GOING SHOPPING FOR JEWELLERY IS ACTUALLY AN EXACT SCIENCE

If you are one of those people who thinks that going jewellery shopping is pretty much like going shopping for clothes or shoes, you could not be farther from the truth. Not only is jewellery a lot more expensive, it is also an investment that could last you a lifetime, provided you make it with care. You need to realise that when you are shopping for jewellery you have to keep all your senses open, because this is not the type of shopping you would do every other day. 

Here are some of the things that you always need to keep in mind, when you are planning to go shopping for jewellery:

• The first thing that you need to keep in mind is what you need to buy and why you need it. If you are jewellery shoping for your wedding, you will obviously need to pick up a lot of pieces, ranging from necklaces to bangles, rings to armbands. However, if you are shopping for something you can wear to office or you want to pick up some pieces that you could wear to your friend’s wedding, you will want to keep that in mind and choose in accordance. So, let’s say, you are looking for earrings that you can wear to office, you will need to pick out studs or tiny danglers, which would work for a formal environemnt. However, if you are looking for a necklace that you could wear to your best friend’s wedding, you could look for something a little larger and more glamourous. Be clear about what you are wanting to buy and exactly where you will be using it before you even step into the jewellery store. 
• Its very easy to step into a jewellery store and get swayed away by all the options you see, but it is imperative that you stick to your plan. Walk into the store and ask to be shown exactly what is that you are looking for – so, if you are looking for earrings, ask to be shown earrings, rather than meandering into the rings section. This way, you will not only be done shopping faster, it will also be a lot more effective. 
• Before you head out jewellery shopping, you should spend some time doing research – read up about the rates of precious metals, such as gold, platinum or silver and also find out about what other factors will affect your final billing. This could range from the making charges to the cost of the stones being used in the designs. Knowing all this in advance will allow you to make better and more informed choices. 
• When you do a little bit of research in advance, you will also know what the sales staff at the store is talking about. Many a times, they use jewellery jargon, which leaves the common man or woman quite confused. By reading a ltitle about jewellery beforehand, you will be able to decipher their language much better. This way, when they tell you about making charges, gold rate and stone weight and so on, you will not feel completely lost. 
• Whether you are purchasing gold, silver, platinum, rubies, saphires or diamonds, they need to prove their worth. When you go to a proper esatablished jeweller, you will be given all the details that you need – how much the gold weight in your specific piece is, what is the weight of the stones that have been used and so on. It is also important that you pay for only whatever the genuine value is – the rate of the stones should not be calculated at the same rate as the gold or platinum. 
• Finally, once you are done shopping, make sure that you ask the sales people about how to take care of your jewellery. They will give you important tips on how to maintain your jewellery and you should do whatever they suggest, because it will increase the life of your pieces and ensure that you get a better excahnge or return rate, should you ever want to sell it.