BUYING TIPS

Choose Jewelry to Enhance Appearance
Just as jewelry can enhance or detract from an outfit it can also enhance or detract from your appearance. With so many styles to pick from, jewelry shopping can be very confusing but there's no reason to worry. Choosing the right jewelry to enhance your appearance is easy once you learn some beauty basics. 

1. Choose a necklace. A necklace that falls below the bust line but above the waist line will give you a taller appearance. Choker necklaces or those that sit on the collar bone and will minimize your height. (more)
   
   
2. Pick earrings that compliment the shape of your face. It's a great way to use jewelry to enhance your appearance. Round faces should stay away from hoops or button-shaped earrings. Rectangular faces need to avoid long dangling earrings while those with a square face should look for round or hoop-shaped earrings. Heart shaped faces look best with earrings that have a triangular shape, and those people with oval faces can wear any type of earring to enhance their appearance. (more)
   
   
3. Find the right ring style for your hand and fingers. Long fingers look best in wide bands with round-shaped stones, while shorter fingers look best in delicate rings with oval settings. (more)
   
   
4. Look for bracelets to fit your size and bone structure. Petite women look best in delicate bracelets while average-sized women look great with wide bracelets. Women who are tall or full figured look best wearing several bracelets at once. (more)
   
   

Checklist when purchasing jewelry that meets quality standards

When buying finished jewelry, components, or gemstones, you want to be certain you’re getting the quality you paid for. Each item should be carefully checked for problems affecting function, durability, stone security, appearance, and overall quality.  When you choose jewelry, the checklist below provides a guide to detect common imperfections in workmanship and materials.

Quality of Metal and Metal weight should be firstly considered.  By knowing information about their unique qualities you will be able to make a better and more informed decision about purchasing your jewelry.  For example, silver is a softer metal than gold, titanium, and platinum.  Silver should not be that thin that it gets easily moulded or bent.  The design for silver jewelry should have good metal thickness and a minimum millesimal fineness of 925.  Inferior quality of silver results in fadedness of color.  

Beads: Is the bead work clean and each bead well-defined? Is bright cutting straight, smooth, crisp, and bright?

Chains:Is the chain strong enough for the purpose? Are all links intact? (Breaks usually are the result of poor crystallization or insufficient solder.) Are links twisted? All links should be evenly attached and the chain should lie flat.

Clasps:Do they match the piece in color, texture, and design? Does the clasp open, snap, and stay closed? Does the tongue fit properly into the box? Is there insufficient solder connecting the clasp to the jewelry?

Connecting Rings: Are they secure and sturdy enough?

Earring Posts/Backs: Are any posts bent? Are they the proper thickness? If threaded, has the thread been stripped or otherwise damaged? Does the back fit tightly?

Finish: Is the item well-polished in all areas? Look for uneven, rough, flat, or scaly surfaces. Have all nicks or file and tool marks been removed? Is the piece free of porosity? If it has a special finish, is it uniform and unmarred? Has any tarnish been removed?

Flashing: Has the mounting been cleaned after casting to completely remove any metal that is not inherent to the design?

Gemstone Cut: A round or brilliant cut diamond should have a truly circular girdle outline. Other cuts should be symmetrical. All should have the right proportions. An extremely thick girdle is distracting to the eye, adds unnecessary weight, and can cause setting and security problems. A too-thin girdle is susceptible to damage.

Does the diamond have the proper number of facets for the cut? An extra facet will affect appearance and symmetry. So will a too-large natural (a portion of a diamond’s original surface sometimes left on the girdle to indicate maximum yield was obtained).

A poor cut in a colored gemstone can result in dark spots (too deep and narrow) or washed-out areas (too shallow and wide). You’re more likely to notice if you look at several similar stones next to each other.

Gemstone Clarity:Under 10x magnification, look for bubbles, cracks, and inclusions, including dangerous feathers (breaks that reach the surface), that can make the stone vulnerable to breakage. Check facet edges, table, and planes for chips, cracks, and scratches.

Glue: Glue should not be visible on metal or the gemstone or pearl. Also, is the bond intact?

Mounting: Is it free of cracks? If a piece is supposed to be square, is it? If it’s supposed to be symmetrical, is it?

Plating: Inspect the surface under 10X magnification. It should be smooth, uniform, and free of spots or matting. If 200X magnification is available, check for micro-cracks (they’ll look like dried mud), voids, inclusions, or other flaws. Their presence indicates the plating process was faulty and the metal likely will wear off more quickly than it should. If buying large quantities of plated jewelry, you may want to check the thickness by sending samples out for analysis under X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

Otherwise, ask the plating company to give you the thickness. If it doesn’t know, you may not be getting what you paid for.

Prongs: Are prongs in full contact with stone(s)? Are they uniformly spaced and thick enough to hold the stone securely? Have all sharp edges or corners been smoothed? Do the prongs cover too much or too little of the stone? (Prongs should never exceed 75 percent of the height of the stone and should not cover more than 50 percent of the crown angle. Too-tall prongs are more likely to catch, snag, and bend.)

Also note whether any prongs are missing, bent, cracked, or broken. Breaks usually occur at the seat or lower, and can be attributed to poor crystallization, the use of excessive force when they were bent, or over-cutting. When a seat is cut, no more than one-third to one-half of a prong’s thickness should be removed. In addition, the height of each seat should be uniform.

Quality Marks/Trademarks: Are the mark stamped correctly? If a piece has been stamped with a quality mark, does it also contain a trademark?

Rivets: Do they show? Are they sufficient in size for their purpose, or are they thicker than necessary?

Shank: Is it round and symmetrical? Is it thick enough to withstand the stress of wear?

Settings: Are all stones tight within the setting? If in a channel, are stones aligned properly? Do they touch or overlap?

Solder: Does solder show? Are there gaps in the solder flow? Does color match the piece? Has any tarnish been removed?

EARRING
When choosing earrings the shape of your face, the length of your hair and even your coloring have a huge impact on what shape and style of earring is best for you. The color, the movement or the sparkle of gems will draw immediate attention to your face and will either enhance or minimize your features. So select your earrings carefully, they may be the mostimportant jewelry item to flatter your face.

NECKLACE
How To Choose The Perfect Necklace

That necklace you wear can make or break the outfit. Of all the jewelry pieces you might choose, your necklace can make the greatest impact on the overall look.

Take a simple black cocktail dress for example. On its own, is almost like a uniform. You could disappear into the crowd if you are not careful.  Now add on a lariat. A stunning necklace that draws attention. Better yet, if you have the height for it, put on a pearl rope, or a gorgeous necklace that is 37 inches or longer. A really long necklace that makes a grand statement.

Choosing that perfect necklace is all about what suits you. Your height. Your build. Your neck. The outfit you are going to wear.  The right choice makes the overall look simply gorgeous.

Let's start with the neckline of the outfit. You want the focal part of the necklace to be either against your skin or contrasted against the fabric of your outfit.  Firstly it’s important to consider your neckline and it’s shape and appearance.

Next, look at your neck.

Do you have a long slender neck? If you do, collars or chokers are for you. These ultra short necklaces bring out the beauty of your long slender neck.
If you have a short neck, then make it look longer by wearing a either a long necklace or a lariat. The long vertical line of a long necklace makes your neck look longer. The lariat, with the 2 dangling ends gives the illusion of length. These necklaces also have an overall slimming visual effect on your entire look.

Finally, look at your overall build. If you are petite, go for daintier pieces. If you have a larger build, go for something chunkier. Your necklace should be in proportion to your body.
Once you have evaluated yourself, pick a selection of necklaces that flatter your body, in colors that match your outfits. A few signature pieces are all you need.

BRACELET
Design and style of silver bracelet-The first thing that you should consider is the basic design of the bracelet. The design of the siver bracelet should be such that it should not have sharp or pointed edges. Sharp or pointed edges injure skin. Silver bracelet comes in various styles and designs.

Different type of styles of silver bracelets is silver bracelets in cuff style, silver bracelets in link-style chain and charm silver bracelets. You can even have your bracelet embedded with diamond, gemstones or birthstones. Thus design and style should also be considered while selecting bracelet for you.

Quality of silver- Quality of silver in silver bracelet is another thing which should be considered while selecting a good silver bracelet. Silver should not be that thin that it gets easily moulded or bent. Inferior quality of silver results in fadedness of colour.

Craftsmanship- good work and design with use of diamond or stones can make your silver bracelet worth buying. Gemstones should be not being loosely embedded. Silver bracelet should be made in such a way that it is a long term investment. Craftsmanship also plays an important role in decision making before buying a bracelet.

Silver weight- the weight of your silver bracelets for men or women should not be less than 10 grams. If it is less than 10 grams, it effects its durability. The design for your bracelet should have good metal thickness; this will not be visible from the front of the bracelet.

RING
When you want to find the most flattering ring for your hand, take a look at the shape of your fingers as well as the size of your hand. Differed hand shapes look best with different shapes and sizes of stones. The guidelines below can help you pick the most flattering ring for you. Keep in mind that you don't have to give up ring shapes you really love; these are just guidelines. Consider a different size or choose a cluster style that has flattering stones shapes around your favorite shape of gem.

Remember that a person with large hands and short fingers is likely to look best in different ring styles that a short-fingered person with small hands. Also, the width of the fingers can affect how a ring looks on the hand. Nail length and shape can make a difference too. When choosing rings, think of the proportion of the fit as well as the ring style you love. Try on different shapes and sizes of rings next time you go shopping to discover the most flattering rings for your hand.

Long fingers -- Marquise shapes often just make long fingers look even longer. The marquise is a stretched out oblong shape with pointed ends. Pear or oval stones may also not be very flattering on long fingers. Wide bands and round rings are often the most flattering ring for this finger type.

Short fingers -- Round stones can seem to shorten short fingers even further. The marquise shape can help add the illusion of length to short fingers. Pear or teardrop shapes are also usually flattering on short fingers. Big rectangular rings are probably the least flattering as they can overwhelm short fingers.

Narrow fingers -- Heart-shaped or round stones may not be the most flattering ring for a hand with narrow fingers. Thicker band styles of rings may help add horizontal lines to narrow fingers to help them look wider. Wearing rings with small stones may also help thinner fingers look wider.

Wide fingers -- Wider types of marquise styles may flatter short, wide fingers. The idea with wide fingers is not to have two much skin showing on each side of the ring or fingers may look even wider. Round stones in larger settings may look best on this finger type. Cluster-styles may be the most flattering ring on hands with wide fingers.

Large hands -- Rings with small stones may just look lost on large hands. Try larger rings that suit your personality. You may even be able to wear really bulky or chunky ring styles well.

Small hands -- Small heart-shaped, oval, round or square stones may all be flattering on small hands. The main thing to remember is to keep the proportion of the ring small. Small ovals may also make flattering rings for those with small hands, but the marquise style may not be that flattering unless the fingers are long.

ZODIACAL SIGNS, GEMS & BIRTHSTONES
All gems are related to planetary forces, and anyone wearing jewels from their natal planets will be in harmony with his or her stellar rays.

This is a chart of the gemstones related to each zodiacal sign and recommended Maha Lakshmi birthstone necklaces:

Many people prefer to use stones that relate to their astrological sun sign. Your sun sign is the sign that most people identify with when looking up their horoscope. These sun signs are as follows:

Aries
The symbol of this sign is activity – initiative, ambition or creativity. Arians always rise from the lowest to the highest form – from red to white.
Gems: All red stones, like garnet, ruby, red jasper

Taurus
The symbols of this sign are love and wisdom. Taurus are closely attuned to products of the earth. They need to transform the love of personal to that of selfless service.
Gems: All yellow stones like topaz, citrine, amber

Gemini
This is the sign of duality. It symbolizes life and death, joy and sorrow, health and sickness, abundance and poverty.
Gems: All purple stones, like amethyst or fluorite

Cancer
This symbolizes love and life. The magic power of love is the message and quest of this sign.
Gems: All green stones – emerald, jade, peridot, agate, green jasper

Leo
This is the sign of wisdom and activity. Divinity and humility are keynotes for meditation for the native of this sign.
Gems: All gold and orange stones – amber, orange jasper, carnelian, fire opal, topaz

Virgo
This sign symbolizes reason transformed into wisdom. Knowledge and understanding produce wisdom.
Gems: Amethyst and fluorite

Libra
It symbolizes the balance that must be weighed with the deeds of the year. It symbolizes the unfolding of love leading to unity.
Gem: Yellow stones – topaz, amber, citrine

Scorpio
This is one of the most powerful signs. Its force being dual in aspect, it moves from the lowest depths to the greatest heights. It purifies the animal nature and lifts forces to a higher plane of expression.
Gems: Red and clear crimson stones – ruby, garnet, coral, red jasper, bloodstone

Sagittarius
This sign symbolizes high idealism and noble aspirations. Its highest expression is a spiritualized mind.
Gems: Blue Stones – Sapphire, lapis-lazuli, blue topaz, sodalite

Capricorn
This sign denotes the mystery of the darkest night and the glory of the light. This sign symbolizes the crossing of the bridge of darkness before reaching the radiation of the great white light. The goal for a Capricorn is to conquer one’s ego.
Gems: Black and white stones – black tourmaline, jet, moonstone, opal, pearl

Aquarius
This sign symbolizes promotion of communication and group work. The goal of an Aquarian is to achieve oneness of the whole, or wholeness of the one.
Gems: Clear blue stones – blue topaz, lapis-lazuli, sapphire

Pisces
This sign symbolizes selfless service, the ideal way to achieve success. It denotes the spirit struggling to rescue humanity from greed.
Gems: Soft blue and indigo stones – blue topaz, indigo sapphire, azurite

BIRTHSTONES BY MONTH

The signs of the zodiac each have a planet that is the Lord, or ruler, of that particular sign. Each of the planets also has a gemstone that vibrates and transmits cosmic energy. Therefore the only meaningful system of birthstones is according to the sign which the sun, or moon, tenants at the time of birth, although it is more practiced in Asia to choose a stone according to the moon sign.