Jewelry has always part of human culture. Over the centuries, it has been made from various materials, including: stones, animal skins, feathers, plants, bones, shells, wood and semi-precious materials such as obsidian. As technology advanced, jewelry styles changed and became more artistic and modern.
Although the style and manufacturing of jewelry has improved over the years, the purpose of wearing jewelry has remained unchanged.
People wear jewelry to express themselves non-verbally and to show wealth, rank, political and religious affiliations or affection for someone. This is why jewelry is timeless and a target for constant development and refinement.
But let’s be hones: we always find a reason to wear jewelry. The problem is that sometimes we don’t have enough money to spend on jewelry—especially the jewelry we’d like to own. So, what happens when you want to buy nice things for yourself? Here’s how I save money when buying jewelry.
Buy online jewelry
You can buy jewelry from Ebay, Amazon, Etsy or AliExpress. There are more options to choose from, but these are more economic and diverse.
My favorite online store is Ebay. You just need to search for the kind of jewelry you like, look through the available options and select the items that appeal to you. The only downside is that you don’t receive the items immediately; you need to wait for the items to arrive, but it is definitely worth the wait!
Many online stores also sell things from Ebay. So, if you find a particular piece of jewelry that you like online, check if it’s available on Ebay before making your purchase.
Very often, online stores sell items for 15 dollars plus shipping compared to two dollars on Ebay. It’s a good way to make money, but if you’re buying jewelry, save yourself the extra dollars by buying from Ebay if the item is also available there.
Buy from local stores or artisans
I don’t know about you, but I go crazy every time I see a display table of jewelry by a local artisan. I love handmade jewelry, and just want to buy the whole table of display items. Also, I think that local artisans are not sufficiently rewarded for their work, which is often superior to that of mass-produced items.
Another bonus is that the items are unique, so you’ll have your own display pieces while also saving money. The downside to buying handmade jewelry is that you need to be careful with the quality of the items you purchase as they can break easily or be difficult to fix.
If you don’t want to buy handmade jewelry or wait for an online item to arrive, you can buy jewelry in inexpensive stores in your area. The advantages of shopping at such stores are that you can try the pieces out to ensure that they suit you before purchasing them, they’re usually cheap and you’ll often find a range of items to accessorize every possible outfit.
Use a clear nail polish or clear spray paint
Of course, it’s great to own genuine gold and platinum jewelry, but this also comes with a hefty price tag at times. It’s possible to find good quality gold-plated and silver jewelry that doesn’t look cheap. And, with a bit of pre-care, it’s hard to tell the difference between these pieces and the more expensive options.
Apply a coat of clear nail polish or enamel spray paint to the plated jewelry as this will help to seal the plating, making the item look newer for longer. I recommend using spray paint because it is easier and faster to apply. You can also buy gold or silver enamel spray paint to change the color of a piece of jewelry.
With this little trick, you will avoid the jewelry turning green or black as the plating rubs off. This will also ensure that your jewelry lasts longer and keeps looking good.
Remember to do it before you wear the jewelry as contact with your skin and/or perspiration will immediately start to affect the jewelry. Also, remember to cover the stones in the jewelry with some tape before applying the spray or polish.
Use Vaseline for sensitive ears
If your ears are sensitive to any kind of jewelry, I recommend using Vaseline before you wear your earrings unless you’re wearing jewelry that is genuine gold and silver. Put a dab of Vaseline on the hook of the earrings before putting the earrings into your ears and you’re good to go.
These tips will not only save you money, but help you to have jewelry that no one will suspect cost a fraction of what it appears to be. Nobody will even know how much your jewelry cost unless they ask! Share you tips for saving money when buying jewelry.
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