Hello All:

Here's a complete guide to help all of you assess your gold jewelry when you receive it (better) or before you buy it (best).

I always charge purchases with a major credit card on Ebay so if there is a problem, you have your credit card company to back you up! I NEVER PAY VIA MY BANK ACCOUNT FOR ANYTHING! -and personally  find American Express the best credit card company to help consumers if a problem arises. Problems do arise even with Ebay.

When sending an item back to a seller: ALWAYS AND I MEAN ALWAYS:

1) Photograph the item very well before packing it and mailing it back to the seller. If you received the item damaged, throughly photograph the damaged areas of the item and the package it came in.

2) Do not throw away the package until the matter is resolved.

3) Send the item back to the seller's PAYPAL ADDRESS insured, with online tracking, and signature required. This procedure is required by PayPal for you to be elligable for a PayPal refund. If you don't do it like this you will (not may) be in for big trouble.

BUYING GOLD JEWELRY?  HERE'S GOOD ADVISE:

READY? HERE WE GO...

When you receive a piece of jewelry from Ebay (or anyone else for that matter), Be sure to weigh it, and Acid Test it before putting it away and throwing away the box it came in!

DON'T HAVE A SCALE? Go to E-bay and buy one (Where else)??? LOL! -Search under: "Gram Scale"  to buy an inexpensive one. (About $12-$20).

DO YOU BUY GOLD ON E-BAY? While your at it, if you buy gold jewelry for yourself, it's always a good idea to get a simple gold testing kit as well. Search E-bay under: "Gold Testing Kit" or Gold Acid Testing". Cost: Approx. $15 - $20.

It's so easy to test for gold content!  The test only takes about 5-10 seconds -  to test an item!
- That's right!  It's fast, simple, easy & helps you know and rest assured what you're buying is REAL or NOT! Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous sellers that try to sell fake jewelry, or sometimes, the karat of the jewelry can be less than marked.

Sometimes the piece can be marked 14k but is totally fake! -That happened to me once, and that's why I bought an acid testing kit!

All testing results are not perfect so here are a couple of exceptions:

About electronic gold testing devices: You should be aware that with an electronic gold tester, some very heavily plated pieces might give a false reading indicating "gold" when the piece is only base metal and plated with gold. For this reason the streak (or sometimes called a scratch test) test is better. But the person doing the test must be sure to take a file or carbide scriber and make a very deep scratch- in order to penetrate the plating for an accurate test. To truly test, a cut must be made in the item, in an inconspicuous spot, deep enough to penetrate any surface layer and then acid applied directly to the This does though ruin the piece because it is very hard not to see the spot where tested, and so this is why this testing type is usually only used by gold dealers that are buying gold to melt. 

I personally have worked for a scrap gold buyer and can tell you, I have been so sorry to see some peoples faces fall in shock after testing their very heavy necklaces or rings they bought overseas that were sold to them as 22k and 24k, (at real prices)! But were actually heavily plated and worthless costume! I know they paid literally thousands for these items. One client told me that their husband paid $15,000 for a necklace! These items tested to us as real on the electronic tester but when we filed into it heavily to reveal the base metal, it then tested again with acid on the jewelry, it showed that it was only fake base metal, and heavily plated. This is a good reason to buy major lifetime pieces from a reputable party.

Also, please note: Some real gold early period jewelry -before 1906- (or even current gold pieces made by private artists) aren't marked at all but can actually be real gold. -Gold was only required to be marked in the USA since 1906 but the quality of such was never required at that time. The law has been revised several times since then to protect consumers (-Which you can read about in my other guide: NATIONAL GOLD & SILVER MARKING ACT). The reason is because as for markings, the USA law does not require a jewelry item to be marked with karat but if "it is marked", the maker must also put the maker mark with the karat mark.  This is something like signing a check to verify it is yours.  The law in this case allows recourse for jewelry marked a certain quality and not meeting those standards. to mark a piece 14k, you must have a hallmark listed with the US trade and patent office.

...So a gold testing kit is still wonderful to take with you  if you do the garage sale/estate sale treasure hunts on the weekends.

I always keep my little portable gold scale and acid testing kit with me- even if I go to a department store, I bring my gram scale! I have even gotten great deals at department stores when they bought pieces long ago and didn't re-evaluate them when gold went up! LOL! -I just love a bargain -Don't you?

Tip: To prevent kinks from forming in link necklaces, run the chain through a straw and fasten the clasp. Lay it flat in a drawer or tray.

I always test everything I buy, and you can too.

The gold test kit should come with simple instructions. Just ask the seller how to use it

But remember this guide is only a suggestion and if your item is substantionally valuable, nothing is a substitute for a professional jewelers appraisal!

-I Hope this guide helps you.

*** Please be sure to rate this guide >HELPFUL< so that others see it too!***

Thanks & Happy E-baying!  :)