Earrings should never be bought casually since there are too many financial risks. The best way to reduce the risk of buying earrings is to familiarize yourself with the specific earrings you want to buy. While you may not be able to make the same judgment as a professional jeweler who has scientific training and years of experience, you can learn to judge the gems within the earrings based upon cut, clarity, color, brilliance, and weight. Learning about these factors and spending time shopping and researching will help you get what you want at a fair price.
Make an effort to learn as much as you can about the earrings you want to buy. Examine the earrings owned by your family and friends. You may also want to ask a friend to accompany you when comparing earrings at different jewelry stores, mall, or gallerias. A second set of trusted eyes is always a good thing. Moreover, it gives you an edge when you and a friend are speaking with a salesperson as opposed to just you alone.
There are a few simple questions you want to ask yourself before you begin shopping for your earrings. First, what is your desired color or style? Second, what shape are you looking for? Third, do the earrings match your personality? Finally, are the earrings within your budget? There is a big price difference between ruby earrings and silver earrings.
Once you have found the earrings you want to buy, there are four basic rules you need to follow before making the purchase. If you are looking for pearl earrings, make sure the earrings are clean. If you are working with a jeweler, ask them to clean the earrings for you. If you are looking at diamond earrings or gold drop earrings, make sure you get a current appraisal.
Second, place the earrings under proper lighting. Many jewelers use multiple incandescent or fluorescent spotlights, usually recessed or on a track lighting system. The purpose it to make the earring gems look super brilliant. However, once you bring the earrings to a typical place with normal lighting, the gems will not have the same brilliance. Simply take the earrings away from the display glass and look at them in normal light.
Third, rotate the earrings in order to view them from different angles. Lastly, if you are using a loupe, focus it both on the surface and into the interior. To focus into the interior, shift the gem up and down until you are able to see all the depth points. Leave no stones unturned since this will likely be an expensive purchase.