Edward Lewand
Graduate Gemologist & Accredited Appraiser
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Co-authored Articles (21)
How to Tell if Silver is Real: 6 Simple Tests
Practical tests to confirm your silver is the real dealIf you need to test a piece of silver for authenticity, you've come to the right place! Silver has distinctive properties and there are a number of easy tests you ca...
How to
Tell if an Amethyst Is Real
Amethyst is a popular and attractive gem that comes in various shades of purple. If you have jewelry or other items made from amethyst, you may be curious if they're authentic. Synthetic amethyst is very common. It can b...
How to
Identify Platinum and Silver Jewelry
To the untrained eye, platinum, silver, and sterling silver may appear very similar at first glance. However, with a little practice, you'll be able to tell the difference in no time!
How to Clean Earrings to Make Them Shiny & Sanitary
The right way to clean any kind of earrings, from diamonds to goldNo one wants jewelry that looks dirty, but when it comes to earrings, cleanliness is about more than just the look. The holes in your ears are sensitive, ...
How to
Clean Silver Jewelry with Vinegar
Silver jewelry is one of the most beautiful and versatile in a collection. However, it can oxidize, tarnish and get dirty quite easily. Once dirty, it can easily be forgotten at the bottom of a jewelry box. If you are lo...
How to
Identify Original Tiger's Eye Stone
Tiger's eye is a golden-brown stone renowned for its optical effects under light. When light shines on the stone, it may seem like the bands and colors are moving in a cat-eye effect. This effect, known as chatoyancy, ha...
How to
Polish a Watch
To keep your watch looking shiny and new, polish it every 3 months. You can easily remove small scratches from the metal with a small amount of elbow grease and patience. Watches made from steel, titanium, gold, and plat...
How to
Use Toothpaste to Clean Silver Jewelry
Tarnish will happen at one point or another, regardless of how well you take care of your jewelry. Silver polish and silver polishing cloths are the safest items to use for cleaning silver jewelry, but they are not alway...
How to
Clean Quartz Crystals
Collecting quartz crystals can be a fun hobby for any gem enthusiast. However, they often come covered in various other minerals that stain the beauty of the crystals. You can typically clean these stains off yourself us...
The Best Way to Clean & Maintain Your Stainless Steel Watch
Get your watch sparkling like new without damaging it Stainless steel watches are durable, sleek, and timeless, but they can accumulate dirt and grime over time. If your watch is looking dull, all it takes is a bit of di...
How to
Identify Steel
Identifying steel is simple once you know the metal’s characteristics. Steel is both stronger and heavier than most metals. If you cannot tell what kind of metal you have by looking at it, test it by chipping or filing...
How to
Clean Stainless Steel Jewelry
Stainless steel jewelry is popular because it is lightweight and has a trendy look. It can last a long time and look like new if you keep it clean. It does get dirty from time to time, and when that happens, you will nee...
How to
Polish Quartz
''The best ways to clean and buff quartz crystal for a shiny finish'' Polishing quartz can be a little difficult, as it's a hard stone. However, you can do it by hand with a rotary tool and sandpaper. Alternatively, you ...
How to
Clean Rose Quartz
Rose quartz is a lovely pink stone that’s associated with love, harmony, and peace. You can wash rose quartz jewelry, dirty rose quartz stones, or a rose quartz facial roller using liquid soap and warm water. If you’...
How to
Clean Rose Gold
Rose gold gets its pink color from its partial copper content. Generally, it can be cleaned like other gold jewelry, but it's important to take precautions to preserve its color, especially if it’s antique. Over time, ...
How to
Clean Amber Jewelry
Amber jewelry is very beautiful, but it is also delicate and fragile. Overtime, it may get coated with oil and grime, making it lose its luster. The methods outlined here will enable you to safely restore the look of amb...
How to
Clean Silver Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise jewelry is beautiful, especially when paired with silver. However, cleaning can be tricky. It's vital to clean the silver part and the turquoise part separately. Keep any polish or cleaner you use for the silve...
How to
Clean Gold
The glowing beauty of gold makes it one of the most desired metals in the world. While gold doesn’t tarnish very easily, it can be daunting to clean when it does. Gold is soft, easily scratched, and valuable. However, ...
How to Remove Tarnish from Stainless Steel Jewelry: 4 Simple Cleaning Methods
Stainless steel jewelry is classic, fabulous, and chic. Not so much if it's super tarnished, though. If you want your jewelry to look brand new once again, there are a ton of simple solutions you can try. No expensive tr...
Easy and Effective Ways to Prevent Gold Plated Jewelry from Tarnishing
If you’ve worn gold-plated jewelry before, you know what a great investment these pieces are—you get the shine and sparkle without the expense of pure gold. Because of the thin coating, though, these pieces tend to t...
