How to verify the authenticity of a jewel

Only real precious materials are used by specialists and students of the “Yes, I can!” jewelry school. But how can a layman tell if the gold he has in front of him is genuine and differentiate genuine gemstones from imitations?

There are many methods to verify authenticity, which we will examine in deptheur in this post.
Check your jewelry in different ways

Before'buy a jewel, it is common to examine the authenticity of the materials. Therefore, let's start with the most basic valuation methods.

1. Make a purchase at a known jewelry store.

When you buy jewelry from a well-known brand, you can be sure that the stones and metals are totally authentic. Since selling fakes jeopardizes the reputation of a popular brand, none of them will sell them.

2. Perform your own visual examination.

Start small. Check to see if your jewelry has the required labels or certifications. Any object made of precious metals bears a label. It contains the following information:

Manufacturer's name and trademark
Product name and part number
the quality and designation of the metal the address of the registered manufacturer the description of the precious or semi-precious stones incorporated in the jewel the total weight of the object the valueeur of the object.

A stamp from the technical inspection service must also appear on the back of the label. Whenils sell counterfeits, sell themeurs often issue a certificate of conformity to the place of the authentic label, but these documents have no valueeur legal and do not guarantee the quality of the product.

Do not forget that precious stones must also be accompanied by a certificate. Don't forget to mark each item of jewelery offered for sale with a unique stamp – the manufacturer's imprint.

Also pay attention to the quality of the jewel: the stones must be embedded and placed in the setting rather than glued, and the links of the chain must be welded and without interstices.

3. Detection of metal assays

Any gold or silver item must be hallmarked. It makes it possible to simply establish the alloy of the metal and to validate its authenticity. You can find more information about hallmarks here.

The 750, 800 and 875 hallmarks are used to identify medium and poor quality silver. The benchmark hallmark for high quality silver jewelry is 925. Bank coins and bars are made in 960 and 999 alloys.

Platinum is also available in additionieurs official quality samples including 850, 900, 950 and 999.

The article must also bear a quality label in addition to the proof. The girl in a kokoshnik, or five-pointed star, competes for gold (used until 1994).

4. The evaluation and opinion of an impartial expert

If you have already acquired a piece of jewelry and you have doubts about the legitimacy of the materials or prior procedures, it is best to have it examined by a professional. The only and most reliable technique to verify the authenticity of a jewel will be the opinion of an independent expert.

Professional gemologists perform the examination, which includes spectrum analysis, using specific instruments, solutions and methodologies. Ils assessesront the quality of the part and determinesront if the stones are real and have been set in the jewelry, after which ils valuedront the valleyeur of the room and givesrontleur notice. Thanks to this document, you will be able to return the counterfeit to the seller.eur or produce evidence in court.

“Traditional” approaches

A sample and tag can be used to verify the authenticity of stones and metal. However, if you still want to know if the jewel you have in front of you is authentic or not, you can use the following creative methods:

Invest in a magnet.

Gold-plated steel or other high-tensile alloyseur iron are often misrepresented as real gold jewelry. As the real items contain a lot of precious metal, ils do notront never magnetic.

Make a chalk board.

Ordinary chalk can be used to rub silver jewelry. If the chalk begins to blacken, you can tell if the silverware in front of you is genuine.

Add ammonia.

Silver is often used for place platinum. Platinum alloy lacks the malleability and coloreur dark counterfeit money. You can also test platinum using ammonia, which blackens the surface of most metals except platinum.

Iodine is essential.

Ordinary iodine is used to evaluate gold alloys. After interacting with iodine, a stain will appear on a fake or an alloy with a high level of impurity. On the other hand, in the case of platinum, the darker and more saturated this spot remains, the greater the punch of the article.

Plus a dash of vinegar.

Fill a glass halfway with vinegar and soak the suspect gem in it for 5 minutes. Real gold will be perfect, while counterfeit gold will quickly turn black.

The authenticity of gemstones can also be easily determined:

If a diamond is genuine, it will not fog up when you breathe on it.
Think about putting a pearl “on the tooth”. A real mineral will squeak like sand on your teeth.
In a glass of salted water, immerse the amber. As its weight is lowereur to that of salt water, real amber will float right away. Amber can also be electrified, trapping dust and giving a small electric shock when touched with a woolen towel.

Check it out before you buy it.

So, without the help of an expert, you can quickly assess the validity of the goods using these methods. If concerns remain or if these measures are ineffective, it is recommended to inspect the jewelry to see the full picture.

We hoperons that you now know how to avoid buying counterfeit jewelry. Buy only authentic jewelry made of precious metals and stones, or make your own at the jewelry school.