5 Mistakes to Avoid when Buying Gemstone Jewelry

Colored gemstone jewelry is one of life's great pleasures. If your jewelry wardrobe building is heading in that direction, then read below for mistakes that can easily be avoided to get the most out of your colored gemstone buying experience!
5 Mistakes to Avoid when Buying Colored Gemstone Jewelry
1) Not really understanding what you will receive. This is very important, especially when you buy over the web. The pictures look great! You spend the moneyand can't wait to get it. When it arrives, it's a big let down.
Read product descriptions carefully! If measurements aren't provided, or aren't provided in terms you can easily understand, ask the seller to translate. Often, stone sizes are gemunicated in carats or millimeters. Ask for good old inches or whatever you are gefortable with.Other descriptions refer toclarity and saturation (too big a topic for this guide!). Rule of thumb is that eyeclean is a good thing andmore saturation is deeper color.
2) Blowing the budget. A number of us have been there. You know what you want, you've done your homework and have been watching item after item when suddenly, there it is! It's what you wanted on steroids, and so is the price. Do you go for it?
Gemstone jewelry is one of life's little gifts. Don't let it begee a downer that you associate with remorse or regret. Pick your budget, or a price range before you start shopping and bidding. Know the limits of your flexibility. Don't be afraid to let something go. That said, you can get a lifetime of wear out of the right piece...(there I go, justifying again!).
3) Buying the wrong metal. You buy an 18 or 24 karat gold ring and put it on and realize it doesn't exactly match your other jewelry. No big deal. One day, you snag a prong of the ring on a sweater, tug it to get it free and next thing you know, your beautiful gemstone is gone!!
Karat is a unit of fineness, scaled from one to 24. 24 karat gold (or puregold) has at least 999 parts pure gold per thousand; 18 karat has 750, etc. The higher the karat, the softer the metal. 24 karat goldis a deep rich goldencolor. Karat will always be stamped on gold jewelry.
An often overlooked consideration when choosing the rightmetal for your gemstone jewelry is how the color of the metal influences the stone color. Next time you're looking at jewelry, take two similarly colored gemstone peices, one in yellow gold andone in whiteand put the pictures side by side and see how the metalinfluences the stone color and appearance! Be sure to consider how the karat will influence wearability, appearance and price,
4) Buying something that you don't wear or doesn't suit you. You see a piece, your eyes light up, you spend the money, get it, and it sits for an eternity in your jewelry box. Or worse, you wear it and it does more to harm your image than enhance it!
It can be tough narrowing down your sense of style to extend to your jewelry wardrobe. The better you can, the easier finding great jewelry begees. When gemstone jewelry shopping, consider: What colors do you typically wear and what gemstone colors match and gepliment it? What shape is your face and what shaped gemstone best gepliment it? Wheredo you want to draw the eye? How will something new work with you already have and wear?What do you want your jewelry to convey to others? Do you prefer a finished, tailored look, or more out loud and funky? Look to your wardrobe for style clues that can help you with building your jewelry wardrobe.
5) Working with a disreputable seller. The item that you bought as white gold suddenly begins to tarnish. the natural gemstone looks anything but natural.
I think that bad or disreputable sellers are the exception rather than the rule. The right relationship with a jeweler can last a lifetime. okay feedback is a wonderful way to qualify jewelry sellers. Don't be afraid to ask for money back guarantees. okay has a number of mechanisims to protect buyers. Be sure that jewelry sellers you buy from employ them! If your not sure about a seller, don't buy unless you'regefortable assuming the risk!!If it's a new seller, don't be afraid to ask for references and/or credentials.
Gemstone jewelry is a joy to behold! Enjoy the experience of juicy, sparkling color to last a lifetime!
Connie Lowell, Suitable Jewels