How can I tell if my jewellery is gold, silver or another metal?

Most jewellery is stamped somewhere on its surface. On rings it is typically on the inside of the shank, but, can also be under the head or sometimes on the outside of the shank at the back or side of the ring. Earrings with ear wires or posts may have the stamp on the wire part of the earring. Pendants may have the stamp somewhere on the main section or may have the bale stamped. Precious metal jewellery made in Canada MUST, by law have a quality mark and a manufacturer’s trademark on the item as a minimum or NO stamp at all. That means it must have either both marks, or neither. In some countries, EACH link of a gold chain must have a karat stamp and manufacturer’s trademark. This is not required in Canada. If your jewellery has no marking, or, if you are unsure that the mark is correct, we can test the karat of the jewellery and tell you gold content. There is a small charge for this service; typically $10 per item.

10 karat gold will usually be stamped 10k or 417. 10k means that the item is 10 parts in 24 gold, and the remaining 14 parts in 24 is alloy. 10/24=.417 which means that the item is 41.7% gold. This is why some 10k gold is stamped 417. Just as an aside, it is the metals in the alloy that determine the colour of the gold; typically yellow, white, or rose (pink).

Similarly, 14k gold may be stamped 583, 18k gold may be stamped 750, and 22k gold may be stamped 917. Because 24k gold is very soft, jewellery is seldom made in pure 24k gold.

Sterling Silver is usually stamped 925 or Sterling. 925 or Sterling means that the item is 92.5% silver and the remaining 7.5% is alloy.

If you have questions about jewellery, please let us know. We can be reached by e-mail at exquisite@tbaytel.net, or via Facebook (www.facebook.com/exquisitegold), or twitter (@exquisite gold). If you are in the area, please drop by our showroom at 1094 Memorial Ave, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Exquisite Gold & Gems Inc

http://www.exquisite.ca

How much does it cost to size a ring?

The cost to size can vary greatly depending on if the ring has to be made smaller or larger; the metal needed for the sizing; how much the ring has to be sized, for example one size or three sizes? Are there any stones in the ring? Sometimes during sizing, stones may become loose and have to be re- tightened. If a silver ring has to be sized, and there are many side stones, it is possible that it may have to be sized with a laser welder. This is an expensive machine to purchase as well as to use. Most jewellery repair depots do not have one as it is a very specialized piece of equipment and requires specialized training. We are fortunate to have an in-house laser welder as well as the expertise to use it.

There are many considerations when deciding on the size you need your ring.

For some people, it is common for their fingers to swell periodically. This can be due to medications, type of food eaten, or weather. It is also common for fingers to swell during pregnancy. This can make it difficult to pick a size. We suggest that you either come in for sizing when you are at your biggest, or you choose not to wear certain rings on the days that your fingers swell.

When trying on the finger sizers, you should keep in mind that wide rings will feel tighter on your finger than narrow ones of the same size. Your jewellery store should have a set of wide ring finger sizers.

Typically, alternative metal rings like Titanium, Tungsten, and Ceramic cannot be sized economically (if at all). These rings should be purchased in the correct size.

Silver rings can be sized, but if there are stones set into the ring, a laser welder may be necessary (see above). Also, since silver is often rhodium plated to give it a bright shiny look, the ring would need to be re-rhodium plated after sizing. Typically, we recommend that silver rings be purchased in the correct size, since the cost for sizing is often close to or more than the purchase price of the ring.

Feel free to bring your jewellery in for a free quote. We will size your finger and check for any claws that may need repair. Depending on workload, if you drop your jewellery off on Monday, it is usually done by Friday.

If you have questions about jewellery, please let us know. We can be reached by e-mail at exquisite@tbaytel.net, or via facebook (www.facebook.com/exquisitegold), or twitter (@exquisite gold). If you are in the area, please drop by our showroom at 1094 Memorial Ave, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Exquisite Gold & Gems Inc

http://www.exquisite.ca

Need a Jewellery Appraisal?

Need an appraisal?  What do I need to know?

The value of an item depends on the reason it is being valued. For example,

The value for Insurance purposes is a retail replacement value of an item. Insurance companies typically require an appraisal in order for you to take out additional insurance for higher valued items. It can also be used to assure the insurance company that you actually owned the item should you make a claim.

The value for resale purposes is a reasonable value for a “used” item in a “private” sale between two individuals. This assumes that there is time to find an interested buyer.

The value for division of estate is a liquidation value. This would be the amount you could expect to get for an item when you don’t have time to find an interested buyer. This value also depends on the date of the division of estate. This could be the date the owner died, or the official date of separation in the case of a marriage.

It is important to know that at this time there is no regulation requiring a person to have any qualifications before they appraise your jewellery. That said, in order to determine an appropriate value for your item, it is important that the appraiser know about determining the type of metal, the identification and grading of any gemstones and gemstone treatments. A gemologist has this training. A further requirement is the ability to determine the value of an item once it is identified. In order to become a Certified Appraisal Professional with the Canadian Jewellery Association, you must first become a Graduate Gemologist and then take an additional Master Valuer Course and pass an exam. There are also periodic refresher exams to keep your certification. Chuck Sandford is the only Certified Appraisal Professional currently in the Thunder Bay area.   We also are pleased to have Yvonne Homer who is  a Graduate Gemologist with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and is training to becoming a Certified Appraisal Professional (C.J.A.)

We can appraise your jewellery for whatever purpose that is required. Typically, appraisals start at $50 and, will take 24 to 72 hours to complete. Special arrangements, at an additional charge, can be made if you require the appraisal to be done while you wait. For more information on jewellery appraisals, please refer to the CJA website. (www.canadianjewellers.com then put “Appraisal” in the search bar) If you are not in our area, you can also find a list of Certified Appraisal Professionals on this site.

If you have questions about jewellery, please let us know. We can be reached by e-mail at exquisite@tbaytel.net, or via facebook (www.facebook.com/exquisitegold), or twitter (@exquisite gold). If you are in the area, please drop by our showroom at 1094 Memorial Ave, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Exquisite Gold & Gems Inc

http://www.exquisite.ca

New Beginnings

Hello and welcome.   We are starting this blog to help answer the many questions we get from our customers.  Jewellery is our passion, and our expertise.  For most people, jewellery is something beautiful to wear.  A symbol of a relationship, an occasion, or an accomplishment.  What happens when it needs to be fixed, or sized?  What about re-setting stones?  What about appraisals?  Our goldsmith and certified appraisal professional (CJA) can help you out.  Have a question that we haven’t addressed?  Let us know and we will cover it in a future post.  Of course, if you are in the Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada area, please drop by.  We would love to meet you.