How to Buy Jewelry Made of Precious Metals

Buying a silver necklace, a gold bracelet or a platinum wedding band sounds pretty straightforward, but you'll want to understand how to choose between various precious metals. There's yellow, white and rose gold; 14-, 18- and 24-karat gold; real gold; pure gold--and that's before you get to the mysterious markings for silver and platinum.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Shop at a jewelry store that makes you feel good. Trusting the jeweler, and subsequently the advice and jewelry he or she offers, is very important.

2. Buy only from a reputable retailer who will accept returns-- preferably one affiliated with the Jewelers Association or another professional trade association. Look for a sticker or certificate.

3. Look for marked jewelry. While gold need not by law carry the karat marks that define its level of purity, virtually all reputable stores sell only marked gold. If it is karat-marked, law dictates that it also be stamped with a hallmark, which shows that the manufacturer stands behind the karat mark's accuracy. The country of origin is also often noted.

4. Check the craftsmanship. A high-quality piece should look just as good from the back as it does from the front, have no rough edges anywhere and--if it's a necklace or bracelet--come with a sturdy matching clasp.

5. Buy gold in a range of colors and levels of purity. The higher the karat rating (not to be confused with carat, the weight measurement for diamonds), the more pure gold is in a piece and the richer the color (and softer the item).

6. 24-karat gold is 100 percent pure gold, so soft that it is not often used for jewelry.

7. 18 karat is 75 percent gold, mixed with copper or silver. It is more "lemony" in tone and is strong enough for rings.

8. 14 karat is 58.3 percent gold. Its lightly reddish hue comes from added copper alloys, which also lend it durability.

9. 10 karat is 41.6 percent gold. Less than 10-karat gold can't legally be called or sold as gold in the United States.

10. Explore the intricate designs that can be created with silver jewelry. Prized for its rich luster, and almost as soft as gold, it's often alloyed with copper for strength.

11. Step up to platinum jewelry for the rarest, purest and heaviest precious metal. Almost double the weight of 14 karat gold, platinum is incredibly dense but also very soft. Why buy platinum? Think of it this way: If you have a large diamond, would you rather it be secured by gold prongs or platinum ones that are twice as dense?

Tips & Warnings

• The misleading term solid gold merely signifies that a piece isn't hollow; don't confuse solid gold with pure gold.

• The absence of any karat markings at all may mean that a piece is less than 10 karats.

• Gold-filled jewelry is 10-karat or higher gold that has been mechanically bonded to a base material. In gold-plated or electroplated items, the gold is applied eletrolytically to a base material such as copper.

• A titanium ring sounds cool, but if you're in an accident and your arm or hand is injured, rescue personnel will not be able to cut the ring off to save your finger.