When you are buying or selling precious jewelry, doing your homework can have its benefits. However, it can leave you scratching your head as to where to start.

The metals in jewelry can tarnish if exposed to humid air, so you will want to store them in a way that protects them. For maximum protection you can choose to store them inside of a small drawstring or a closed jewelry box. Continued exposure to humidity extremes or air causes metals typically used in jewelry to tarnish. Silver polishes work well to remove tarnish, but certain metals, such as bronze, may not polish well. The polish may remove the surface coating and then the metal underneath, such as copper, becomes visible.

Sterling Silver

Bring a magnet when shopping for sterling silver jewelery. Jewelry made with non-precious metals will be attracted to the magnet, revealing any fakes. True sterling sliver always has