Jewellery and accessories guides, page 2

A stud earring with its butterfly back in close up

Earrings: Metals, Backs and Everyday Comfort

An earring is chosen in a mirror, in seconds, and then worn for ten hours at a time. The judgement made in the mirror concerns how the piece looks from the front. The parts that decide whether it is c

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Sheets and granules of gold, copper, brass and silver on a white surface

Choosing a Metal for Everyday Wear

The metal you choose for a piece you wear daily matters more than the design detail you spent an hour deciding on. Metals differ in how they scratch, how they tarnish, how they feel, how heavy they ar

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A gold chain with its open clasp photographed in close up

Chains, Clasps and How Fastenings Fail

A necklace that disappears is usually assumed to have been stolen or to have broken in some dramatic way. The common ending is quieter than that. A chain is found tucked inside a collar with every lin

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The sterling hallmark and maker's mark stamped on a silver fob

Gold, Plated, Filled or Solid: What the Marks on a Piece Mean

A stamp on a piece of jewellery is a declaration, not a guarantee. It is still the single most useful piece of information you have, and the difference between a piece that survives daily wear and one

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Three slim gold rings with sapphires lined up on a white surface

Ring Sizing and Fit: Getting It Right First Time

A ring size is treated as a fixed property of a finger, like a shoe size with a number attached. Fingers do not hold a size. They swell in heat and after exertion, thin in the cold, and change over ye

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Hands forming silver links over a bench with pliers and a blowtorch

How to Check Jewellery Construction Before You Buy

Most of the attention in a jewellery purchase goes to what a piece looks like from arm's length. That is the part the maker has designed for. The part that decides whether the piece still looks right

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