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.

Who Can Help:

• Are you tired of cakey makeup? Try RawMinerals Free.

[zemzem82]

on 1/11/2009 We sell assorted necklaces- zemzem.ecrater.com

[JewelleryGirl]

on 1/28/2008 Don't forget sterling silver (my favorite) aka 925, 92.5%, 925 silver - this refers to the percentage of actual silver. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver, and the remainder is usually copper (which allows it to tarnish) or sometimes argentium (sometimes marketed as "non-tarnish" silver). Fine silver is 99% silver and up, and is too soft for jewelry (usually, although you will find that artisans sometimes do use fine silver).

from christine, http://www.how-to-make-jewelry.com

on 11/22/2005 In case of an emergency, such as an injured finger, Emergency Medical Technicians, Fire Departments, and Hospital Emergency Rooms can quickly remove titanium rings.

We hear false claims from jewelry stores that titanium can't be cut. Many jewelers spread this rumor when titanium started to cut into their sales of more expensive bands.

Several non-destructive methods for ring removal are available before resorting to cutting a ring. In the rare event it becomes necessary to cut off a titanium ring, emergency medical professionals carry ring cutters or rotary cut-off tools that cut through metals, including our CP and Aerospace Grade Titanium. In our testing, we found that tools that will cut through steel will also cut through titanium rings. A cut-off disk in a Dremel type rotary tool will cut titanium rings very quickly for example. Ring cutters are available from jewelry supply companies.

on 11/22/2005 You can find black gold, blue gold, purple gold, and many other colors of gold, but are these really gold? Is colored gold as strong as normal gold? How are these gold colors obtained?

We are all familiar with white gold and yellow gold, but many fancy gold colors have now hitting the market. The truth is, little is known about these gold colors. This fact keeps jewelry buyers in the dark. Most gold-coloring processes are patented by a few big companies, who keep the facts hidden from the general public.

To start with, these gold colors really are gold. They are obtained by mixing different alloys into gold. This is similar to the process used to create white and yellow gold. The lack of sufficient knowledge regarding these gold colors applies to jewelers, too. This is the reason why maintaining and repairing fancy colored gold jewelry is not an easy task.

With a variety of patented alloys used in the making of these gold colors, there are special reasons for concern among people with sensitive skin and skin allergies. Given the mystery and secrecy that shrouds these gold colors, you need to question whether it is worth spending your money on them.

We have put together a detailed free report on black gold and other gold colors that is too long to post as a tip:

http://www.newsletter.kaijewels.com/gold-colors.htm