How to Shop For Jewelry
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Why is my white gold ring giving me a rash?
Why do I get a red, bumpy rash from wearing my white gold ring? If your white gold ring was made in the USA, then it very likely contains nickel. Nickel is the metal most likely to cause allergic reactions. But my white gold ring didn’t used to give me a rash, so why now…
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Why shouldn’t you buy cheap gold jewelry?
Can you buy cheap gold jewelry? Short answer – yes Longer answer – but why would you want to? Why can’t I get gold jewelry for cheap? Because gold prices are tied to the commodities market and right now (October, 2024) it’s the highest it’s ever been. Why else shouldn’t I buy cheap gold jewelry?…
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Can you wear your 14 karat white gold jewelry in a chlorinated pool?
Should you wear your 14 karat white gold jewelry in a pool? No. Why can’t I wear my 14 karat white gold jewelry in a pool? Chlorine is corrosive to nickel, so it will eat holes and weaken your jewelry faster than if you didn’t, so don’t wear it in a pool. But what if…
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Can you lower the setting on your engagement ring?
Can you lower the setting on your engagement ring?
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How to shop for conflict-free jewelry
Shopping for conflict-free jewelry is harder than it should be But we have more options than we used to The jewelry industry is a dinosaur. I say this a lot. Heck, I’ve probably said it already on this blog. Broadly speaking, we are slow to adapt to new ideas, slow to recognize actual threats to…
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How to accurately label your jewelry, and how NOT to do it
Step 1 – call your jewelry materials by their name A while ago, I was paging through the jewelry that was served to me by a Pinterest ad. I liked the jewelry, and also noticed that this company* had a nice post about environmentalism and sustainability. They also took a strong stance against gold plating,…
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How to protect your wedding and engagement rings from getting scratched
You just got your engagement ring and your wedding ring, how do you protect them from getting scratched? Never wear it. Keep it in a box forever and ever and ever. Do not look upon it. Don’t touch it. Avoid direct eye contact with it. Ok, that’s not fair, but it is true. The only…
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Is there such a thing as hypoallergenic jewelry?
Can jewelry be hypoallergenic? Short answer – Nope. Longer answer – Also nope, but with more words. Which metals can cause an allergic reaction? All of them, but to different degrees. Some metals are the absolute worst at causing allergic reactions, others are hit or miss and you’ll probably be OK. All metals can cause…
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What is the difference between solid gold and gold fill?
Solid gold, gold fill, gold plate, gold vermeil, karat gold – what exactly do these terms mean? Edited 2/6/2023 And why use one over the other? What is Solid Gold? This means that a piece of jewelry is gold through and through. It can be an alloy – meaning 14 karat, 18 karat, etc. And…
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How to tell if your jewelry is gold by using an acid test kit
Don’t let mystery gold be a mystery foreverMaybe you inherited some jewelry from a family member, or you picked up a treasure at an antique mall, and you want to be sure that you got the gold you paid for. Get yourself an acid test and let’s go!