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5 Gold Jewelry Tips – Buyer Beware

March 7th, 2010 Trevor Weir No comments

Some of us purchase gold jewelry because - it looks good, our mother said so, it compliments the color of our skin, its a great possible investment, yaddy, yaddy yah. The reasons are as plentiful as the overly honest dealers who would sell you the goods.

Perhaps I shouldn't skip too quickly over the "great investment theme" because it is somewhat important to know that "10 Carat gold" all the way up to "18 Carat gold" is generally not considered to be shrewd investment material. It is simply not investment grade, hard assets even if your home insurance covers it in case of theft.

Some of us want to claim an investment while still flaunting the bling on our skin and there is nothing wrong with that so flaunt something a little or considerably better than 18 Carat in order to claim the investment angle. Typically, the areas of the world where stronger than 18 Carat Gold can be purchased are parts of India,Philippines,Hong Kong and the Middle East

Most jewellers who don't sell stronger than 18 Carat gold are likely to tell you that there is no such thing in jewelry since its too soft for most applications. They do have a point there however from experience I can tell you that 22 Carat Gold necklaces of 110 grams have been known to support the pull of a 50 pound child.

I first started buying gold in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. It was, at one time very cheap there. Later I moved on to the gold souks of Dubai and the other middle east commercial centers. Genuine 24K stuff can be had there.

If truth be told, I thought it was 24, but it was usually only 97-98% pure, but hey, still better than the 14k fluff sold in North America.

Then I found them. These are massive jewelry shops on both the Hong Kong and Kowloon side. They sell amazing pearl, emerald and exquisitely carved gold pieces. Supposedly, the HK government certifies what they are selling, but a few of these tourists traps have all kinds of interesting motivational **deals** especially in Kowloon. Anyway, they have certificates claiming their 24 Carat Gold is 99.999% pure, but when I took their stuff to Toronto, I was told that the purity was extremely good but a little more than 22 Carats.

When I took their stuff to an internationally known goldsmith to melt down, he again informed me that the material was only 22 to 23 Carats Gold purity. I kept thinking about how embarrassing it would be to pull out one's own little gold volume/weight measurement tool in one of those massive elite stores and proudly if not loudly proclaim that the pure piece they were trying to sell wasn't truly pure at all - I am also imagining that one could expect a nice long talk with the local police for creating such a fine performance.

And I know someone else will post and tell me that they are from HK and the govt certifies these big shops blah blah but I have purchased big items 4 times in 6 years and each time while trying to sell elsewhere in North America and the UK have been told similar bad news ( Even when I presented the govt stamped HK certificate|It made no difference to the buyers even when presented with the certificate of authenticity which comes with each piece purchased from HK ) Can authenticity certificates be faked? Certainly. Might certain shops fake them? I can't say.

The lesson to learn perhaps is when buying gold from a store don't ever fully 100% trust your seller or your buyer because the value of the metal is so high, understand that if either of the two groups can sucker you for even 2-3% of the value, they will, they can and they won't stop - irrespective of authenticity proofs blah blah blah.

Lesson learned, when buying gold from a store don't ever fully 100% trust your seller or your buyer because the value of the metal is so high, understand that if either of the two groups can sucker you for even 2-3% of the value, they will, they can and they won't stop - irrespective of govt certifications blah blah blah.

If your goal is really investment and you have no real need to put on your bling then buy a regulated certifiable gold bar from a western based dealer who is very much liable in western courts and has both insurance and liability coverage.

If what you are looking to purchase is 14 Carat or below, ignore almost everything said above since, 14 Carat is not investment quality anyway.

If you are in HK and not sure if you should buy. Don't hesitate, just understand that it's not often that a street vendor sell you absolutely 24 Carats, even if she believes it is so. Haggle the price with the knowledge that you're are probably getting substantially more than 22 Carats but really not 24 Carats. Compare this to the North American or even UK experience where you are most likely being sold only 14 Carats.

Don't sweat it, just buy it, wear it, enjoy it, don't lose it and have fun.

Mankind has been buying awe inspiring jewelry almost since the beginning of time. One would think there shouldn't be any of this precious metal left by now, lol. Surprise! There is still lots. Have a look at the best women's jewellery on the planet.

An Overview To Diamond Ring Alloys

March 6th, 2010 Janet Withers No comments

There are many jewelers using different metals for making bridal rings. Tungsten and titanium are two of the metals that are commonly used. However, platinum is probably the most popular of all the uncommon metals being used. Platinum rings and bands are becoming increasingly popular among couples.

Platinum is often used as the base metal in platinum rings. And gems such as diamonds are added to it. Platinum is a bright metal that looks very beautiful. And it is even more long lasting than gold.

Wearing a platinum ring on your finger makes you feel very special. There is no doubt that platinum is an exceptionally beautiful and rare metal. This is why for wedding rings and wedding bands, platinum is considered to be the perfect metal.

It surely does not come cheap. But that does not mean it is out of your reach. Even the middle class can easily go for it.

The most popular of all metals, however, still seems to be gold. It is a glowing and shiny metal that has been really popular with couples over many years. It looks beautiful. Getting the right design and look with it is easy. And there is definitely no doubt that it is also quite durable.

You can find gold wedding rings in different shades and designs. And it also works well with other metals. Different and interesting shades such as green, white gold, and rose can be tried, if you want to buy a gold wedding ring.

It is not always a good idea to choose 24 carat gold because the design that you want may not work with it. A high carat gold ring is more susceptible to losing shape. This is why for a wedding band it is advisable to choose 14 or 18 carat gold.

If you want something a little inexpensive, you can go for a wedding ring that is made of gold mixed with an alloyed metal.

It is important that you understand that the more gold that is present in your ring, the more will be its cost. It is, therefore, very important that you select the right carat keeping in mind your budget. Gold is also cheaper than a tungsten or platinum ring. So, if money is a concern, you should go for a gold wedding ring.

To learn a lot more relating to ring jewelry, this author has released numerous recent stories pertaining to diamond eternity bands and additionally pave diamond bridal bands.