Buying a new piece of jewelry is exciting. You get lost in the sparkle and admire the way it graces your finger or lays just right across your collarbone.

You might think beyond the initial excitement to the cost of the piece, considering it’s likely to be a decent investment. But do you think any farther ahead than that?

Getting a ring appraisal isn't exactly something you do every day, and unknowns can be intimidating.

It’s time to set the record straight on some common misconceptions about when a ring appraisal is needed, when it isn’t, and which details are required for insurance. Read on to learn more.

Buying jewelry at a pawn shop can be a scavenger hunt. Just like shopping at any secondhand or thrift-type store, the inventory is ever-changing and you never know what you might find.

That's the double-edged sword of jewelry shopping at estate sales, pawn shops, and the like. If you have a Pinterest board full of dream rings and a style already in mind, rummaging through secondhand stores with limited inventory isn't your best bet.

First things first. There should be no difference between a "jewelry appraisal for insurance" and any other type of jewelry appraisal.

All too often, jewelers hear, "I don't want to pay a lot for an appraisal. I only need it to get my jewelry insured."

Shelling out your hard-earned cash for something intangible, that you will hopefully never use, is never fun. However, there is no point in paying for your insurance if it will leave you hanging when you actually need it - all because you didn't want to pay more than the minimum to get an accurate, thorough appraisal.

Diamond shopping can feel overwhelming. There’s so much to know about the details of a diamond – how to spot an imperfection, how a diamond’s shape affects its shine factor, whether carat or color is more important for maximum sparkle ... the list goes on.

Avoid anxiety and confusion by using these jewelry cheat sheets as your diamond shopping sidekicks. No memorization required. Click the links below to print them to size!