Guides
Jewelry guides
Straight answers for owners, inheritors and resellers: how to check a diamond or gold at home, read hallmarks and understand what a piece is really worth.
How to Tell if a Diamond Is Real: Home Checks and Their Limits
Try the fog, read-through and loupe tests, learn why moissanite and lab-grown diamonds pass them, and know when you need a tester or a GIA or IGI report.
Read guide →How to Tell if Gold Is Real: Stamps, Simple Tests and Lab Checks
Read karat stamps, check wear, try the magnet and density tests, tell plated from gold-filled, vermeil and solid, and see how jewelers confirm gold.
Read guide →Jewelry Hallmarks and Stamps: What 925, 585, 750, GF and PT950 Mean
Decode the marks inside rings and on clasps: gold, silver, platinum and palladium purity stamps, plating codes, maker's and assay marks, and fakes.
Read guide →How Much Is My Jewelry Worth? Melt, Resale and Appraised Value
Melt, resale, retail and insurance value explained, what drives a jewelry price, how to calculate melt value from weight and karat, and where to sell.
Read guide →Inherited Jewelry: What to Do With It, Step by Step
A practical plan for inherited jewelry: sort and photograph it, read stamps and brands, separate costume from fine, pick the right appraisal, then keep or sell.
Read guide →Real vs Fake Pearls: How to Tell the Difference at Home
Spot imitation pearls with the tooth test, drill holes and luster, learn natural vs cultured vs fake, and compare freshwater, Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian.
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