Last Updated on April 30, 2024 by Jawad Ali
Jewellery is a valuable asset. It is something that helps you in so many ways. It is not only associated with a person from the financial point of view, rather it has some emotional connections with the person who is owing it. People love to wear jewellery to look good, sophisticated and alluring. There are some jewellery which are considered as family heirlooms and thus they get transferred to the next generations. With all this information and ideas, the main question that comes to our mind is that- how to value our jewellery? How do we know that the jewellery that we are wearing or purchasing are authentic and not fake? Well, this is where the jewellery valuation services come to our aid.
In this article we shall be looking at some of the ways which we can opt for jewellery valuations. There are certain ways that make it clear whether the metals, such as yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, platinum and so on and the stones, such as white diamonds, colourful diamonds and colourful gemstones used in making a piece of jewellery are pure and authentic or not. You can also take the help of different companies, such as Prestige Valuations, which provide you with the valuation of services of different types of jewellery and other valuable assets, such as probate jewellery valuation and so on.
Let us now have a look at some of the ways which we can follow to value our jewellery.
Check whether the jewellery comes with a hallmark and a certificate or not
This is one of the ways through which you can know whether your jewellery is authentic and original or not. Always make sure that you are having your jewellery from an authentic jewellery shop or a jeweller/designer that provides you with hallmarked and certified jewellery. It is these markings and certificates that give the proof of the authenticity, purity and originality of the jewellery pieces. Generally you will find these markings on the clasp of the necklace, inside of the ring or bracelet or bangle, post of the earring and so on. If you do not find these markings at the mentioned place of the jewellery, there are high chances that the jewellery is the costume one.
For instance, in gold jewellery, you can know the purity of the metal through its karat weight. It is generally mentioned with a number which is further followed by the letter “k” or the word “karat”. So an eighteen karat gold jewellery will be mentioned with the number “.750” stamped on it. When it comes to platinum jewellery, the word “platinum” or “plat” is stamped on the metal. For sterling jewellery, either the word “sterling” or the number “.925” is stamped on it; sometimes the number “925” is also marked on the sterling jewellery which means, it contains 92.5% silver.
If you find the words “GP” or “HGP”, it means the jewellery is gold plated and is not made up of pure gold. If you are purchasing the jewellery from a famous brand or a designer, you will find their names stamped on the jewellery.
This is one of the ways through which you can carry out your jewellery valuation process.
How to test your jewellery?
There are several ways to test your jewellery. Magnet test, vinegar test, skin test, ceramic test and so on are some of the tests that help you in knowing the purity of your jewellery.
Magnet Test:
When you are going for the magnet test for your jewellery, always remember that gold and silver metals are non-magnetic. So if your jewellery is attracted towards the magnet, it means that it is not pure gold or silver jewellery. Jewellery with base metals, such as brass, copper, simulated gold and silver are not attracted to the magnet. So this test won’t work for them.
Ceramic Test:
In order to know the purity of your gold jewellery, you can go for a ceramic test as well. Use an unglazed ceramic plate and put the jewellery on its surface. If the jewellery leaves a black mark, it means it is not made up of pure gold.
Skin Test:
One of the easiest ways to know whether your jewellery is original and pure is to notice whether your skin is turning green or you are feeling a kind of irritation after wearing it. If it happens, this means the jewellery is not made up of pure gold or silver or platinum. An original gold, silver or platinum jewellery won’t cause any harm to the skin.
Apart from these tests, if you want to take the help of a professional for the jewellery valuations, you can opt for that as well. In fact, if you are taking the help of the experts, you will get to know a lot of things about the jewellery.
Summing Up
These are some of the ways which you can follow to value your jewellery. These days, many professional companies are providing online valuation services, such as online valuation of jewellery, online antique valuation services and so on. This facility can also help you in so many ways.
