Precious Metals--Precious Gifts: Tips for Buying Platinum, Gold
or Silver Jewelry
Buying jewelry can be fun, exciting and sometimes confusing.
Whether you are considering a gift of jewelry for someone
special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the
terms used in the industry. Start with basics: carats and
karats. What's the difference? To make it simple, a carat is
unit of weight for gemstones, including diamonds; a karat is a
unit for measuring the purity of gold.
The word gold, for example, used by itself, means all gold or 24
karat (24K) gold. However, because 24K gold is very soft, it's
usually mixed with other metals to increase its strength and
durability. If a piece of jewelry is not 24 karat gold, the
karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.
The karat quality tells you what proportion of gold is mixed
with other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14
parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal.
The higher the karat rating, the higher proportion of gold. Most
jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although this is not
required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should find
the name of the registered trademark of the company that will
stand behind the mark. If you do not see a trademark on a piece
of jewelry, look for another piece.
Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate
refers to items that are composed of base metal then covered
with a layer of gold, done either mechanically or
electronically. Eventually the gold plating wears away, but how
soon depends on how often the item is worn and how thick the
plating is. Gold-filled, gold overlay and gold plate are terms
used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat
gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the item is marked
with any one of those terms, the term or abbreviation should
follow the karat quality of the gold used. For example, 14K Gold
Overlay or 12K RGP.
Platinum is another precious metal used extensively in jewelry
and is actually more expensive than gold. It is usually mixed
with similar metals like palladium, or iridium. Quality markings
for platinum are different than that for gold. For platinum it
is based on parts per thousand. For example, the marking 900
Platinum means that 900 parts out of 1000 are pure platinum. The
abbreviations for platinum--Plat. or Pt. can also be used in
marking jewelry.
The words silver or sterling silver describe a product that
contains at least 92.5% silver. Silver products are sometimes
marked 925 which means that 925 parts per thousand are pure
silver. According to federal law, quality-marked silver also
must bear the name or a U.S. registered trademark of the company
or person that will stand behind the mark. Some jewelry or
silver items may be marked "silverplate": a layer of silver
bonded to a base metal. Vermeil is a special type of gold plated
product, consists or a base of sterling silver that is coated or
plated with gold.
Pewter items may be described and marked as such if they contain
at least 90% tin.
When you're in the market for a piece of jewelry for yourself or
someone you love, shop around. Whether it is online, in catalogs
or at a traditional store make comparisons. Compare quality,
price, and service. Ask about refund and return policies before
you buy. And make sure you get a sales receipt containing any
information you relied on when making your purchase.
Best wishes for an enjoyable and rewarding shopping experience!