Anyone can purchase a plaque that says “home” or a bunch of flowers, but if you are looking for a special gift for someone who has recently moved into a new home or needs a pick-me-up, what should you consider?
Luxury spa items
One of the best ideas is to go for luxury items, which will make their home more relaxing and a sheer joy to be in. A bathroom is a place in the home that does not get the level of TLC it deserves! Rather than viewing the bathroom are a functional room for getting ready, it should be a place of relaxation. Think spa, rather than bathroom.
You can help your friend or family member to turn their bathroom into a place of luxury by purchasing them a gift that aids with this. A great example would be hotel quality bathrobes. Plush bathrobes make the bathing experience so much better! How nice is it to step out of the bath or shower and wrap yourself in such a garment? Sheer heaven, right?
Another option, which does not cost a lot but is a great gift, is a bath tray. This tray can be fixed to the bath so that the person in question can place their book or wine on the tray while they are relaxing. Baths have never been so enjoyable! Why not add some Epsom salts to the gift as well to ensure a truly relaxing and rejuvenating experience for your loved one?
Antique silver ornaments
Antique silver pieces, be it ornaments or cutlery, are bound to wow! There are some purchases whereby you can simply search the product online, go to the first website you find, and make your purchase. Then there are those that require savviness, a scrutinizing eye, and a bit of research. Antique silver definitely falls into the latter category. This is unfortunately a purchase that leads to a lot of people being ripped off. This is because there are many companies that are not genuine and so the silver they sell is not antique or authentic. The last thing you want to do is end up spending your hard-earned cash on something that is not even real. So, to make certain this does not happen to you, read on to discover all of the tips you need when you are looking to buy antique silver.
The first thing you need to do is make sure you opt for an outlet boasting experience. This is imperative. You want to be safe in the knowledge that the jewellers have been up and running for many years now, that they have been providing their service to lots of satisfied consumers, and that they have had the opportunity to hone their skills and build up a good reputation. The best jewellers tend to be those that are family-run and have been in existence for many, many years. These are built on good foundations and tend to offer the most quality.
In addition to this, it is essential to guarantee that all antique silver contains genuine hallmarks. This is one of the more difficult aspects to grasp for those who aren’t trained in antiques. However, there are plenty of hallmark encyclopedias available on the internet and so you should be able to look up the hallmark in order to discover whether it is authentic or not. The following are all the main types of hallmarks you should be looking out for;
- Assay Office Mark
- Maker’s Mark
- Monarch’s Head
- Date Letter
- Lion Passant
Aside from looking for experience and an authentic hallmark you also need to make sure that the jewellers have a credible reputation. If the company has been selling silver which is not genuine then you can rest assured that you will find a wealth of angry reviews online that have been left by dissatisfied customers. A mere five minutes of research can be worth its weight in gold. Go for a company that has a good standing in the industry and is recognized on a national and even global basis. Looking for hidden gems is recommended when buying certain products but when it comes to something whereby there is a lot of ambiguity surrounding authenticity, such as antique silver, this is ill-advised.
If you want to give yourself the best possible chance of purchasing genuine antique silver you need to assess the company you purchase from carefully. Make sure all of the products are hallmarked, be certain that the jeweller has a good level of experience and a credible reputation to back them up as well.
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This is a contributed post.
