Article
Buying Platinum, Gold, and Silver Jewelry
Jewelry made with precious metals like platinum, gold, and sterling silver can be expensive. Before you start shopping, find out about the words and symbols used by jewelers to describe the quality and purity of platinum, gold, and silver jewelry. That will make it easier for you to decide whether a piece of jewelry is worth the price.
Before You Buy
When you start shopping for jewelry, you may be thinking about design, quality, and how much you want to spend. It also pays to do a little homework on the seller. As you search for a jewelry store or online seller:
- Ask people you personally know for recommendations. Don’t rely solely on what you see online or on social media.
- Find out what others say about a seller. Type its name and the words “complaint” or “review” into a search engine.
- Find the store’s refund and return policies — and get them in writing. If something goes wrong, you’ll know what to do.
- Know the common phrases and markings used to describe the type of jewelry you’re looking for. This will help you understand what you’re getting.
Platinum Jewelry
Platinum jewelry is rarely made with 100% pure platinum. Instead, pure platinum is mixed with similar metals (palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, osmium) or non-precious base metals (copper or cobalt). Generally, the higher the percentage of pure platinum, the more valuable the jewelry.
Marketers describe or mark platinum to show the percentage of pure platinum in the piece. To be called platinum without qualification, an item should be at least 95% pure platinum. Items containing 50% to 85% pure platinum combined with other platinum group metals should display the amount of pure platinum and other platinum group metals. Any item that's less than 50% pure platinum should not be marked or labeled as "platinum."
| If You See This on The Label | The Piece Is |
|---|---|
| Platinum | at least 95% pure platinum |
| 850 Plat. | 85% platinum and 15% other metals (either precious platinum group metals and/or base metals) |
| 800 Pt. 200 Pall. | 80% pure platinum, 20% palladium |
| 750 Pt. 250 Rhod. | 75% pure platinum, 25% rhodium |
| 600 Pt. 350 Irid. | 60% pure platinum, 35% iridium |
| 75% Platinum 25% Copper | 75% pure platinum, 25% copper |
| 60% Platinum, 35% Cobalt, 5% Rhodium | 60% pure platinum, 35% cobalt, 5% rhodium |
Gold Jewelry
When you shop for gold jewelry, look for the karat quality mark. The karat mark tells you how much pure gold the piece contains.
How many karats?
Pure gold, or 24 karat (24K) gold, is soft, so it’s often mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability when used in jewelry. The total of pure gold and other metal adds up to 24 parts. A piece of jewelry marked 18K gold is 18 parts gold mixed with six parts of another metal. A piece marked 14K gold is 14 parts gold mixed with 10 parts of another metal.
Near the karat quality mark, look for the name or the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be a name, a symbol, or initials. If you’re thinking about buying a piece of gold jewelry but don’t see a trademark along with the karat mark, don’t buy it.
Is it solid gold?
The phrase “solid gold” means the gold item isn’t hollow. The item will also have a karat mark like 14K or 18K to tell you how much gold is in the item.
Is it gold plated?
A piece of jewelry can be plated with gold by mechanical plating, electroplating, and other processes. Eventually, the gold plating wears away, depending on how the item is worn and the thickness of the plating.
“Gold filled,” “gold overlay,” and “rolled gold plate (RGP)” describe jewelry with a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically applied to a base metal. A base metal is a common and less expensive metal like nickel. These items should be marked with the karat quality of the gold used and the term or abbreviation for the plating. For example, “14K gold overlay” or “12K RGP.”
If the layer of gold is less than 1/20 of the weight of the metal in the entire item, any marking should state the fraction of karat gold. For example, “1/40 14K gold overlay.”
“Gold electroplate” describes jewelry with a layer of at least 10 karat gold that is at least .175 microns thick applied on a base metal using an electrolytic process.
Vermeil is a special type of gold-plated product with a base of sterling silver coated or plated with gold.
Is it gold flashed or gold washed?
The terms “gold flashed” and “gold washed” describe products with a very thin electroplating of gold. This will wear away faster than gold plate, gold filled, or gold electroplate. Ask the seller to explain what they mean when they use these terms.
Silver Jewelry
The words “silver,” “sterling,” and “sterling silver” describe products that contain 92.5% pure silver. Silver products are sometimes marked 925, which means that 925 parts per thousand are pure silver. According to the law, silver items must also show the name or U.S. registered trademark of the company or person that stands behind the mark.
Some jewelry described as “silver plate” has a layer of silver applied to a base metal.
Items that are marked as “coin silver” are made with 90% pure silver.
Pewter
Pewter is often combined with other metals to make jewelry and other items. To be described as pewter, items must contain at least 90% Grade A Tin.
Report Problems
If you have a problem with a jewelry purchase, try to resolve it with the seller first. If you’re not satisfied, report it to:
- the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- your state attorney general
The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) operates a mediation program that helps people who have disputes with jewelers. Read more at JVClegal.org/services.
If you have a problem with jewelry bought in person from a company located outside the U.S., report it at econsumer.gov.
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