Before Buying Jewelry Consider Some Important Factors
Digitization has revolutionized the way of shopping. Earlier people used to hop from one shop to another to check various designs and samples. Now you can visit multiple stores within seconds easily online using your device and internet connection. For jewelry lovers, it is no less than a miracle as they can follow the latest trends, get the best rate bargains, and shop from reliable jewelry stores online.
Do you want to upgrade your jewelry collection or want to surprise your loved one with precious stones or jewelry? You can easily buy jewelry online and beautiful jewels from a wide range of items at cheaper prices and some platforms such as Dream Of Stones offer low or no shipping charges.
But before buying any jewelry, you should consider a few important factors such as carat, purity, and cut. Here are some tips mentioned below that you can keep in your mind before buying particular jewelry types:
Diamond is a precious stone and its value depends on four Cs i.e. Carat, Clarity, Color, and Cut. The first C i.e. Karat indicates the weight of the stone, and the second C i.e. clarity ranges from most valuable to internally flawless to imperfect varieties. The higher the impurity in the diamond the lower the price will be.
A colored diamond is rated D and is also expensive as compared to others. With the increase in color, the rating also changes from D to Z and the value of diamond depreciates correspondingly. No doubt diamonds are one of the hardest gems, it also has cleavage planes that means if it hits the ground at a specific angle or drops down it may crack or shatter. That’s why diamonds should be cut and set carefully.
The resale value of a diamond is low because it is hard to cut and use again. In fact, if you buy diamond jewelry without a certificate, it may be considered worthless. The certificate is important because it reflects that the diamond ranks on all four Cs.
Platinum jewelry is also quite popular as it is highly resistant to stress and also beautiful at the same time. Some other metals are also mixed with it to make different pieces of jewelry. These metals are the ones that lie in the platinum group (e.g. iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, and osmium), and even cobalt can be used. Jewelry made of platinum is ranked with numbers between 800 and 950, which indicates the percentage (80–95%) of platinum used. Jewels that are rated 95% are simply marked 'Plate' or 'Platinum'. On the other hand, jewels with higher concentrations of other metals are rated in a different manner e.g. '.80 plat/ir' implies that the jewelry piece contains 80% platinum and the rest is made of iridium.
People nowadays buy platinum jewelry as an investment because the cost of these jewels is also high. Remember to buy platinum jewelry only from a reliable vendor and get a certificate.
In its pure form, silver jewelry is very soft and this is why copper, zinc, or nickel are mostly added to it for strength. Copper hardens silver, but it has a tendency to tarnish, causing jewelry pieces to darken when it is constantly exposed to air, water, or other elements. Some jewelers started adding platinum to it, which is tough and resistant to tarnish, but also increases the cost of the jewelry.
The best silver is sold as sterling silver and contains 92.5% of the precious metal. So, it is stamped as .925 or just 925. Silver coins contain 90% metal. Avoid buying jewelry that is below this purity level.
Metals are measured in grams or ounces. Depending on the complexity of the design, the making charge varies from 10% to 100% of the value of the jewelry.
According to jewelers, the highest number of fraud cases are done in silver jewelry and its accessories. Hence, you should buy these jewels only from reputed jewelers who have a reliable buyback policy. Silver is resold based on its weight and as the exchanged metal is usually melted down to be reused, you will lose the making charge. The only exception to this rule is if you have antique silver jewelry.
Gold is measured in carats (written as K) and its purest form is 24K. But jewelry is made from 18K and 22K gold which indicates that other metals are added to add strength. One should only buy jewelry which is hallmarked and approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards. This guarantees the authenticity and will make it easier to sell gold at great deals.
Gold is also available in red/rose and white colors due to the alloy used. White gold jewelry uses nickel, platinum, or palladium and may need to be re-plated in 12-24 months, depending on the use. Avoid gold-plated or gold-washed jewelry that has a very thin gold layer. Plating usually wears out fast (unless you use it very sparingly) and also the jewelry will look bad after plating removes.
It is easy to sell gold at the latest price and by weight. But you may not recover the making charge (10-25% of the value of the gold). If the jewelry is not hallmarked, you may have difficulty selling it as there is no proof of purity.
Now you know how to buy precious stones and jewelry online, get them from a reliable vendor i.e. Dream Of Stones. You can find a wide collection of gemstones and other accessories online from our store. For any queries, you can send us a message at hello@dreamofstones.com.
