Buying second-hand jewelry is a great decision if you want to be a part of the history behind that or just own something unique. Second-hand jewelry is also a great buy because you get some great quality jewelry at a lesser rate. Since the resale value of a piece of jewelry reduces the moment it has an owner, you get to buy it at a cheaper rate.
However, there are certain precautions that need to be taken when buying pre- owned jewellery. So here are some tips for you to keep in mind when buying second-hand jewelry.
- Check for a stamp or hallmark
It’s important that you check for the stamp or hallmark of the jewelry that you’re buying. So make sure that the piece of jewelry you’re planning to buy has a stamp that shows you the carat of the metal. For example, whether it’s a 9ct (375), 14ct (585), 18ct (750), 22ct (916) on gold, whether white or yellow. For any silver jewelry which is pre-owned, the stamp should have a 925 standard.
- Brand
Another thing that you need to look out for when buying pre-owned jewelry is to look for the brand of the product. For example, if the jewellery is a Tiffany and Co. product then there will definitely be a stamp of their hallmark. So whenever you’re buying any jewelry ensure that there is a hallmark of the brand on the product.
- Authenticity
Any jewelry item that you purchase must come with a certificate of authenticity from WGI, GIA or IGI. However, this may not always be true for all jewelry products, but you must always check for one whenever you’re purchasing pre-owned jewelry.
- Documents
There are always some documents that come along with second- hand jewellery. But you must ensure that the documents are original, genuine and error free. Look for any signs like spelling errors, printing mistakes, blurry ink, bad grammar etc. These are signs that the document might be forged. So it’s very important that you check the documents properly and ensure that they are 100% original and authentic.
- Magnet Test
Another way to check the authenticity of good and genuine quality second-hand jewelry is to do the magnet test on it. In this test, you should try and see whether your gold item is sticking to a magnet or not. Remember that real gold will not be affected by a magnet and will not stick to it.
There are other methods that jewelers use to test the authenticity of the jewelry. They use methods like XRF gun or the acid test, which basically creates an X-Ray of the jewelry.
- Jewellery Store
Where you buy your second hand jewellery from, also matters. Try and buy any kind of pre-owned jewellery from a store that is known and is a popular one-stop destination for the same. Try and avoid buying pre- owned jewellery from stores that are not reputed. An old, known and reputed store would be your best shot. It’s best to ask around your circle of friends and family about any of the second hand jewellery stores that they know of.
Conclusion
Buying second hand jewellery has its own set of many advantages but it also requires you to be very careful with your purchase. Pre-owned jewellery helps save the environment, makes you a part of a story of that jewellery, proves that it is of good quality, having stood the test of time. Also, you can expect to find a large range of unique and distinct designs in second hand jewellery because they are available from different decades. Owning second hand jewellery means that you create a style of your own which is different from everyone else’s and that’s what everyone looking to buy good jewellery aims for.
