Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Store Locator The Woodlands: 281.364.7172

If you have inherited a lot of jewelry or been given a nice gift, you may be curious if the jewelry is real or costume. It is important to know the difference because you may want to sell it at some point. It would be pretty embarrassing to show up at a pawn shop or jewelry store to sell costume jewelry. There are some ways of knowing if the jewelry is real or fake, however.

Markings And Stamps Go A Long Way

Many different jewelry stores in Houston will gladly help you when it comes time to sell your jewelry. You should know some simple signs of real jewelry before you head their way, though. Look for small things like markings on the jewelry. Specifically, you should look for the weight of the karat on gold rings and pendants. It will be marked on the jewelry somewhere unobtrusively. Once you find that, you can determine just how real it is. If you think you have a real gold ring and do not see these markings, chances are you have a gold costume ring.

Costume jewelry will generally have a stamp or some sort of brand on it that has the maker’s name on it. This could be a symbol of some sort or just the brand name logo. If you see this on your jewelry, chances are it is costumer jewelry. There are some silversmiths who do brand their sterling silver jewelry along with the word “sterling”, so you can look for that as well. These symbols can help you do find out more on your jewelry. By doing some simple research online, you will be able to find out a great deal about what you have.

Appraisals And Estimates

When you want to sell your jewelry, it is always important to have an appraisal done. This will determine the full amount of money you can expect when you are selling. Depending on where you go to sell your jewelry, you can be offered a lot less. When you are thinking about getting an appraisal done, call around. Most jewelry stores charge per piece of jewelry, but there are some that will do it free of charge. They can also tell you how old the costume jewelry you have is. This can actually impact the value, as can the maker of the jewelry. The appraiser will factor in these things when giving you a total amount per piece.

Finally, there are a few standard ways that an appraiser can tell if you have real gold or silver. By using a magnet, they will determine how real your jewelry is. Gold and silver are not magnetic, so if your jewelry is sticking to the magnet, you have fake gold or silver. There are many coats and polishes that companies will put on jewelry to make it look real. Those will also be magnetic. Once all factors are taken into consideration, you will know just how real or fake your jewelry really is.