HOW TO
BUY FINE JEWELRY

The option, as Ralph Destino, president of Cartier's in North America, suggests is that you consider costume jewelry for high fashion designs instead of precious metals and gems. As he says, costume jewelry has an important role to play in any jewelry wardrobe.

What you should buy in fine jewelry, particularly platinum and karat gold, depends on you, your life-style, and your preferences. You may be a woman who does not feel dressed without earrings, in which case you may want gold or diamond earrings that you can wear often with enjoyment. Or you may be a man or woman whose taste runs toward rings. A necklace or a bracelet could also be indispensable.

In any case, shop around. Look at styles and prices before you buy. Get an idea of what jewelry costs and how that compares to what you have to spend. Once you see an item you like, check its price against the prices of similar items in other stores. The major purpose is to give you an idea of value and to help you be satisfied in all respects, after you have made the purchase.

Look in jewelry stores and the boutiques and better department stores that often carry fine jewelry. But don't look for or expect c, wait for sales. The finest jewelry stores rarely discount fine jewelry If a style does not sell, it is more profitable for them to melt down the metal and reset the gems than it is for them to sell at a big discount. In this respect, fine jewelry is like no other luxury purchases, since the components can be reused.

Stores other than the finest jewelry stores may offer jewelry a store discount. It may be a style that has not sold well, or the stores may be willing to make less profit or their overhead may be less. The are legitimate reasons to discount the price of fine jewelry. If :discount is much over 20 percent, however, you should ask, "40 or 50 percent off what price?" Despite laws prohibiting misleading - advertising and the stand of reputable jewelers' associations against it, there are still fraudulent advertising and selling practices going on.

For this reason, you want to read the next chapter, about where to buy. Where to buy can be as important as how to buy jewelry- So is understanding what are the kinds of jewelry, especialy - kinds of jewelry on the market today.