In todays post, we're going to talk about tips for buying gold jewellery so that you know you're getting the best quality available for your budget and not being taken for a ride.
All jewellers should know this stuff so you'll know you're at a professional and transparent jeweller by following these tips...
To see some of our gold jewellery, including, rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings, head over to the main part of our website for our Kirkcaldy store and we will hopefully see you soon.
How to Buy Jewelry Like a Jeweler
"A hallmark—a stamp of karat weight, of metal type, or of a designer’s signature—is easily faked. And always only buy 18-karat gold or platinum.
Anyone can make a stamp that says Pt (for platinum, stamped on white gold), 18k (stamped on 14-karat gold), or JAR (for the great jeweler Joel A. Rosenthal).
This is very, very easy to do. But you never want to accuse anyone of that—this is the sort of accusation that will make you seem naïve rather than sophisticated.
So if it’s platinum, weigh it in your hand. If there’s a similar piece in white gold, ask to hold it, and weigh that one too. The white gold will be lighter, shinier, and usually a little yellower.
As for hallmarks, if it’s a dealer—of Elizabeth Gage, for example—you needn’t worry. But if it’s a one-of-a-kind piece, like an alleged Louis Comfort Tiffany, Fabergé, or Cartier, be on your guard.
Look at the workmanship very, very carefully under a loupe. If you see imperfections or crudeness, if there is not elaborate attention to tiny details, if there are not unnecessary flourishes—in short, if it doesn’t look like the jeweler was showing off—chances are it is not an original. In any case, ask about “proof of provenance.” That expression alone will carry you a long way. Ask to speak to the owner, and then ask him about the history of the piece.
Where did it come from? What is the paper trail? How is he certain it’s original? And of course remind the seller that you will be checking the authenticity with an independent expert.
See more from the original article here...
Now you know a little about the scams that may be performed, here's some information on the different purities between the United States and Europe if you're going on holiday...
How Gold Purity Impacts Value
"Chances are the ring on your finger is marked 18K, 14K, or 10K, with the K standing for karat, the system used to describe the percentage of pure gold an item contains.
The higher the karat number, the higher the percentage of gold in your gold jewelry.
Also, the higher the karat, the more expensive the item.
- 24K gold is pure gold.
- 18K gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 75% gold.
- 14K gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 58.3% gold.
- 12K gold contains 12 parts gold and 12 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 50% gold.
- 10K gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 41.7% gold. 10K gold is the minimum karat that can be called "gold" in the United States.
- 14K is the most commonly sold gold jewelry in the states.
Purchasing jewelry less than 14K won't hold its value as much overtime. The higher the gold content, the more the gold market will influence the item's value.
European gold jewelry is marked with numbers that indicate their percentage of gold. Learn about these hallmarks in case you are buying vintage jewelry or gold jewelry outside the States.
- 18K gold is marked 750 to indicate 75% gold
- 14K gold is marked 585 for 58.5%
- 10K gold is marked 417 for 41.7%"
Read more from the original source here...
You will see that, in the UK, there are many pieces of jewellery, no matter what jeweller you go to, that have 9 carat gold.
9 carat gold is 37.5% pure gold in the UK.
Here's a useful video if you prefer visuals to test from the "Howdini" Youtube Channel.
If you're going further afield, here's a few standards from around the world...
Tips for buying gold jewellery
"Pure gold is too soft to use it as jewellery. So it is alloyed with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, nickel, and zinc to give it strength and durability.
Carats Fineness (of 1000) Purity
(%)Comments 24 999 99.9% Pure gold 24 990 99.0% Minimum allowed for pure gold jewellery. Popular in China 22 916 91.6% Popular in India 21 875 87.5% Popular in Middle East 19.2 800 80.0% Standard in Portugal 18 750 75.0% Standard international caratage 14 585 58.5% 583/58.3% in US
Colour - Gold has many variations. In addition to yellow gold, white gold and rose gold are also popular options. You can also find many two-tone styles, if you prefer a mix of colors.
Combining pure gold with other metals creates a new and diverse colour palette. Mixing in white metals, such as palladium or silver in combination, creates white gold, now the overwhelming choice for wedding bands in the US. The inclusion of copper results in the soft pink complexion of rose gold. And gold can now be created in a spectrum of other colours, such as green, purple and even black."
Read more from the original source here...
That's it for this article, we hope you got some useful information here so you know you're getting what you actually paid for.
We hope to see you in our shop on the High Street in Kirkcaldy soon!
The article Things To Look For When Buying Gold Jewellery… is available on https://www.akcampbell.co.uk/blog/
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