If you have a gold piece with a 925 mark, it's most likely sterling silver underneath gold plating. You'll normally see this kind of stamp on a gold vermeil (pronounced as "ver-may"), meaning that it's sterling silver that has gold plating.
And if it does have value it's probably not that much because the gold that actually has the numbers 925 stamped on it usually means that it's sterling silver but it's just been covered in gold covering. The value of that piece of jewelry will be whatever sterling silver is valued at during the point in time.
This is not the case. In fact, 92.5% is not a recognized value for gold. If you find a piece of gold jewelry with 925 or some variation stamped on it, odds are very good the piece isn't solid gold. It's instead likely the piece's base is sterling silver and gold has been plated or otherwise applied atop the base.
If 925 is stamped on your jewelry, you know it is superior silver jewelry. If it is on your gold piece, you have a gold-plated sterling silver item that is made out of two high-quality metals - silver and gold.
925 silver value is between $0.69 and $0.80 per gram on average. A sterling silver jewelry's cost can be calculated by multiplying the total sterling silver weight by 0.925 as it contains 92.5% pure silver.
Sterling silver is an alloy made up of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper or zinc. Sterling silver pieces are stamped with 925 to mark their authenticity.
Magnet Test
This is truly an easy way for you to check if your silver jewelry is indeed authentic. Simply put a magnet near your silver accessory; if it sticks or gets attracted to the magnet then its fake. Genuine silver and other precious metals like gold are nonmagnetic.
Yes, 925 silver is pawnable. Pawn shops will often accept 925 silver jewelry, coins, and other items as collateral for a loan.
Solid gold is very soft and malleable. Waterproof: Yes. Do not need to take off before shower or swimming. Care tips: It will not oxidize or discolor.
Look for a Letter Mark
If the item of jewelry has the letters GP, GF, or GEP stamped on it, these indicate that it is not made of real gold.
If you see 925 engraved on the ring, that means it's a sterling silver setting. Usually, engagement rings with a larger center diamond won't be set in sterling silver because it's too soft. And if you see a stamp that says "CZ," you're looking at a cubic zirconia stone, rather than a real diamond.
The question that might be stalling you from choosing between solid gold and gold bonded jewelry. Well, we are here to tell you that pure gold does not tarnish, but anything other than 24 karat gold can tarnish over time. Good news, though—it's preventable and fixable if it happens!
925 Sterling Silver jewelry certainly does not come cheap. It requires quite an investment from your side, whether you are buying sterling silver pendants or rings. But it is a worthwhile investment as its value increases with time.
The average lifespan of gold-plated pieces is two years. After that, the gold plated jewelry tarnishes and starts to wear down. Depending on how well you maintain your jewelry collection, this period can vary. You can take the jewelry to a jeweler to have it re-plated if it starts to lose its gold plating.
Sterling silver is a lot more durable than other forms of silver, so it lasts a lot longer without tarnishing or getting damaged. However, it's still not as shiny or reflective as gold or rhodium-plated metals, but that can be fixed with polishing.
Everyday Wear
10K gold is made so that it's durable enough for daily activities without losing its charm. Like any other gold jewelry, remove it before engaging in activities where there is a risk of damage, such as household chores, yard work, or other physical labor.
Wearing solid gold jewelry, white gold or yellow gold, in the shower will not harm the metal itself, however it can reduce the shine therefore it is not recommended. Showering with gold plated jewelry can eventually cause the gold layer to wear off completely, therefore you should definitely refrain from doing so.
Since 925 sterling silver is almost pure silver, it's likely to have a lesser reaction to water. This means that it's completely okay to get this type of sterling silver wet.
Real silver, which has a higher purity than sterling silver, is generally more expensive. However, silver 925 is a popular alternative due to its relative affordability. Despite being less pure than real silver, silver 925 retains its beauty and lustrous appearance.
You might hear that 10 karat gold is the lowest purity. This isn't strictly true, in fact gold jewelry can be found in 9k, 8k, and even lower. When you consider this, 10k gold certainly isn't worthless, and is still of interest to pawn shops.
925 on gold jewelry means that the base metal is an alloy with 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, covered with gold plating. I bet you've been jewelry shopping and suddenly saw some code on a bracelet or a necklace.
Can Gold Stick to a Magnet? Pure gold on its own cannot stick to a magnet. However, if you have an alloy of gold, then it could stick to a magnet. An example of a gold alloy that may stick to a magnet is gold with over 20% of its atoms replaced by iron.
No, they usually do not put real diamonds in silver rings. Sterling silver is too soft, and would not be a good metal to hold diamonds. Most people use cubic zirconia stones (CZ) in sterling silver.