vessels for foods and drinks. Besides making vessels for serving foods and drinks, silver is also used to create teapots and plates for pure decoration purposes as well. Since silver is precious metal, more people are now treating silver serving set as collectibles rather than daily vessels for serving foods and drinks. Owning one silver serving set became a symbol of possessing a high social status in the 19th century. Nowadays, owning silver serving set is still perceived as a luxury hobby. However, as technology is advancing, buying silver serving set becomes more affordable. Many couples will use silver serving set for serving their guests in their wedding banquets, and it is not unusual to find some ordinary households who own a set of silver serving set at home too. To make it more personal and unique, you can also engrave your names on the serving set as well.

Pure silver which usually still contain traces of other elements is not a good choice for making jewelry because it is too soft and malleable. This means that whatever shape that is formed with pure silver would not stay permanent. Instead what we would want is sterling silver which is made up of 925 part silver to 75 part alloy such as copper, nickel or zinc. The added elements give sterling silver increase strength and durability. Sterling silver jewelry looks shinier than pure silver but it does need maintenance and cleaning. Keeping your sterling silver jewelry in a dry and sealed bag would ensure that the shine would last longer.