How to Match Jewelry to Clothes

The way you dress helps define how you view yourself and how you want others to perceive you. Choosing the right jewelry for your wardrobe can bring out the hidden undertones of a blazer or accent the green flecks in your eyes, making you feel bold and sexy. Follow the simple steps below to unleash your inner fashionista.




Things You'll Need:
Fashion magazines
Computer with Internet access

Instructions

Step 1
Identify your personal style. Your current wardrobe will be the most telling factor. Is your closet full of slacks and blazers? Do you throw on jeans and a sweater each morning? Are cute skirts and trendy tops your norm? Defining your ideal style will give you a palate from which to work.
Step 2
Leaf through fashion magazines and learn current trends. If you see a model wearing earrings that go well with her sweater, make a note of why you like the pairing (i.e. “length of earring brings out the intricate stitch of the sweater” or “color tone accentuates the shape of her face”). Compile a list of looks you covet. You can also people-watch for ideas.
Step 3
Lay all your jewelry across a flat surface--like a dresser or bed–-near your closet or drawers. A close-by mirror is also ideal.
Step 4
Using your list as a reference, start experimenting. If you saw a magazine model whose scoop-neck tee and chocker necklace won your approval, work with your pieces to create a variation on the look.
Step 5
Find your favorite combinations and present the new you!

How to Pick an Opal Birthstone

The delicate opal birthstone is unique among the colored gems, with refractive qualities that create a rainbow effect, especially when tilted into the light. Most varieties of this non-crystallized silica are ground, rather than facet-cut. The intrinsic reflection of light doesn't need a facet, and the soft stone, which is prone to cracking, is more stable when left uncut. Discover how to pick among the major types of lovely opals.



Things You'll Need:
Reputable dealer
Synthetic and natural light
Documentation of authenticity

Instructions


Look into Harlequin or Fire Opals
Step 1
View harlequin or fire opals set into birthstone jewelry in person, at a reputable dealer's store. Catalog or website photos won't do justice to the opal's signature flashes of color, which require movement to see

Step 2
Ask the dealer whether the stone is natural or has been treated to fill inclusions. Natural stones will have a higher value.
Step 3
Pick an opal in the fine-jewelry setting of your choice or a more rustic piece, such as a polished boulder opal left in its natural shape.
Select a Common Opal
Step 1
Pick a common opal that is thickly ground, especially when it is to be used in a ring setting. These will be less likely to suffer chips and scratches.
Step 2
Select pale common opal jewelry that complements your complexion. View it in various lighting situations before buying.
Step 3
Visit the International Colored Gemstone Association website for more information about opals

How to Make Fool's Gold

The increasing value of gold is an incentive for unscrupulous individuals to make fool's gold. It pays to become wise about the methods used to make a piece of common metal have the appearance of real gold. Such methods include plating or painting metal to look like the real thing




Instructions


Learn to Identify How Fool's Gold Is Made
Step 1
Notice the attempt to coat metals with real gold. Instead of a nugget being pure gold, it may be a copper nugget with a thin layer of real gold. This thin layer can be misleading, since it has the external appearance of through-and-through gold.
Step 2
Look for gold paint to be used on metals to create fool's gold. The brilliance of real gold can easily be duplicated using high-quality paint. To check for authenticity, rub the surface to look for discriminating color differences or have a professional examine the piece.
Step 3
Examine gold look-alike substances, such as iron pyrite, which is one of the most common in the class of fool's gold. Iron pyrite has a distinct sulfur odor, and it is a brassy yellow. It is often used in jewelry.
Step 4
Check out the use of chalcopyrite (copper pyrites or copper sulfide) to make an object appear to be gold. This cooper ore is considered to be fool's gold, as it has a brassy to golden-yellow color that is much the same as pyrite. It is easily identified by its magnetic properties upon heating.
Step 5
Learn about bismutite, a mineral used to make fool's gold. The yellowish color and consistency can be mistaken for the real thing.
Step 6
Examine nuggets or jewelry to determine whether they are pure gold or gold plated. Using gold plating as a covering on another metal, such as silver or copper, can be misleading. The gold-plated layer on jewelry will eventually wear off, leaving the underlying metal to tarnish and discolor.

How to Pick White Gold

White gold was developed in the 1920s as an alternative to the more expensive platinum. It is an alloy (mixture) of gold and other metals, such as silver, nickel, zinc or palladium. It is rated in karats, according to the amount of gold versus the other metals. Some white gold also has platinum added to the mix, providing durability.




Instructions

Explore the Variety of White Gold Jewelry
Step 1
Look at the alloy used with gold before you make your purchase. White gold made with a nickel alloy is considered to be strong enough for jewelry, such as rings. Palladium alloys are more pliable and are used more for gemstone settings.
Step 2
Pick white gold jewelry coated in rhodium or platinum and palladium for a piece with a brilliant shine. The coating is used to prevent oxidation and to add luster.
Step 3
Look at the craftsmanship of the entire piece of white gold jewelry. Pick only the designs and styles that are well crafted. When ordering online, examine the return policy carefully. You should be able to return any purchase if the quality of the design doesn't match with
the product description.
Step 4
Pick a necklace in 14k white gold, with a diamond pendant, for a shimmering, eye-catching design. The brilliance of the diamonds is reflected in the luster of the white gold.
Step 5
Take your pick of white gold jewelry to wear with your black dress or blouse. The contrast of white gold on black highlights the brilliance of the white gold.
Step 6
Find white gold jewelry that is assayed and hallmarked. Some countries require an official hallmark to identify the metal's fineness and the manufacturer. These marks are stamped into the metal by the assayer.
Step 7
Select white gold made with nickel for a more brilliant white. Palladium whites have a more subdued or warm appearance.
Step 8
Choose white gold for your jewelry when you want the color of the piece to be seen. Yellow gold tends to be a dominant color while white gold allows the colors in the adorning stones to be noticed.

How to Buy Nipple Jewelry

Jewelry can add a little sparkle to your nipples. It might take trial-and-error to find a piece that is comfortable and suits your taste, but you can find the perfect piece of you follow these steps.



Instructions

Step 1
Start looking around. Accessory stores, tattoo and body piercing parlors and body jewelry websites are great places to shop.
Step 2
Consider the direction your piercing goes. Most piercing are horizontal, but occasionally, people pierce them vertically. If you have a horizontal piercing, choose rings or barbells. The barbells can be straight, circular or curved. If you have a vertical piercing, you can wear lightweight vertical jewelry, similar to what is available for navel piercings. Straight, curved or circular barbells will also work.
Step 3
Consider the material. Since your nipple is a sensitive area, invest in a high-quality material, such as 14k gold, 18k gold or stainless steel.
Step 4
Look at yout non-piercing options. If you would like sparkle, but piercings aren't your thing, try nipple jewelry that doesn't require piercings. Look for shields and rings that stay clipped in place. They are often sold wherever you can buy other body jewelry.
Step 5
If you don't find exactly what you are looking for, ask salespeople if they can order from their wholesalers, ship something in from another of their stores, or refer you to a different store in your area. Ask about customized pieces.

How to Choose a Diamond Necklace

Diamonds are popular in necklace and ring settings because they are incredibly durable, being the earth's hardest substance, and because good quality diamonds are some of the most brilliant of all precious stones. Shopping for diamond jewelry, however, can be overwhelming, with the range of selection and prices available. Stop wondering what it all means and start learning about the



Instructions


Choose the Necklace Setting
Step 1
Consider the clothing you will wear with your diamond necklace. Bring it to the dealer's shop, if possible, or view the ensemble together at home before your return option runs out. Alternatively, buy the necklace first and base your clothing selection on it.
Step 2
Browse necklaces for a setting that looks attractive with your facial features and for one with gemstones that get your attention, according to your personal preference.
Step 3
Examine the setting of the necklaces with diamonds that appealed to you. Note whether the piece is designed to make a round or V-shaped drape, as well as the length of the drape.
Step 4
Choose the setting that best suits your appearance and the one with the length of drape appropriate for the clothing you plan to wear. Generally, you should look for contrast with the shape of your face--i.e., choose a rounder style if your face is angular, and a V-shape if your face is round.
Choose the Stones
Step 1
Select white or colored diamonds, sometimes called "colorless" or "fancy" diamonds. You will find an endless variety of combinations as well.
Step 2
Choose one center stone, a cluster of smaller stones or a combination of the two.
Step 3
Assess the necklace visually for diamond color and brilliance.
Step 4
Magnify the diamonds to evaluate clarity, if possible, since they may be too small for the untrained eye to assess. Pass on diamonds with visible occlusions, or

tiny fractures.

How to Choose a Yellow Diamond

Perhaps the color grade "fancy" for diamonds comes from the subtle brilliance of the yellow variety also known as canary. Canary is a popular color for yellow diamond jewelry because it reflects enough light wavelength to bring out colors in the skin tone of the wearer, without being overwhelming. Learn how to assess color in diamonds so you can purchase yellow diamond jewelry that is as "fancy as a canary."



Instructions


Select Yellow Diamonds for Brilliant Good Looks
Step 1
View loose yellow diamonds before looking at finished jewelry to help you establish criteria of color, cut, clarity and carat weight.
Step 2
Establish your preference on the color scale of light to dark, depending in part on your complexion.
Step 3
Examine diamonds further for color, noticing any undertones of green, orange or brown and how these add to or detract from the stones' appeal.
Step 4
Compare the characteristics of yellow diamonds to other gemstones, such as citrine and yellow topaz, in order to understand the unique refractive qualities of diamonds. They will appear much more "dazzling" than the other gemstones.
Step 5
Evaluate your preferred diamonds for clarity and brilliance. The color should be uniform across the top of the stone, with flashes of color and light. A dull diamond indicates unwanted flaws or poor cut.
Step 6
Choose the carat weight and size that complements your features and fits your budget.
Step 7
Choose diamond jewelry with an eye on the big picture. The manner in which stone and setting interact is of great importance.
Step 8
Ask your dealer for proof of authenticity and origin of the diamond or diamonds in a jewelry setting. She is required by law to provide this.