Does silver always have a mark?

[hyderconsulting]

Is there some sterling silver or mostly silver jewelry that does carry a mark of any kind?

 

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[GibH]

Is there some sterling silver or mostly silver jewelry that does carry a mark of any kind?

Yes, a lot of custom jewelry doesn't have any mark.

 

[cyberdan]

Yes, a lot of custom jewelry doesn't have any mark.

There really is no excuse for that. Any jeweler knows he can buy a punch that says "14K" or "925" for about $10 at a jewelry supply store.

 

[Nightowl 280]

My silver ring i made in college has no mark on it . At the time silver was cheap . I think my saw blades at the time cost more then the silver in the ring .

 

[billjustbill]

Is there some sterling silver or mostly silver jewelry that does carry a mark of any kind?

In yesterday's (Saturday) garage sale, I found this unmarked custom-made free-form bracelet for $1.00. For a dollar, I'm betting that it's .925....

On the other hand, that same picture shows gold ring with the 14kt worn/buffed in just the area where the stamp is. Then, this is my second gold chain that doesn't look right, along with the stamp on the back of the cross. Gold fill or Gold Fake?

What do you and others think?

 

[Nightowl 280]

on the chain and pendent . the 14k mark on the chain should be on the clasp or the connector to the clasp . The Pendent if its marked it should be 14k but testing may be in order if the chain isnt marked or just taking it to your gold buyer who ever they maybe . The gold buyer i would with can gauge fake or real just off weight she deals with stuff so much . She got all the school rings dead on weight wise when i sold them to her .

Ive gotten one fake gold watch in my purchases but it didnt matter because i paid junk watch prices for it . The gold girl called it as soon as she walked in to the door as fake . I normally buy whole tables at .50-1.00 piece since resell and hope for a few higher end costume or sliver pieces in the lots . Ive done really well buying this way on jewelry and the girls and kids love that i have cheap jewelry at the fleamarket booth which causes us higher traffic around our table when we go . And if all else fails i can sell it bulk to the jewelry/gold girl at 2-3 a piece .

 

[billjustbill]

I normally buy whole tables at .50-1.00 piece since resell and hope for a few higher end costume or sliver pieces in the lots .

What brand names do you look for that are "Higher End Costume....pieces"?

 

[trdhrdr007]

I don't know a lot about costume jewelry but my estate sale guy recently came across several pieces of older Miriam Haskell jewelry that sold on ebay for $50-150 per piece.

 

[Nightowl 280]

I normally buy whole tables at .50-1.00 piece since resell and hope for a few higher end costume or sliver pieces in the lots .

What brand names do you look for that are "Higher End Costume....pieces"?

If i look I look at quality of piece , does it have marks even if i cant read them , Does it look old Is it just outrageous looking . Alot of the older higher end stuff can be fine enough to confuse you when you look at if its real or not . And every now and then a piece of gold or silver will show up . Older stuff for the most part has a better feel then new stuff .

 

[batcap]

Often silver and gold are unmarked and poorly marked. The first batch of stuff I got from an auction I posted here. It looked to be $1700 or so total value. It was all counterfeit. I didn't tell anyone because I was devastated.

These days, many jewelers try to hide their marks. You'll find 925 or a Karat mark on the post that goes through an ear piercing. It requires good eyes or a loupe to identify. The bigger the mark the more suspicious I am now.

I've come across two pair of cuff links, both 14k, this fall. The only reason I got them was because they were unmarked or unconventionally marked. The first pair had a stylized "G" that pulled a John Hancock style flair underline of the 14. The other pair only had initials. A lapel button had nothing at all. I acid tested, filed and scratched the pieces deeply, and tested again. They were gold. They went to ARAGold and my estimates of the karat were pretty close, as my check was the right size.

You can get an acid test kit and a digital scale for $30 on eBay. Since I started scavenging for precious metals at yard sales, flea markets and auctions I've found these items and a good jewelers loupe the minimum required equipment.

If you go for this very inexpensive setup, please DO NOT order any acids with colored caps. The ones I got were all messed up- the acids were mislabeled. The colored labels and white caps worked for me.

 

[sirlostalot]

I was out in AZ and bought some silver jewlery made by some American Natives that were not marked.

 

[blai745]

Is there some sterling silver or mostly silver jewelry that does carry a mark of any kind?

In yesterday's (Saturday) garage sale, I found this unmarked custom-made free-form bracelet for $1.00. For a dollar, I'm betting that it's .925....

On the other hand, that same picture shows gold ring with the 14kt worn/buffed in just the area where the stamp is. Then, this is my second gold chain that doesn't look right, along with the stamp on the back of the cross. Gold fill or Gold Fake?

What do you and others think?

jeez why dont you just buy a gold acid test kit for $20 bucks on ebay or amazon, and all your questions will be answered

 

[Joe Hoo?]

Sure is nice to hear that sterling is not always marked, i have had so many people tell me different but the fact of the matter is my wife has tons of handmade sterling items made by several different people in mexico and arizona... some of the most beautiful jewelry i have ever seen is not marked, it is beyond me why such a small price to pay for the stamper and handmade artists do not use it...