Buying platinum, gold and silver jewelry from individual and secondhand dealers can lead to not only significant savings over retail jewelry store prices, but to the discoveries of beautiful vintage pieces that complement your personal style. However, before you embark on a search for bargains and rare finds
online, at flea markets or even at jewelry shows, arm yourself with some important information on how to identify precious metals to ensure that your purchase is a deal you won't live to regret.
1. Run gold pieces along an unglazed porcelain tile. If the resulting mark is yellowish-gold, the piece is real. If the mark is black, the piece is not real.
2. Position a magnet over a presented platinum, gold or silver piece. Precious metals will not be pulled, but iron and steel knock-offs will be pulled.
3. Clasp your hand around a suspected silver piece. Silver will be warm to the touch, while stainless steel will feel cold.
4. Rub a clean, white polishing cloth over a silver piece. Real silver and silver plate will turn the cloth black.
5. Platinum is the heaviest precious metal. Place a platinum piece in one hand and a gold piece in the other. The platinum piece should be noticeably heavier than the gold piece.
Tips taken from eHow
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