If you are looking into purchasing silver jewelry you have to be the judge as to whether the jewelry is real and how much you can get it for. With silver jewelry, before buying, you must look at the markings on the piece of jewelry and make sure that it has a U.S. registered trademark of a reputable company or individual that will vouch that the piece is authentic. If the piece is sterling silver it must by law carry both of e types of markings.
Now when it comes to looking over it for its aesthetic reasons the piece should not be worn or chipping unless you are looking into antique or used jewelry.
If you want help judging jewelry you can shop for it through a jewelry store or, in some cases, jewelry departments in department stores. Especially in jewelry shops there will generally be an expert on jewelry and they can give you information on silver jewelry. If the piece that you are looking to purchase is expensive you can have a jeweler appraise the piece and see if it is worth what you are paying.
Many times though the piece is used or inexpensive and you must judge for yourself. The appearance of the piece is the most important thing so before purchasing a piece look over it thoroughly for nicks on the piece or discoloration from being worn. A great place to pick up silver jewelry can be garage sales and thrift stores.
Many times you can find good silver jewelry at thrift stores or at a garage sale. Obviously the silver jewelry for these places is not new but if the piece still looks good it can be had at a good price.
Another good place to get jewelry where you will have to be the judge is mass merchandise stores such as Target and Wal-Mart. The people working at the jewelry department probably are not experts at judging jewelry. But in these stores you can be sure that the jewelry is authentic and they usually will tell you the amount of silver in the piece. You can then judge the look and feel of it and if it is made well.

Pearl jewelry is a very classy yet classic look for any woman. As a kid I remember growing up watching Marge Simpson wearing her pearl necklace in every episode of The Simpson’s. Any piece of pearl jewelry instantly makes an outfit and a woman appear classy. Pearls have a very regal air to them, like only the richest people in the world can afford to own them. However these days, pearls have become so affordable that almost anyone can afford them. A pearl is a very magical piece of jewelry in that it is a natural occurrence, which is painstakingly created by an oyster. Many ancient civilizations believed that the pearl’s magic did not stop in its creation. The Chinese believed that pearls would fall out of the air when dragons would fight in the clouds. The ancient Romans believed that a gift of pearls would place you in the goddess Isis’s good graces.
A pearl is naturally created by oysters. Not every oyster will create a pearl, but every oyster has the possibility of creating a pearl. The only way an oyster will create a pearl is if some foreign substance like a piece of sand or part of a shell gets trapped inside the oyster. Then the oyster covers the foreign object with nacre, and over time the foreign object is shaped into a pearl. In nature a pearl is not created very often. Years ago, this fact caused the prices of pearls to be very expensive. Since then pearl farms have been created to lend nature a helping hand. At these pearl farms, a small piece of mother of pearl shell is placed inside an oyster’s shell to start the process of pearl formation in each oyster. Some of these oysters still do not create a pearl, but the chances of a pearl being created increases tremendously with this practice. The main pearl farms were originally located in Japan, but due to their population problems they are now facing a water pollution problem that has limited their ability to produce quality pearls in recent years. However, China has now moved into the forefront in the pearl farming market. Since the Chinese have developed their techniques the price of pearls has dropped dramatically. Now everyone can afford their favorite piece of pearl jewelry.
Now that you can afford a piece of pearl jewelry, you will need to know how to take care of it correctly. The most important thing to remember about pearl jewelry is that pearls are a natural substance, so they are very fragile. You should put your pearl jewelry on after you are completely ready to leave your house. Cologne, hair spray, and makeup can cause major damage to pearls, because they can dry them out. You should also not submerge pearl necklaces in water, because it will cause them to expand and stretch out the strand that keep them attached to each other. Most pearl jewelry is sold in a very nice silk pouch. The reason for this is pearls can be scratched very easily if they are kept next to other jewelry. For this reason make sure that you keep each piece of pearl jewelry separately in their silk pouch away from all other jewelry. If the jewelry gets dirty then try to hand clean it with a soft cloth. If your pearls start to lose their luster, then just trying wearing them, because the natural oils from your body will renew the moisture in the pearl. This will cause the pearl to shine like it was brand new again.