Earrings sold as "14kt stems". Plated or Solid?

[billjustbill]

I found an older pair of Monet' earrings with the term, " 14k Posts" on the card, but not stamped on the earring itself. The pair has a price stamped on it, $12.95.

Is this a plated covering or could they be solid posts of 14kt gold?

[trdhrdr007]

The posts themselves are probably 14k, the rest of the earring is either gold plate or gold fill. I have come across several pairs of similar earrings over the last year. The first pair I bought I paid a quarter for thinking I got a deal. They were hoops with 14k marked on the "ear wire". When I got them home & tested the hoops were plated. At $1100/ounce the wires were worth about $2.50 so I didn't lose money but it wasn't a great deal by any stretch of the imagination.

[cyberdan]

I found an older pair of Monet' earrings with the term,

Whenever I see "monet" I put them right back down.

If I see cookie lee I throw them back down.

If I see Avon I look a little closer, a few were made in sterling.

[batcap]

The posts themselves are probably 14k, the rest of the earring is either gold plate or gold fill. I have come across several pairs of similar earrings over the last year. The first pair I bought I paid a quarter for thinking I got a deal. They were hoops with 14k marked on the "ear wire". When I got them home & tested the hoops were plated. At $1100/ounce the wires were worth about $2.50 so I didn't lose money but it wasn't a great deal by any stretch of the imagination.

I'd do that all day long. That's a 1000% return on your investment. Small investment? Yes. Great deal? You bet!

BTW jBill, sometimes you will find a karat mark etched on the post itself. Too small for my old eyes but even a cheap jewelers loupe will make it legible. The hard part (for me) is getting a picture of the mark for eBay. A nice pic will turn that 25cents into $5.