Tips For Buying Sterling Silver 925 Instead Of A Cheaper Substitute

By Scott Fisher


If you love jewelry, you are probably always on the lookout for a great piece. Necklaces, bracelets, and rings don't have to be expensive to appear striking and impressive. If you go into a discount store and purchase a piece of jewelry for a few dollars, you shouldn't expect it to be fine jewelry. When you pay a significant amount for a genuine sterling silver 925 piece however, you have a right to expect it to be real.

Those who are new to investing in good jewelry may not be aware of the easiest way to identify an authentic piece. With sterling silver, you need to look for the hallmark 925, . 925, or 92.5. This designation is American. It means that the piece you are looking at is ninety-two and a half percent silver with seven and a half percent another metal, such as copper.

When you are in the market for a quality metallic piece of jewelry, you should avoid anything that is described as plated. Plating is a coating of metal over the piece. The actual piece could be made out of any kind of less expensive metal such as nickel or copper. After you have worn the jewelry for a while, it will tarnish, and the coating will wear away.

Even if you're not spending a lot of money, it's a good idea to check the quality of necklace or bracelet clasps and chains. Clasps should feel secure when closed and open without difficulty. Chains should not have bends or kinks. You can check that by laying them on a solid surface to see if they will lay flat. New metallic jewelry is shiny. Vintage jewelry often is not.

Most experts suggest buyers avoid departments sales, or at least be aware that they often substantially mark up their merchandise. This may be why they are able to offer frequent and deep discounts on the items they sell. Independent jewelers don't mark up their jewelry as much, but they also don't offer much in the way of sales.

If you love vintage metallic jewelry, antique shops, thrift stores, and flea markets are great places to find them. Sometimes you can find rare and unusual pieces for a fraction or what you would pay for new ones. Older jewelry can be a lot more interesting than their modern counterparts. When you see a person with a striking piece of jewelry, you might ask where they got it.

Everybody buys online these days, but you have to be careful when purchasing expensive jewelry. Since you can't see it or examine it in person, you have to rely on the truthfulness of the seller. The more information the seller provides, the more likely it is that he is offering a genuine precious metal piece.

There is nothing wrong with buying cheap, trendy jewelry. If you are going to purchase the real thing however, you need to know what to look for. It's easy to end up spending a lot of money on an imitation.




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