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Know what you are buying. Your guide to hair jewelry and accessories and their care.

This guide will help you to decide what kind of hair accessories to purchase and how to care for them one you get them home.

Swarovski Crystals and Genuine Austrian Crystals are the best you can buy as they are virtually indistinguishable from each other. The techniques used to cut the Swarovski crystals have been duplicated in recent years and it is nearly impossible to tell them apart. The crystals are cut glass and have the traditional shapes that many real gem stones have. In additon, they may be flat backed. The best quality are hand sent into metal bezel settings. Other stones are glued into place with high quality and strength glues.

Rhinestones are next down on the list of quality and offer a lot of bling for less money.  They are also of high quality and are much more affordable than Swarovski Crystals or Austrian Crystals.

Acrylic rhinestones offer a lot bling but are of a lesser quality.  The aurora borealis varities offer the most for the money in this form of bling.

Be wary of items that are chrystallized- this means glitter is used in place of any rhinestones or crystals. If no stones or crystals are used it should be stated as such in the description. Note the slight variation in spelling from the "official" tag "crystallized with Swarovski" that is now being used by Swarovski.

If you are going to use your hair jewelry for a very special occasion such as a Wedding or other memorable occasion be sure to purchase Swarovski Crystals or Austrian crystals as they will stand the test of time and become heirlooms to pass down.

It is nearly impossible for the average person to tell the difference in stones when buying hair jewelry (unless you are looking at the acrylic rhinestones). In addition, Swarovski and Austrian crystals are not made in countires such as Japan or China. The crystallized with Swarovski tag is a new item but rarely found on hair jewelry. Use your own best judgement when buying hair accessories and be sure to check around.

Another label of quality in hair accessories is the made in France logo. These are the best you can buy- just make sure the logo is present. Made in France is always marked somewhere on a piece that is made in France.

How to care for your Hair Jewelry: Be sure to take care of your prized possessions. Treat them as  you would your regular jewelry. Do not use hair spray on them- spray first if you must OR shield your items. Always check before wearing for any loose stones- especially if you drop your hair accessory. Be sure NOT to wear them swimming as the stones may come loose and metal hair jewelry can pose a swimming pool hazzard if it comes out of your hair- imagine stepping on it!

Many items can be cleaned with regular jewelry cleaner (use a very quick dip-do NOT SOAK) but NOT items with faux pearls of any kind- they will lose their luster ALSO DO NOT SOAK any items that have glued parts as the glue may come loose when in the cleaner. Some items that are set into silver tone metal can be cleaned with a sliver dip to remove yellow aging (test a small area with the dip using a Q-tip dipped into it and then try it on the underside of the hair accessory to make sure it will not damage your item). For items that are glued simply use a soft cloth to polish the stones. If in doubt just use a soft cloth to polish them- better to be safe than sorry. 

Store your hair accessories in a safe place and DO NOT let small children or animals play with them they are not toys.

Most importantly- enjoy them and wear them often! I hope you find this guide of some help.