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Explore practical jewelry articles about visible details, hallmarks, gemstones and better photos, with clear guidance on when to ask a qualified professional.
The fog test, the water glass and the newspaper trick are everywhere, but none of them can prove a diamond is real. Here is what home checks can honestly tell you, what a jeweler's tester measures, and how a grading report settles the question.
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Spot gold fell below $3,900 an ounce on October 30, 2026, its lowest level in more than a year. Here is how a falling gold price changes the melt value of your rings and chains per gram by karat, what it does and does not do to buyer offers, and how to recalculate your own pieces.
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Gold filled, gold plated and vermeil all put a layer of gold over another metal, but the amount of gold, the base metal and the marks differ. Here is what each label means under the US FTC Jewelry Guides and how to read GF, RGP, GEP and HGE stamps.
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The karat number tells you how much of a piece is pure gold. Here is what 10K, 14K and 18K mean in percentages and stamps, how they differ in wear, color and value per gram, and how to choose between them.
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Marks, magnets and a close look can tell you a lot about a gold piece, but none of them proves it is solid gold. Here is what each check shows, what it misses and when to get a professional test.
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A 925 stamp is the fineness mark for sterling silver: 925 parts silver per 1,000. Here is where you will see it, why it turns up on gold-coloured pieces, and what it cannot prove.
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A 585 stamp is a fineness mark: it describes gold content in parts per thousand and corresponds to 14 karat. Here is what it tells you, what it does not, and how it affects value.
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Record visible marks, dimensions, condition and history before comparing descriptions or asking a specialist; photos cannot settle authenticity or value.
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They answer different questions. Learn what an image-based result can offer and when to bring in an independent appraiser.
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The 4Cs describe diamond characteristics, but a phone photo cannot reliably grade color, clarity, cut or carat weight. Learn what it can show.
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A stamp can help identify possible fineness, but it cannot prove who made a piece, what it contains or whether it is authentic.
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A steady, clear photo gives an image-based tool more to inspect. It cannot verify a piece or establish its full market value without examination.
Read articleThese blog posts are educational. They do not certify an item, set a market value or replace a qualified appraiser or gemologist.