Category: Jewellery

Jewellery boxes often end up a big tangled mess of bracelets, necklaces and earrings all tied up together and easily broken in the mad rush of trying to untangle them, however there are some better ways of storing your jewellery to avoid this problem:-

• Get a cork noticeboard and put peg style pins in equal spaces to hang necklaces on, one necklace per pin will avoid the chance of them becoming tangled.
• Save the polystyrene from boxed items that you have brought to store earrings in, the earring will easily push into the foam even with the back on.
• Use small screw in hooks on the inside of your wardrobe door to hang necklaces and bracelets on that way they are to hand when you are choosing an outfit.
• And for something really different why not put some tree branches in a vase then hang necklaces from them, this doubles up as an impressive room decoration as well as a handy place to store your jewellery.

When you first buy new jewellery whether it be a necklace, bracelet or a ring it is almost buffed to a dazzling shine however after a couple of months of wear it can start to look dull and in the case on intricate metal-work it can actually become quite dirty.

All jewellery can be cleaned however some jewellery is more tricky than others. To clean a detailed piece that contains gem stones you need to be careful not to use anything too abrasive and to ensure that you don’t loosen the stone, the best thing for this is to use a mild hand soap and a soft toothbrush to gently polish out any muck from hard to reach places without damaging the item.

To clean tarnished silver items one of the best things to use is toothpaste! Rub the toothpaste into the tarnished areas then buff off with a soft cloth, this will take off any grim and return the natural shine to the silver.

You can buy gold and silver polishing cloths however these household items do the job just as well if not better!

Coming across unwanted jewellery in my jewellery box I wonder what I should do with it. It seems a shame for it to just sit there and who knows maybe I could make some money from it? But how is the best way to go about selling these item to maximise profit?

There are many companies that offer ‘cash for gold’ who will weigh out any gold items and offer you a price based on the carat and the weight of the gold that you want to sell. These companies usually each offer a very similar rate for gold items but it’s always worth shopping around for the best price. This option is ideal if the jewellery that you’re trying to sell is broken or out of fashion as the gold is usually melted down after sale to make other items.

However some items, particularly those with diamonds or precious stones can make you more money selling them privately either on online auction sites or to a pawn broker.

Either way always shop around to ensure you get the best value for your items.

Fashion jewellery is generally affordable pieces that follow the latest trends, the most recent trend for something a bit different is ‘up-cycled’ materials made into jewellery.

Many materials can be used for this and one of my favourites is silver cutlery, from rings out of the handles of teaspoons to bracelets from the pronged end of a fork, these pieces look so unique and really are beautiful.

Another favourite is the use of coins to make pendant necklaces and bracelets. Up-cycling is not expensive to do as most of the materials are things you’d have at home or could acquire for a low cost.

Most up-cycling is done on a DIY basis, for example using colourful cotton reels to make a chunky necklace or a mixture of buttons to make a bracelet.

It really is about getting inventive with the materials that you have and designing yourself an eye-catching piece of jewellery that really is one of a kind.

When a loved one dies we look for something to be able to keep their memory alive, to keep them close to us, and memorial jewellery is a great way to do this.

Many companies will take a hand print or finger print and engrave them onto a silver charm for example or will engrave dates or quotes onto locket style pendants.

However there is now a new trend that can actually use a loved one’s ashes to create a unique piece of jewellery. The ashes can be cast into glass stones of different colours that can be used as pendants or in rings or even as a pair of earrings. The process of making the jewellery usually takes about 8-10 weeks and is not cheap, rings start from around £300 and pendants from around £250.

The same companies will also make sealed pendants in silver or gold that contain a small amount of ashes that can then be engraved with a personalised pattern or design.

It’s certainly not for everyone but is a great idea for people who are looking for something a bit different as a dedication to a lost loved one.