Don't Assume Anything When Evaluating Jewelry

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Even the experts have to look closely when examining jewelry. They look to see if there are markings of any kind stamped usually out of sight. The mark can tell a lot about the item. Sometimes the metal content will be revealed, the maker, where it was made and sometimes when it was made.

Wait just a minute. Don't assume just because you can't find any visible marks that it is not valuable. I myself have found a solid gold piece that was not marked, in a thrift store.

I have also found items that were marked gold but were not. Crooks will not stop at anything to get your money. Be aware. Don't assume. Don't invest any money that you can't afford to lose. That would take all the fun out of it. Use common sense. I promise you will come across a treasure of your own some time if you havn't already.

There can be significant value in a well made piece of costume jewelry by the right maker with or without marks also. That is why it is so important to do your research.

I've put together a list of some tips that will be useful on your hunt for treasure.

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• Take your tools like a magnifier or magnet with you when shopping second hand.
• Waiting for a sale can be profitable on silver and gold pieces of jewelry at the thrift store. D.A.V. thrift stores in my area have 1/2 price sales.
• Make yourself familiar with the different markings for gold and silver. There are many to consider. Sterling, plated, HGE, 10 K, Plat, Vermeil, etc. 
• Glass is cold to the touch at first but will warm in your hand as you hold it. 
• A semi-precious stone will stay cold to the touch.
• If an opal looks too perfect it is faked. Same size, shape and color in the flecks is a dead give away it's faked. If there are gaps evenly spaced, more than likely fake.  
• Opals come from Australia. A country of origin mark is a clue for dating purposes.
• Knowing laws and when they were implemented helps to date items. 
• Learning when a certain technique for jewelry making was invented will help date an item.
• Aurora Borealis aka AB was invented by Swarovski and Christian Dior in the 1950's.
• Russia and Hong Kong create a large amount of synthetic stones.
• You never want a cloudy gemstone. The richer the color the better.
• Look at the metal setting around your gemstone. If it is super fancy and outshines your gemstone, it could be over compensating for some where it is lacking. Might be a fake stone. 
• A real diamond does not fog but fake will.
• Check weight. A heavy solid construction usually indicates an older more valuable item. But not always.
• When you look at the back of a piece of jewelry, is it many settings or one solid setting. Separate settings is what you want. If you can look at the back and see that it is just as beautiful as the front you know you have got a really nice piece very well made. 
• Gold and silver are never magnetic and do not turn skin green.
• Look for any worn spots that show a different color metal underneath.
• Learn what tarnished silver smells like. Seriously.
• The facets will be cut sharp when the stone is authentic. If facets are rounded not so much.
• The corners or edges of gold jewelry are never sharp. Gold is too soft to form a sharp edge.
• Mystic topaz and Rainbow topaz are the stone. Vacuum disposition is the treatment used to enhance a clear topaz that is an actual semi-precious stone. 
• Lots of gemstones are "treated" "enhanced" "heated" or what-not.  

Some of these tips I was aware of already but I have been watching a very informative Dr. Lori on you tube lately. You should check her out. She is smart about all antiques. She educates as she appraises and spices it up with a unique sense of humor that's down to earth. She also has a website packed with tips. https://www.drloriv.com/

I guess my final tip for this post would be to keep educating yourself. Don't be afraid to make a mistake because that is how we learn. Happy hunting! 

6 DIY Tests For Diamonds REAL or FAKE?

There are no guarantees with these tests.  But, they just might get you closer to the truth.  Of course, the most reliable source would be an independent appraisal, which would probably cost some money.  Whatever you do, don't let your jewel be taken out of your site.  You could take it to a local jewelry store and get one of their 30 second oppinions for free.  Just know that mistakes can be made with these quick judgements.  With all that said, let's get to what you really came here for, the do-it yourself tests.

1. It is true that diamonds do scratch glass but so do a lot of the other fakes on the market.  To boot, it is quite possible to injure your rock even if it's real during such a hardness test.
2. If you flip the diamond upside down and place it over some newsprint and can clearly read through the stone, it's not a diamond.  Some diamonds are cut shallow and can be read through, so this really only works for larger diamonds.
3. The fog test is a good one.  Put the stone in front of your mouth and fog it like you would try to fog a mirror.  If it stays fogged for 2-4 seconds, it's a fake.  A real diamond disperses the heat instantaneously so by the time you look at it, it has already cleared up.  Oil and dirt on the stone will effect its reliability.  The test is not accurate at all on doublets where the top of the stone is diamond and the bottom is cubic zirconia epoxied together.  Did you know that happens? 
4. The most popular "fake" diamond is a cubic zirconia.  C.Z.'s weigh approximately 55% more than diamonds for the same shape and dimension.  So if you have a carat or gram scale at your disposal you can see if the imposter tips the scales too much.
5. A high percentage of diamonds fluorescence blue when put under an ultra violet light (black light).  Since 99% of all fakes don't, a positive identification of medium to strong blue would indicate a diamond.  This method proves you have a diamond.  It also proves your diamond is worth less.  Diamonds with blue fluorescence are as much as 20% less valuable.  Remember, lack of blue fluorescence doesn't mean it's a fake; it could just be a better quality diamond.
6. If you own some sort of magnifying lens, there are some things you can look for on the stone that might give away its identity.

•   Look at the rock from the top and see how well the facets are joined.  They should be sharp.
•   Look at the girdle and see if it is faceted or frosty (clear sign it's a diamond) waxy and slick  (indicates it's a fake). 
•   While you're looking at your stone under magnification, look into your stone to see if you   detect any flaws (carbon, pinpoints, small cracks).  These are typically clear indications it's the real thing since it's very hard to put inclusions in a fake.
•   After examining the stone, focus in on the stamps inside the setting.  A stamp of 10k, 14k, 18k, 585, 750, 900, 950, PT, Plat indicates the setting is real gold or platinum which gives a better chance that the stone in it is real as well.  While your're looking at the interior of the ring, also look for any C.Z. stamps.That would indicate the center stone is not a diamond but a cubic zirconia.

I hope this helps a little bit and I wish you luck on your sluething.

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