How to Buy Jewelry and Accessories

There are high variances in jewelry when it comes to quality, look, price and material. With such a wide selection to choose from, it can be difficult to find the right jewelry for you or a loved one. In order to be happy when you buy jewelry, you'll need to consider not only the personality of the person you're buying it for, but the quality of the piece as well. Fortunately, you can buy appropriate jewelry with a bit of planning.

Match Your Skin

Consider your skin tone when choosing between gold and silver colored jewelry. Check the underside of your forearm. When you have a blue or pink tint to your skin, you have a cool skin tone. Pick silver or platinum jewelry. If your skin is tinted yellow or gold, you have a warm skin tone. In this case, pick gold jewelry.

Examine the Karat

Look for high-quality gold jewelry. For the highest quality, pick 24 karat gold. A karat level of anything less than 24 will have a smaller amount of the gold in the piece. Choose 10k or 14k gold jewelry to save money while still acquiring a high quality item.

Jewelry That Lasts a Lifetime

Consider the life of the jewelry when choosing platinum or silver metals. While silver costs less money, it doesn't last as long as platinum. For jewelry pieces that will be worn on a daily basis over many years, such as a wedding ring, platinum is a better choice because it will retain quality over the years. When picking either silver or platinum, choose jewelry with a high quality marking. The best quality marking for both metals is 1000. Stick with metals of 800 or higher to ensure quality.

Don't Forget Personality

Choose jewelry that matches your personality. While gold necklaces with large gemstones may work well for some, avoid these if you can't see yourself wearing them on a regular basis. Consider necklace length as you may not be fond of choker necklaces or jewelry that hangs too low. Remember your personality and you should be able to buy jewelry that you will wear often.

Jewelry for Others

Put a lot of thought into the purchase when you're buying jewelry for someone else. Consider the kind of jewelry they normally wear. If you never see them wearing bracelets, you may want to avoid this jewelry type as they could dislike it. Choose gold if you've seen them wear it on other occasions, or avoid that metal type if they wear silver jewelry instead. Simple, elegant jewelry has a high chance for success than pieces with a lot of gems or thick chains.