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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Costume Jewelry Facts and Care Tips

By T.K Howard

Why we love fashion jewelry?

1. A base metal alloy such as tin, brass, nickel, aluminum or a combination of metals that has been altered to resemble more precious metals such as silver, gold, or platinum. This is achieved by a variety of methods including:

Caring for your fashion jewelry

b. electroplating: This is probably the most common method. In this process an electric current is used to deposit a thin layer, as little as 2 micro inches (a micro inch is one millionth of an inch) onto the base alloy metal which is immersed in a salt bath solution of the precious metal that will be used to plate the object.

1. NEVER allow fashion jewelry to come in contact with oils, soaps, perfumes, or any harsh chemicals which can fade or even ruin the item.

d. overlay: This method utilizes heat rather than electricity to combine the base metal with the precious metal to form a new alloy. This creates a permanent bond between the metals which creates jewelry that can be as durable and long lasting as the real thing with proper care. Gold overlay jewelry is also sometimes referred to as gold filled. It is generally safer for sensitive skin than costume jewelry made by other methods.

3. NEVER store jewelry wet. Always dry with a soft cloth before storing.

5. When cleaning, be gentle! Use a soft toothbrush and jewelry cleaner that specifically states that it is safe for costume jewelry. Make sure it does not contain acid, alcohol, or ammonia. Only use jewelry cleaner as directed. DO NOT over scrub.

2. Manmade stones such as cubic zirconium, crystals, rhinestone, glass, or epoxy a primary component of most costume jewelry. The most popular of which is cubic zirconium because of its physical characteristics. It is used to create simulated versions of precious gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Its sparkly appeal and inexpensive price tag allow for much larger, more glitzy fashion pieces that instantly attract attention. Colored glass can also be used to simulate precious stones and faux pearls. Rhinestone and crystal jewelry is also popular because of its glitzy appeal and color choices. Epoxy and acrylic are plastics that is often used to make inexpensive bead jewelry.

6. Store jewelry in a clean, dry, cool, not cold place away from heat and dust.

7. Use a jewelry cloth for buffing.

Why choose costume jewelry?

Costume jewelry, also referred to as fashion jewelry, is a fun and inexpensive way to express your own unique style. Its less costly composition means that it is easy to get your moneys worth of use out of it and allows for a much larger variety of bigger, bolder, attention grabbing colors and styles that can be mixed and matched according to your mood or wardrobe.

Caring for your costume jewelry

Although costume jewelry doesn't require much of an investment, it is still important to get the most bang for your buck by taking proper care of your costume jewelry by following a few simple steps:

NEVER allow costume jewelry to come in contact with oils, soaps, perfumes, or any harsh chemicals which can fade or even ruin the item.

layering: This method also utilizes the process of electroplating. However, the plated object is immersed for a longer period of time allowing for a much thicker layer of precious metal to be deposited. Layered gold or silver consists of approximately 20-50 micro inches of gold or silver. Although it doesn't sound like much. This thicker layer results in a much more durable, longer lasting jewelry piece.

NEVER store jewelry wet. Always dry with a soft cloth before storing.

Technibond: This is considered to be one of the most desirable methods of gold plating because it uses a full 40 micro inches of 14kt gold over .925 sterling silver rather than a typical base alloy. It is the best of both worlds.

5. NEVER store jewelry wet. Always dry with a soft cloth before storing.

6. Store jewelry in a clean, dry, cool, not cold place away from heat and dust.

Although typical fashion jewelry consists of manmade stones sometimes natural crystals and semiprecious stones such as pearls, topaz, black opal, amethyst, or peridot is used to provide a more fine jewelry appeal.

Regularly check for loose stones.

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