Muriel Hurtis Jewelry

Gold jewelry is synonymous with women, because in general women always adorn themselves with gold jewelry. Unlike most women whose economy is less able to be in rural areas and with lower economic levels of gold is also very rarely used, they used to wear jewelry Silver-based, but in the urban areas of gold jewelry is no longer a new thing containing less gold jewels usual in like the rich with precious stones or diamonds.

The current trends are a WHITE GOLD. why? Because the jewelry trend is now changing, than just hold the handle of the present gold as jewelry as “Fashion”. White gold began in great demand by consumers, white gold diamonds used as a binder is suitable because it can provide the perfect white color on the diamond. Although the price is more expensive but white gold has a phenomenon itself.

Despite a trend of white gold women’s choices when it was expensive, but he also has advantages and disadvantages or weaknesses. Weakness is white gold, the colors look more and more dull, if made of gold containing nickel it will make the skin irritation or itching skin. White gold price is also more expensive while the resale will be reduced if a higher discount

As a precious material, gold never goes out of fashion and retains its value very well, and so not only is this a beautiful metal that can be worked into almost any shape, it is also a practical investment.

Pure Gold
Gold is a very soft metal and so you rarely find totally pure gold in everyday jewelry such as rings and watches, as it scratches and dents too easily. Therefore gold jewelry is normally combined with trace amounts of other metals such as nickel or copper, which not only increase the strength and scratch resistance of the gold but can also change its colour slightly giving the different variations of white and rose gold. Gold jewelry is sold in karats, and this will let you know the percentage of pure gold that the item contains:
* 14K – this is a cheaper form of gold used in everyday jewelry and is around 58% pure gold
* 18K – this is the most common karat weight used in decorative jewelry as it combines strength with a high density of 75% pure gold.
* 24K – this is pure 100% gold, but can be easily scratched and dented so is not usually used for rings or items of jewelry that see heavy use.

The karat of the gold is marked on the jewelry, alongside a hallmark or trademark that identifies the maker of the jewelry, and in some cases the country of origin may also be stamped as well. Sometimes very old gold jewelry does not have any identification marks, and this may be because they have worn off over the years, but you can take it to a professional jeweller and get the karat confirmed, and they will be able to re-mark it for you.

Gold Plate
Some jewelry is made by applying a layer of gold over a much less expensive metal, and this reduces the cost whilst still giving a realistic gold appearance. However this layer of gold can often be quite thin and can wear away easily, and the value of this type of jewelry is not very high when it comes to resale.

You can find lots of bargains on many items of expensive and beautiful jewelry online, but it is important that you do your research very carefully first, as you will not be able to look at the pieces in person before you buy, and you need to know all of the karats and hallmarks to understand the value of what you are buying, so you know what is a fair price to pay.

Hallmarks
A hallmark is basically a quality control marking that tells you the weight of pure gold or silver in the jewelry, and all items sold in the UK must by law have a full set of hallmarks if they are being sold or traded. Hallmarks consist of 3 stamps, one that tells you the karat (the pureness of the precious metal), one that tells you the maker’s name and also one that tells you the country of origin.

In some rare cases items of antique jewelry may not have any recognisable hallmark stamps, and as you will not be able to examine the piece yourself when buying online it is best to stay away from these items unless you are absolutely sure of their authenticity. When buying gold, platinum or silver jewelry online make sure you check the hallmarks are present, and if you are buying on an auction site ask the seller to send you a clear picture of the hallmarks if it is not shown in the listing.

Auction Websites
Auction websites such as eBay are a great place to pick up bargains on new and used jewelry, but as with any type of auction buying you do need to be carefully about setting yourself a strict budget, and sticking to it. Auctions can be very exciting, and it can be tempting to keep bidding in the last few moments to ensure you get the piece, but this could mean that you end up spending over the odds for it, and then you have to add the postage costs as well.

Make sure you have checked the item you are bidding on carefully, and have noted down the weight, karat, country or origin and maker’s mark. Do some research online and look at what similar pieces are worth, and this will give you an idea of what budget to set yourself. Of course if you really like the piece of jewelry you are bidding on then it is worth spending a bit more money if you are going to keep it and wear it all the time, but it does pay to check prices first so you don’t end up paying more for something in an auction room, that you could buy new somewhere else for less.