Before going out to buy a diamond or gold jewelry, you should try and learn a little bit about the business and how it works. Otherwise, you could get a bad deal or end up with fake piece of jewelry! If you are going to get a diamond set in gold or another type of material, you also will need to know if that material is legitimate and how it is valued.

Some people think that they cannot afford a diamond because of their notoriety for being so expensive. However, this is not really the case. It is possible to find and purchase small stones, or even used pieces of jewelry that are high quality and reasonably priced. The key here is to find a seller that is legitimate and has a way to check the quality of the merchandise they buy used for resale.

Determining Diamond Value

Verifying what a diamond is worth is a simple enough process for those that are trained to do so. For example, if you breath on a real diamond, the condensation that develops will dissipate quickly. You can also see if there is a stamp or marking anywhere that says C.Z., which would indicate that the stone in question is Cubic Zirconia rather than a diamond. You can also use a jeweler's loupe to help you see any imperfections in the stone.

Determining Gold Value

Now that you've looked at the quality of the diamond, what about the material that the diamond is attached to? How is the value of gold determined? Generally speaking, gold pieces are valued by both weight and the craftsmanship of the piece. Karats are used to tell you the quality of the gold. The higher the number of karats up to 24, which is pure gold, the more the gold will be worth. 

Once you are comfortable with these basic concepts you should feel more confident about buying used jewelry. This can also be useful information to know if you wish to sell your jewelry at a later date. Great jewelry can and should last a lifetime, so it's important to always be sure that the pieces you're buying are high quality.