Don't Buy Jewelry Without Knowing This
Welcome to the Clear Cut Classroom where we take deep dives into all things diamonds and jewelry! This week we are offering 3 tips you should know to have the best fine jewelry purchase without any issues.
#3 What are the metals?
Starting off with number 3, know what metal you are purchasing. Don't ever overpay for gold-plated jewelry. Gold plating is simply small bits of gold creating a thin layer over a base metal like brass or nickel. This will wear and tarnish eventually losing its original gold color and will probably turn your skin green too.
Differences between Solid Gold and Gold Plated
Solid gold and platinum are the metals to look for. Vermeil is another gold plated variation but laid over sterling silver. Sterling silver is not a precious metal and tarnishes just as easily, so be careful if the seller says it is gold vermeil. 14 and 18 karat gold and platinum are the precious metals to pay for and are worth the pricetag because they never wear.
#2 What are the stones?
If there are any stones in your jewelry, what are they? It is important to keep in mind that lab grown and synthetic gems are much cheaper and shouldn't be as expensive as the natural option. If any natural diamonds are featured in your fine jewelry there are the 4 C's to consider: Color, Clarity, Carat & Cut.
The 4 C's of Diamonds
Take a look at the quality with the listed C's of the diamond. Natural is always more expensive. Colored gemstones like emerald, sapphire and ruby, will be most precious above other colored stones, and natural pearls are increasingly more rare and very expensive so it is best to assume that the pearl you are looking at is cultured instead.
#1 Is the math adding up?
And finally, last but not least, with the top tip to know before purchasing your fine jewelry. . . is the math, mathing? In other words, is this jewelry worth the price? Is the unique design making the price higher than a standard style? Are the individual carat weights adding up to the total carat weight of the piece? Is the piece mass-manufactured overseas or is it made to order, locally to you? There is much more control over quality when shopping with a made to order company and better promise of quality and trust.
Always double-check carat weight and pricing
Take these tips with you the next time you shop around and you will end up taking home the best quality jewelry!