A touch of gold can instantly add elegance and polish to any outfit. Unfortunately, solid gold jewelry is a very expensive accessory. Gold-plated jewelry is a good substitute for solid gold, as it is difficult to tell the difference and is nowhere near as expensive. Gold-plated jewelry still needs to be given a certain amount of care if you want the gold to stay bright and keep the luster. Following a care regime for your gold-plated jewelry is worth the extra few minutes it takes.

1.Mix a few drops of a gentle dishwashing detergent with a few cups of warm water. Rinse your jewelry in the soap solution and allow the piece to air dry.

2.Buff the jewelry with a soft microfiber cloth. Do not use too much elbow grease or the gold may flake off or become loose.

3.Place the jewelry in a plastic bag, squeeze the excess air out of it and seal it. Doing so will keep it both dry and protected from scratches. The lack of oxygen with the piece will keep the alloy metals in gold-plated jewelry from tarnishing.

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Gold-plated jewelry is a beautiful and virtually undetectable way to enjoy the luxury of gold at a reduced price. However, if you are not careful when you clean your gold-plated rings, you could end up with a piece that is no longer beautiful or even wearable. Cleaning gold-plated rings is simple, but you do need to be careful so that you do not harm the finish.

1.Moisten the soft cotton cloth. Use warm, but not hot water. The cloth needs to be damp, not sopping wet. If your jewelry is particularly dirty, put a single drop of mild dish detergent on the cotton cloth and squeeze it several times to work the detergent through the cloth.

2.Wipe down the gold ring with the moistened cloth. Use firm strokes. Do your best to limit the number of times you rub the ring because every polishing movement is incrementally decreasing the life of the gold plate.

3.Treat especially tarnished or dirty gold-plated rings with white toothpaste. If the dish detergent and water do not do the trick, put a tiny dab of toothpaste on the ring and polish it with a clean, dry cotton cloth. As before, use firm strokes and try to limit the duration of the polishing. Do not use gel toothpastes, abrasive toothpastes or whitening toothpastes.

4.Rinse your gold-plated ring thoroughly. Use your fingers or the cloth to lightly rub off any toothpaste or soap. You can then allow the ring to air dry or dry it using a dry, soft cloth.

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1.Look for the letters G.P. or G.E.P. embossed somewhere on the chain. These letters stand for "Gold Plated" and "Gold Electroplated," respectively. According to Antoinette L. Matlins in the book "Jewelry and Gems: A Buying Guide," by law, a legitimate gold jewelry manufacturer must indicate whether the jewelry is gold-plated somewhere near the manufacturer's trademark.

2.Observe any skin discoloration that you may experience. Gold that has been mixed with large amounts of nickel or that is plated over nickel can eventually cause the skin to become discolored because many people are allergic to nickel and other metals. Pure gold is hypoallergenic and does not cause this reaction.

3.Observe any change in the color or brightness of the chain over time. Gold is heavier than most metals and over time, the gold plating of a piece of jewelry does not "wear off," as is commonly thought, but instead recedes into the jewelry as other metals rise to the top.

4.Hold a magnet up to the gold chain. Observe the reaction of the chain to the magnet. If the chain is attracted by the metal, then it is most likely gold-plated. Pure gold is not magnetic.

5.Have your chain professionally tested. This will require some expense, but it is the surest way to know if you have high quality gold. Take the chain to a jeweler and ask to have it tested and examined. The jeweler can perform numerous tests, including weighing, plate testing and nitric acid assay (the most accurate test. The jeweler should be able to perform any test without noticeable damage to the jewelry.

Tungsten Jewellery Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-jewellery.com
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Old jewelry is a popular item to collect, and some pieces are valuable. Old jewelry falls into two categories; costume and genuine. Costume is made from old rhinestones, plastics, silver plate and base metals (iron,nickel, lead, zinc or copper). Real jewelry is made from gemstones and precious metals (gold and silver).

1.Look for a stamp inside the band or a mark in print saying “solid gold” or“sterling.” After 1906, the addition of karat weight was added to jewelry,required by law. Look in guidebooks to study the types of jewelry designs from different centuries. A helpful guidebook is "Answers to Questions about Old Jewelry" 6th edition, by C. Jeanenne Bell, G.G., published by Krause Publications.

2.Look in guidebooks that have both pictures and a price guide to determine value.Old jewelry is easily found at garage sales, consignment stores, thrift stores,estate sales, and flea markets. Go to garage sales with plenty of singles, five dollar bills and change. Old jewelry in consignment stores is generally priced higher, because the commission is shared with store owner. Thrift stores are a great resource for old jewelry, and bargains can be found. Flea markets and estate sales are good places to look for old jewelry as well.

3.Learn how to identify what you find. Old costume jewelry is not stamped as gold or sterling. If made from base metals, it will appear tarnished, or worn. If made from nickel, it will have a distinctly old metal "smell."Old costume jewelry falls into distinct categories and sub-categories. Forexample, a sub-category of old costume jewelry would be plastic, which includes vintage Lucite, acetate or Bakelite brooches, rings, necklaces and bangles. Old plastic is identifiable from the patina, or inner surface appearance. When searching for old plastic jewelry, look for pieces that have no mold lines. That is an indication of an older piece. On newer pieces of plastic jewelry made since 1970, there are lines in the plastic indicating where the pieces are molded together.

4.Familiarize yourself with old jewelry manufacturer signatures, which were used to mark pieces of jewelry. To get an idea of signatures, check out the book "Collecting Rhinestone and Colored Jewelry," by Maryann Dolan, 4th edition. Look for quality costume jewelry makers when out searching for old jewelry, like Joseff of Hollywood.

Tungsten Jewellery Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-jewellery.com
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