The adoption of jewelry continues to span various cultures with many people seeking to upgrade their looks or showcase their personality. However, it is important to point out that some of the aesthetic indicators that exist in jewels may not always give a good impression of their actual valuation. Some jewelry may appear worth mere dollars to the naked eye but may turn out to be worth thousands instead. This begs the question ‘how do you know the worth of a jewel?’ To be honest, this question has no definite comprehensive answer. Below are some of the descriptive qualities that you can check before forking over cash and visiting a jewelry appraiser.
Identify Hallmarks
Looking for the existence of hallmarks in your piece of jewelry should be one of the first things you look for once you get a new piece of jewelry. The hallmark usually contains information about the metal content of the piece of jewelry and other features such as the manufacturer, designer, and native country. This information is useful for determining the worth of a piece of jewelry as can be ascertained by various jewelry supply stores. Ideally, you should seek these markings at the clasp of the jewelry e.g. a necklace, an earring post, or the inside of a bracelet ring. Furthermore, most of the existing jewelry has some form of hallmark which will enable you to evaluate them. Examples of jewelry hallmarks include Cartier, Tiffany & Co, and Tacori among others. If you notice that your item has an antique look and has no hallmark, you should definitely get it appraised by professionals. New items that don’t have hallmarks usually imply that they are costume jewelry and are therefore not worth a lot.
Weigh the Item
If you are assessing bangles and chains, weighing them is an absolute requirement. Silver and gold are usually heavier than their counterparts such as pewter and brass. Therefore, should you find a thick gold chain that is lighter than a similar one that you possess, then that chain is possibly hollow gold or plain fake. Vermeil gold jewelry is a popular type of coating that includes a thick layer of real gold over sterling silver, and often mimics the weight and look of real gold (they tend to be more expensive than traditional gold plated jewelry). Solid gold jewelry is usually heavy, consistent, and smooth throughout. For instance, if you have a gold chain with a darker or silvery color, the gold chain is likely not very valuable. Therefore, you should keep in mind that the heavier or longer your jewelry is the more valuable it is.
Check the Prongs
High-quality costume jewelry like diamond cocktail rings uses prongs such as fine jewelry with most of the stones glued in place. Therefore, the existence of a cameo brooch that appears glued into the structure with no prongs keeping it in place likely implies that it is costume jewelry and is therefore not very valuable. Ideally, fine jewelry is properly crafted with every stone in its definite place in the prong setting; pearls being the only exception.
Conclusion
The use of jewelry continues to shape how people interact and appear in public. Therefore, you should definitely use the tips defined above to verify the quality of your jewelry supply before seeking jewelry appraisers.