Beyond their decorative function, women's high-quality costume jewellery and fashion designer can be excellent investment tools, especially those of high value. This is why it is important to know their materials well and to find out about the jewellery before buying it. It is also important to note that some materials not tolerated by the skin can cause problems, such as allergies. Discover below all the points to master for the symbolic meaning of jewellery, whether it is a ring, a necklace, a bracelet or others.
Recognizing gold
For those of you who love gold jewellery, know that these jewels come in several types that vary according to the importance of their titles or the percentage of pure gold they contain. There are 24, 22, 18, 14 and 9 carat gold jewellery. To identify them, either you perform an authentication test or you check their punches. An oxidation reaction of the jewel in contact with the acid indicates that the gold is mixed with a large dose of alloy, especially copper. The punches also make it possible to determine the number of carats of the jewel. The 24-carat gold is represented by a "Seahorse", 22 and 18 carats by an "Eagle Head", 14 carats by a "Scallop" and 9 carats by a "Three leaf clover".
Recognizing money
As original silver jewellery cannot be subjected to an authentication test, the only way to identify jewellery made from this precious metal is to check their stamps with a magnifying glass. If the punch affixed to your jewel represents a "Tête de minerve", be aware that it contains solid silver of 1st title up to 925 per thousand. Solid silver jewellery with a title of 800 per thousand has a "Swan" as the hallmark.
Recognizing metals
Ethnic metal jewellery made from other precious metals such as platinum is also stamped for easy identification. A "Dog's head" on the jewel indicates that the platinum title is in the order of 950 per thousand. Copper jewellery is easy to distinguish by its colour. In addition, this material reacts with acid. Jewellery stores also offer steel jewellery known for its dark grey colour and high resistance.
Recognize leather
As for leather jewellery, the only way to identify their material is to see how resistant they are. Leather is a particularly heat-resistant material. As imitation leather products flood the market, it is important to test before buying to avoid falling into poor quality items.
Recognize the pearls
The pearl is famous for symbolizing refinement and elegance. It is not always easy to identify it, especially if you have no knowledge of pearl jewellery. However, here are some points to know in order to identify a real pearl and, what's more, of good quality. In contact with light, the pearl normally produces a shine known as "luster". Under-nuances are also visible throughout its surface. A pearl of excellent quality is bright, clean, and smooth and that has no cracks.
Recognize silk
Silk jewellery is also of significant value. It is important to be familiar with the main criteria of this material at the risk of buying tocs. Unlike other types of fabrics, silk is particularly soft to the touch. This material is appreciated for its incomparable lustre and appreciable resistance. Jewellery made from silk must be well maintained to ensure its longevity.
Recognize plastic
Cheap plastic costume jewellery is available at low prices. This material is easy to recognize due to its rigidity and fragility. In addition, plastic has a very light weight and poor resistance to corrosion.
Recognizing precious metals
Most of the metal jewellery, whether it is costume jewellery, handicrafts or designer's jewellery, is made of metals such as gold, silver and bronze. When you want to buy jewellery of this type, some people will try to sell you fake jewellery. However, there are ways to allow you to recognize.
Recognize base metals
Each metal has its own characteristics. So you can easily identify it by doing it in a certain way. But one of the best ways to recognize the authenticity of a piece of jewellery is to look for the punch. The position of the punch depends on the type of jewellery you have. If they are bracelets or necklaces, they are at the ends. In the case of medals, the punch is located at the chain level.
Recognize platinum metals
Your jewel is made of yellow gold when you notice that it has marked "750" on the punch. There are also signs of animals. A gold-plated piece of jewellery is identified by a square on the level of which the manufacturer registers his brand. The same is true for silver plated jewellery. For a platinum jewel, the most often used punch is the dog's head.
Recognize silver metal
Money has several punches. You can either find a crab, a boar, a swan, a neck brace. It all depends on when the silver jewel was made. However, it may happen that the jewellery no longer has punches, in which case you must use certain reagents to identify the metal. For example, when you put gold in nitric acid, it does not dissolve. Be careful when you want to discover which metal your jewellery is made of. You can easily identify these materials by paying attention to the punch of your jewellery.