Every jewelry box contains something valuable inside, whether you have personally bought or inherited the pieces. Even if your jewelry box has just been filled recently, there is still a good chance for you to actually be sitting on real treasure. Before you go on a digging adventure, you need to first be aware of what you need to actually look out for. To find out if you indeed have valuables in your jewelry box, here are some tips for you to consider.
Know Your Hallmarks
Hallmarks have a tendency to remain the same throughout the world. This makes it so much easier for jewelry to travel and be sold in various countries. Hence, it should not be hard to read the hallmark on any jewelry inside your jewelry box. Depending on the type of jewelry and what it is made of, you can expect to look out for different things. On gold jewelry, look out for the ‘k’ symbol which tells you the carat of the piece. For silver, look out for words like ‘STER’ which indicates Sterling Silver. There may also be other information like the manufacturer’s mark and the country of origin.
Professionally Appraised
For diamond pieces, it is best to have them appraised by a professional. Diamonds are much harder to be detected for impurities or imperfections when you do not have prior field experience. Before you get all overly excited, make sure what you have in your hand is a real diamond. Only experts have the right skills and tools to tell apart real diamonds from fake glass and you cannot determine the carat of the pieces either. If the diamond jewelry has had its hallmark rubbed off due to wear and tear over the years, the process becomes even harder. Visit any diamond jewelry retailer and see what they can do about your pieces.
Sorting Through Colors
For jewelry pieces with gems, take a good look at their color. For gems that are richer in color, they are usually worth more. At the same time, you want to make sure that the gems have a slight transparency to them. If you are able to see through the gems while they are still shining with color in the light, they are most likely to be precious stones. If you detect any murkiness in the gems and they are slightly more translucent in terms of quality, it is most likely that the gems contain impurities inside. Hence, those gems could be worth a lot less in a jeweler’s eye.
Finding Valuables in Jewelry Box
If you are looking to make a bit of money from the treasures that you may already have in your jewelry box, go through it right now to see what types of valuables have been sitting in your drawer. Take note of the abovementioned tips that we have shared to ensure that you are not indeed wasting your time. It is understandable to get all excited but do not put your hopes too high. Different jewelry pieces have different values so make use of the tips above to sort the wheat from the chaff.