Interesting idea for a series. My suggestion is go to garage sales in your area. I find most of my stuff at them. The easy way to figure values is by dime weight. A Dime weighs about 1/10 of an ounce. So if you find a ring that feels about the same as a dime then you figure its worth about 10% of an ounce. For gold figure everything on Half dime weights since most of your jewelry will be 10k or 41.7% gold. Don't forget to check lapel pins and tie tacks some of the older ones will be gold. These and Earrings are the most missed. Ear rings will often be marked on the pin part and usually require a magnifier to read. But if you are at a sell and can look real close you can often spot a marking and chance it. Some stuff that is older gold will be marked with a P like "14k P" The P stands for "Plumb" which was an old way to say that the gold was at least 14k or better. You will also find sterling candle labras, plates, Cups, and silverware. Thought in the past 5 years the amounts I found have dwindled off. You also might want to look up English, French and German Hall Marks. Most stuff will be marked 925, sterling or Coin (.900 Silver, often made from melted down coins, Older silverware will be marked like this). And some times you will run into stuff that isn't marked. With enough experience you will be able to tell whats good and whats not. Good Luck on your series!!!
