How to Choose Investment Jewelry Pieces

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Investing in jewelry can be a wise and rewarding decision. Whether you're looking for a classic piece to add to your collection or a statement piece to make a statement, investing in jewelry can be a great way to add value to your wardrobe. But how can you ensure you make the right choice when it comes to selecting jewelry pieces that are both stylish and a good investment? This comprehensive guide will help you understand the key factors to consider when choosing investment jewelry pieces, so you can make an informed decision and select the perfect piece.

Craftsmanship

While it may not be the first thing you consider when buying jewelry, the quality of the craftsmanship can impact the long-term value of the piece. If you're buying from a designer brand, make sure you check the label and ensure the craftsmanship is up to scratch. If you're buying from a secondhand jewelry seller, make sure you ask if you can see a copy of their appraisal report. The appraisal report will provide information on the quality of the craftsmanship and will be helpful if you want to sell the jewelry in the future.

Authenticity

It's essential to be sure that you're buying authentic jewelry pieces. If you're buying from a luxury brand, you can be pretty confident that the pieces are authentic. These pieces will come with certifications verifying the item and will serve as proof of its value which is especially important for insurance and valuation purposes. Another way is to ask for the jewelry piece to be verified by a third-party authentication service. Authentication services like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will ascertain the jewelry piece is authentic and provide you with a report that you can use in the future if you want to sell the piece.

Gems

The type of gemstone used in a piece of jewelry can significantly impact the jewelry's future value. For example, emeralds are more valuable than rubies because they're rarer and are traditionally associated with high-end jewelry. If you're looking to invest in a gemstone, it's worth keeping in mind that rare and valuable gems often have a very volatile price, which means they can be tricky to predict when it comes to future value. For example, the current most valuable gemstone in the world is the natural blue diamond, worth nearly $4 million per carat. It is worth looking into the quality of the gems, too; for example, the better the clarity of a diamond, the more expensive it will be. The bigger the diamond, the higher the cost; as you can see for 2 carat diamond rings, click here to see the price for different gems of this size.

Metal

The type of metal used to make the jewelry piece can significantly impact the piece's future value. For example, gold is generally considered a good investment, whereas silver is often considered a poor investment. However, silver has the advantage of being more affordable, which means it can be a good option for someone on a budget. For those wishing to up their investment portfolio, it can be worth looking into other precious metals, including palladium and platinum. However, yellow gold is still the best metal to choose when buying investment jewelry.

Conclusion

Jewelry is an investment that can add value to your wardrobe and has the potential to be incredibly rewarding. Make sure you research before purchasing your investment jewelry pieces and keep them in a jewelry case when they're not worn to ensure they last a lifetime. If you're buying from a secondhand jewelry seller, don't forget to ask for a copy of the appraisal report. And if you're buying from a luxury brand, check the authenticity of the jewelry pieces.

2023 is the Year For Changing Your Look

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A new year is an opportunity for a fresh start. It provides a blank slate for you to turn your life around, eradicate bad habits, and make everything better. Once the clock hits midnight on New Year’s Eve, nothing you did or said during those previous twelve months matters any longer.

One area you can make drastic changes is your appearance. If you are fed up with the same look you’ve had for years and want to see something different and exciting when you look in the mirror, there’s no reason you can’t undergo a transformation. There are so many easy ways you can shake up your aesthetic and feel like a new person.

Here are a few ways you can achieve this in 2023.

Do a complete 180

If you know you want to change your appearance but aren’t sure how, one option is to go down the opposite route. For example, if you currently wear a lot of muted colors, go the complete 180 and opt for bright, eye-popping shades. When you go clothes shopping, pick out items you would never normally wear and experiment. It may take some time before you find the look that works for you but you can never experience true change unless you escape from your comfort zone.

Use your body as a canvas

Tattoos and piercings should never be obtained impulsively. They leave permanent marks on your body and you don’t want to end up regretting your decision. But if you have thought about it carefully, they can be a great fashion accessory. Tattoos tell a story about your life and can be used to depict a symbol or memory that means a lot to you. Getting inked up is a big step so you need to make sure it is right for you. The same goes with piercings. Although very common nowadays, a new piercing with an eye catching ring or stud can create a bold new image. If you’re looking for cartilage piercing jewelry, you can find some great options online.

Change your hair

Your hairstyle is one of the easiest and most effective ways to change your look, as it is one of the first things people notice about you. Your hair frames and characterizes your face, meaning that two opposing hairstyles can make you look like a completely different person. If you have long hair, why not consider a shorter option such as neck-length or even a pixie cut? If your hair is already short, you could grow it out instead. You can even change the appearance of your hair through coloring or highlights too.

Change your eyewear

Glasses are very much on trend, even among those without vision problems. Adding a pair of specs can completely transform your face and allows plenty of room for stylisation. It’s important to pick the right frame type and size for your face shape, but there are so many options out there from cat-eye lenses to thick rectangular rims. It’s a good idea to try out different varieties and see what works for you.

Failsafe Ways To Choose Jewlery For Men

 Men can wear jewelry too. Metrosexual men can show off their energy, attitude, and charm with pendants, bracelets, and other jewelry. Modern men want style, character, and quality. How to choose jewelry for your budget, personality, and image.

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What are their likes?

Before buying jewelry at a store or online, you must know the wearer's style and preferences. They may want everyday or special occasion pieces.  Knowing the wearer's preferences makes choosing much easier.

When buying someone's jewelry, consider:

Colors

 Gold? If so, white gold or yellow gold, or perhaps rose gold? Silver, too. Jewelry should be one color, however rules can be bent! Gold is warmer and yellow-like on the color wheel. Browns, earth tones, and deep blues and greens complement it. Look for diverse tones when buying many gold jewelry pieces. If gold's colors vary greatly, you may end up with mismatched pieces.

Polished chrome and stainless steel are neutral. They appear grey because they are on the black-to-white gradient rather than the color wheel. That means they don't clash as much as gold, but they also don't create the same eye-catching contrasts. Silver jewelry looks elegant with black or dark grey clothing.

Meaning

 Jewelry is generally the first thing people see, especially on men. To compound matters, people interpret jewelry differently. In some circles, an ornamental type ring might indicate membership in an organized criminal group, while in others, it can indicate riches and accomplishment.

Men's jewelry types

Cufflinks: 

Cufflinks certainly have a purpose, but that does not mean they aren't also pieces of jewelry. Apart from watches and rings, cufflinks are possibly the most commonly worn piece of men's jewelry nowadays. Most are constructed of cheaper metals such sterling silver, yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, or platinum. Sometimes, cufflinks have additional decorative elements such as precious jewels- rubies and emeralds are popular, or are made out of materials such as mother of pearl.

Watches: 

Again, watches serve a primarily functional purpose, but that does not mean they can’t be decorative as well. Look at Rolex—men pay thousands for high-end watches! One could argue that those with leather straps are more functional, while a watch with a metal band is more like a piece of jewelry. It is a personal choice!

Rings:

 Men usually wear wedding rings. However, pinky rings and signet rings are not uncommon. There are more ‘rules’ around rings than other pieces of jewelry in terms of what they symbolize, how many should be worn at once, and on which finger.

Bracelets and necklaces: 

Many heavy link chains and bracelets have become synonymous with wealth. Look for ones made of semi-precious stones, such as tiger’s eye or onyx or lapis lazuli, or even a cuban link chain. You could also look for ones made of other materials such as leather or beads, and perhaps even check out magnetic bracelets for men. There are said to all sorts of medical benefits from jewellery with magnetic properties, and while there is no medical or scientific evidence that supports this conclusively, there is lots of anecdotal feedback stating improvements to health. It is worth checking out, right?

Is There A Beauty Industry Equivalent To Refashioning?

 

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Regular readers will be aware that refashioning is a passion of this blog. The art of taking your old clothes and reworking them to be worn again differently is so important. It allows you to keep using and wearing the same pieces over and over again, solving many of the problems with fast fashion. You no longer go out and purchase new clothing all the time, reducing the resources used to manufacture clothes. If everyone refashioned - and clothes companies made items that could be worn for a long time - the ecological impact of the fashion industry would be much smaller than it is. 

Of course, the fashion industry isn’t the only place where there are problems. You can look at the beauty industry as another example of where this “fast” lifestyle is taking over. Fast beauty is when there are countless new and trending beauty products made all the time and pumped out. There’s always something new and exciting you have to get, prompting you to consume more and more. Needless to say, this has a negative impact on the environment because of all the resources used within the industry. 

That brings us to today’s topic: 

Is there a beauty equivalent to refashioning? 

Well…there is and there isn’t. Unlike clothes, you can’t take makeup and turn it into something new to use. Makeup also has a shelf-life, so it goes bad when it hasn’t been used for a long time. You also wouldn’t be able to take lipstick and refashion it as eyeliner, much like you could take a dress and refashion it as a small top and skirt. 

However, you can upcycle in the beauty industry, though mainly from a packaging perspective. Old bottles and tubs can be upcycled and turned into storage containers or small plant pots. So, there is an element of refashioning, but it’s only regarding the beauty product’s packaging. 

What can be done to combat fast beauty? 

Aside from upcycling your makeup packaging, there are a few other things you can do to combat fast beauty. One idea is to look for products that are built to last. When online shopping, pick products from trusted brands that work well for you. Don’t get cheap items that will only last for a few weeks before needing to be replaced. Also, don’t get cheap things that simply won’t do as expected. A cheap moisturizer is unlikely to provide the benefits of an expensive one because it won’t have the active ingredients. So, you’d end up buying loads of other products to try and get the same effect, which uses way more resources than if you invested in the expensive product, to begin with. 

Another new idea is to find brands that use upcycled cosmetic ingredients. Effectively, they take things that would usually be put to waste but use them to make products. It’s a far more sustainable method than most beauty brands are currently using. 

Furthermore, choosing brands that cut down on packaging can also be useful. There is simply too much packaging waste in the beauty industry, and this needs to change. Thankfully, many top brands are changing, realizing that the fate of the planet is more important than brand image and marketing! 

Lastly, the main thing you can do is attempt to not get sucked into trends. It is hard when you see countless influencers using the latest products, claiming they’re God’s gift to mankind. You want to buy them, try them out, and see how they look. But, you quickly get sucked into the whole ethos of fast beauty - you keep on buying new products whenever they come out. Instead, make a list of products you actually need. In most cases, all you need for a skincare routine is as follows: 

• Cleanser

• Moisturizer

• Serum

• Exfoliator

That’s it; anything else is overkill! For makeup, you only really need: 

• Primer

• Foundation

• Eyeshadow 

• Eyeliner

• Concealer 

You could add other things to the list for days when you want to go all out, but this is basically all that’s required. What’s more, you only need one of each product. I think THAT is the main problem with fast beauty. People will have three foundations, four different cleansers, and an exfoliator for each day of the week - it’s madness. 

Refashioning is the solution to fast fashion, but the main solution to fast beauty is to just be more aware of what you’re buying. Purchase things that last for a long time and won’t need to be re-bought again and again. Stop following trends all the time and select a handful of things that you will use every day.