Fine or Fraud: Six Signs of Genuine Jewelry

Guest post written by Gabi Bellairs for LindseyScoggins.com

It’s never been easier to find amazing quality and well-made jewelry online. The accessibility of fashion and accessories, in general, has only increased with time, and finding jewelry pieces that are made from what they say they are has become more important than ever. Counterfeit jewelry isn’t a new issue, but it’s a more common one, so taking the steps to verify jewelry is authentic is critical for getting your money’s worth. Let’s explore six easy ways to guarantee your jewelry is genuine rather than a gimmick.  

If we haven’t met yet, hi! I’m Lindsey Nickel and I’m a local Napa wedding planner and the owner of Lovely Day Events. My team and I have planned more than 140 destination weddings, so I can tell you firsthand that wine country weddings are something special. My clients want the ceremony to be outside, the food to be outstanding, and the dance parties to be epic. If this sounds like you, you’re in the right place.

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Sign #1: Price for Value

Sometimes a great deal on a pair of “genuine” diamond earrings is just a little too good to be true, especially when the price is appealing. If an item claims to be genuine and quality-made but is marketed at a vastly lower price point than what would be typical, that’s a bad sign. For example, if you’re getting a custom ring designed, there will naturally be an appropriately higher price tag than any mainstream brand. If you’re planning towards a gorgeous ring for, say, a super special wedding day, then the price and value need to match up.

Sign #2: Credible Source

It’s never been easier to purchase amazing jewelry online, from stylish earrings to elaborate engagement rings. This ease of access is great but also invites countless knock-off pieces to be created. It’s hard to verify the nature of jewelry through a screen, so making sure you verify the source of the gemstones and learn where the metals are being created is an easy way to guarantee that the jewelry is coming from an authentic source and will last for generations to come.

Sign #3: Quality Materials 

There are many ways to get creative about what materials are used in jewelry-making, with non-precious metal being the most widely used. Jewelry made from non-precious metals means metals other than gold and platinum won't stand the test of time. When purchasing accessories for special occasions, you want to make sure that the materials are high quality and high karatage.

Sign #4: Glistening Gemstones

The refractive nature of gemstones is a baseline for jewelers to determine if a gemstone is real or fake. Unfortunately, it’s becoming easier over time to create diamonds, sapphires, rubies, basically, any gemstones desired, within a laboratory to look almost identical to genuine gems.

Sign #5: Craftsmanship

When handling the jewelry, how light does it feel? When clasping a necklace, do the clasps work seamlessly? If there are gemstones, are they fasted to the piece using glue or by using metal prongs? There are numerous ways that counterfeit jewelers can cheat the system and make a piece look quality-made when it’s actually only made to be worn a couple of times before breaking. Make sure to check for quality craftsmanship when choosing a piece of jewelry.

Sign #6: Appropriate Labeling

Many jewelry pieces have specific requirements in order to be deemed genuine, especially vintage, gold, and silver jewelry items to indicate their purity level. This process is called hallmarking, for example, many vintage pieces will be marketed as “sterling”, and a 92.5% pure silver jewelry piece will have a “925” mark. If the piece doesn’t have these markings, there is a very real chance that the piece is not what it’s claimed.

The Truth is in the Details

The only way to tell if a jewelry piece is fine or fraudulent is by paying attention to the little details. Quality-made jewelry looks and feels real, while fake pieces merely mimic this authenticity to the best of their ability. By using these helpful ways to identify well-made jewelry you’ll be on the way to elevating your collection in no time.

Author's Bio

Gabi Bellairs is a freelance writer and copy strategist who has worked with a range of different companies and individuals over the course of her career. Her interests lie in travel, from her time exploring South Africa, as well as events and even DIY, but she is also passionate about gender equality and progressive mental health practices.