Fashion Costume Jewellery

Archive for the ‘Tips and Tricks’ Category

This is a really cool idea – get double the value from your pins and brooches by using this nifty device to change them into a pendant.

There are two devices, a horizontal and a vertical brooch converter. Simply pass the pin through the hole in the converter. Close the pin over the converter and you have a pendant. The converter has a bail through which a necklace can be passed quite easily.

The brooch converters come in silver or gold plate.

What a great idea! For more information on the brooch converters check out our website.

Once upon a time base metal jewellery was only produced by the cheaper, fad design houses, but now in the 2010’s even top designers are using traditionally cheaper materials to manufacture their accessories. Witness for example this wonderful Lanvin necklace made from gold-tone tin and brass.

Fashion Costume Jewellery by its nature is often made of base metals and by these we mean iron, copper, brass or alloys often with a plating of rhodium, silver or gold. Platings are very thin – often just a few microns – so they will wear away through use depending on how often you wear the piece and its contact with its surroundings. The plating will assist in avoiding tarnish to the jewellery. Rhodium plated jewellery is specifically designed to avoid tarnish and the effects of wear so is a great choice.

Your skin type makes a huge difference to how quickly base metals tarnish. Some folk produce more acid than others and find that they can wear jewellery for a small amount of time before it tarnishes (my nephew is like this – I have to avoid letting him touch chains and the like as within the week they go a horrible colour!). Some folk (the lucky ones – like me) find that it does not matter how long they wear their jewellery it will not tarnish; it is importantly only to store it properly. Whatever your skin type, consider wiping your jewellery with a soft cloth when you take the jewellery off – this removes some of the body oils and assists in keeping your jewellery as much as possible like new.

If you have non plated jewellery then you need to take extra precautions when storing. Consider placing all of your jewellery in small zip lock bags. If the bag is only just big enough to hold the jewellery all the better – this avoids air pockets. Pop in a silica gel sachet – like those you see in shoe boxes and handbags (for example). The sachet will assist by absorbing any moisture that makes its way into the bag or that is accidentally stored with the jewellery.

If your jewellery was purchased in a gift box which closes, use that to store the jewellery, pop in one of the silica gel capsules too – these are great!

Sterling Silver jewellery is also subject to tarnish. Oxidisation is the term that is often used. Some jewellery manufacturers (ourselves included) use Argentium Sterling Silver as an alternative to the standard Sterling Silver. Argentium Sterling Silver is an alloy (still sterling silver) but is resistant to oxidisation so often you will not get the same amount of blackening or tarnish on your jewellery.

It is possible to purchase anti tarnish strips; these strips work a little like the silica gel sachets in absorbing moisture from the air to keep the jewellery dry and bright. Honestly, I have found that the silica gel sachets are just as effective (and considerably cheaper as you keep an eye out for them in other packaging).

Some golds do dull slightly. If you have this problem (and this works for sterling silver too), purchase a cleaning cloth specifically for precious metals and rub over the jewellery. You can see the murk and dirt on the cleaning cloth as you rub. If you are considering doing this for base metals, do make sure your cleaning cloth is suitable – some just make the situation worse.

The other way of storing your jewellery is to use a jewellery roll. A roll is basically a piece of backed fabric often with pockets or ties into which you place one or more pieces of jewellery. Roll the jewellery into a cylinder using the fabric and tie or fasten it closed. This has the advantage of keeping the air from the pieces.

Rings and bulky bracelets can be stored in the same manner.

Some jewellers offer a cleaning service using an ultrasonic cleaner. These cleaners are quite clever and very effective in bringing back the shine or sparkle to your jewellery. Do check to see that your jewellery is suitable for this treatment however; some gemstones in particular may be damaged by this cleaning method.

Do not use toothpaste on your jewellery. It is a popular myth that a gentle brushing of your jewellery with a toothpaste solution will clean the crevices. This may be true but toothpaste is a corrosive substance and may scratch and damage metals and loosen gems from their settings.

Honestly, the use of a small zip lock bag may not be pretty but it does prolong the life of your jewellery.

Ear Decor can change your life. I remember wearing a particular pair of rather cheap (and looking back, nasty) earrings and something special happened. You know I carted the earrings around for years determined that they played a part in my destiny. Whether or not you believe in good luck talisman earrings or not, you can certainly improve your self esteem and your fashion outfit by selecting a pair of earrings that really suit your face shape.

Having been born with a rather round face, I am always aware of the oval or almond shaped face; this is considered to be (from all my readings) the ideal shape to have been born with. If you have am oval face your face is longer than wide, with an sort of like an upside down egg like shape (that sounds all wrong, let me simply say, then, that your face is widest over the cheek bones), your jaw line can be narrower than your forehead though.

So how can you best enhance an oval face with your earring jewellery? You are very fortunate if you have an oval face because you can wear any shape earring.

Think about wearing round shapes, button or hoop earrings, but triangular shapes are also rather attractive. Dangling earrings look good, just be careful to not make them too long, some very large shoulder dusters will just simply just make you look as if your face is long and slightly out of proportion.

Earrings that move up the ear, perhaps studs or clips with multiple components will minimize a thin face or long nose.

Keep the size of the earring in proportion to the wearer, whether you are petite or large.

You  can of course bring even more attention to your earrings by pulling back your hair or wearing it in an updo.With your  clothing,  wide, open necklines, high collars or turtle necks emphasize the oval face.

Ever spilled something on your jacket lapel or shirt? It happened to me recently – crab sauce everywhere and one blob on my pristine white shirt! No need to worry if you are wearing stud or hook earrings! Simply take one off and position it over the offending stain. Wearing a single earring is very vogue! Remember if you are wearing a stud earring to carefully pop the earnut at the back of the clothing once you have positioned the earring over the stain. Hook earrings you will just need to be a little careful with – we don’t want you to lose one. If you feel uncomfortable wearing only one earring – never mind – take them both off and let the one earring take all the fashion credit!