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"One of my favorite parts of working in fashion is seeing all of the genius new ideas that my friends and former co-workers have come up with! (Like Jill Heller&amp;#x27;s line of pretty, feel-good bracelets!) Carol Brodie, an old friend of mine who used to be the diamond pro at Harry Winston, recently introduced a line of jewelry for HSN called Rarities which looks oh-so-amazing! Since she&amp;#x27;s one of the smartest and most stylish jewelry gurus (and seeing that the holiday shopping season is in full-swing), I enlisted her to share her top 7 jewelry-buying tips with all of you!Here are her tips to help you to make better choices when buying jewelry that hopefully lasts a lifetime: 1. Shop around and do your research. If you are interested in buying gold, sterling, or even brass, understand each metal and the costs--the research will be worth it! Gold is well over $1,000 an ounce these days, so vermeil, which is gold layered over sterling silver, may be a better alternative. 2. Do the &amp;quot;snag&amp;quot; test. Run the piece of jewelry over your stockings, blouse and skin to make sure the prongs or metal don&amp;#x27;t tear your clothing or skin. 3. Do the scratch test. Gently scratch your nail over the item to make sure that it won&amp;#x27;t scratch or peel. Sometimes inexpensive jewelry looks like gold or silver but it is actually just paint over inexpensive metal. 4. Test the prongs. If you can lift a prong with your finger nail, chances are that the gemstone it is holding will fall out and the piece will be worthless. 5. When buying fine jewelry, make sure that wherever you purchase from has a money-back return policy. You should have anywhere from 14 to 30 days to get a full refund on your purchase. If not, go to a store or retailer who will allow you to return if you change your mind. 7. Wear and love your jewelry and don&amp;#x27;t save it for a special occasion. With proper care, your jewelry should last a long, long time and every day should be a reason to celebrate! And, I couldn&amp;#x27;t leave you without sharing some of my favorite pieces from her line: Chalcedony and Quartz Ring, $199.90 Peridot and Gem Chandelier Earrings, $689.90 Turquoise and Blue Topaz Ring, $699.90 They aren&amp;#x27;t super-affordable, but if you&amp;#x27;re in the market to spoil yourself and buy a nice piece (or looking for a hint to drop a certain special someone), this is the jewelry you want! And, if you can&amp;#x27;t get enough Carol Brodie, check her out on HSN tomorrow, December 2nd! Do you buy jewelry for yourself? Or mostly others? What do you look for when shopping for it whether it&amp;#x27;s expensive or inexpensive? Wanna dish about jewelry some more? 50 and Under: Do You Lose Jewelry? Then Wear Big Rings! Found: Ritzy Bling, No Megabucks Required Now in Weird Celebrity Designer News... "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/dressed/2009/12/7-super-helpful-tips-for-jewel>