Jewelry can be an expensive investment in an artistic arrangement of precious metal and gemstone or it can be a handcrafted bit of whimsy, created with almost any kind of material. Even small children love to create jewelry masterpieces, such as macaroni necklaces and daisy chains. This article can tell you more about jewelry and why it is so prized.

When shopping for diamonds, make sure that you shop for them based on their four main criteria: color, cut, clarity, and carat. The color refers to the hue of the stone. The cut refers to the way that the stone is fashioned, such as princess and square cuts. Clarity refers to the flawlessness of the stone. The carat refers to the weight of the stone.

Essential to anyone buying jewelry for reclamation purposes is a pocket-sized gram and carat scale. While a scale can’t determine the purity of the gold and silver you encounter in your jewelry hunting, a pocket scale can at least give you a basic starting point to determine fair pricing and valuing of your jewelry finds.

Much like a bride’s dress, wedding jewelry may have to be adjusted and sized, therefore you should choose your jewelry as soon as your dress choice has been made. Your best estimate is that when your dress is done, your jewelry will be sized correctly as well, so include that in your time management planning.

Unless you’re giving your fiancee an heirloom ring, don’t shop for an engagement ring alone. Don’t feel pressured to buy something out of your price range, but make sure you can find a ring that fits your future bride and that she loves the ring. Why ruin the moment, by having to take the ring back for resizing or, even worse, just take it back?

As discussed earlier, jewelry can be made from the simplest of items, by young children or it can be crafted by the finest of metals and gemstones by expert craftsmen. Few gifts impart sentiment, as does the gift of jewelry. This article can tell you more about jewelry and why it is often a prized possession.