How To Tell If Your Jewelry Pieces Are Legit?

There is one point in everyone’s life where they have had a partner that has gifted them a piece of jewelry only to find out later once the waters have turned cold that in fact, it was not what you initially thought it was.

Sure we believe that love is not defined by material things, but if you are going to give a gift that you lead everyone to believe is a genuine article then surely you should have the decency to make sure that it is, correct?

Would you not want your ‘soulmate’ to have the very best of everything in life, why would the ‘rock’ that symbolizes your decision to together forever be one based on essentially a lie.  Yikes.

Finding out the truth.

So the relationship has gone sour, although amicable, there is a niggling feeling deep in the pit of your stomach. You have read one too many articles on social media and various platforms of betrayed men and women claiming that what they originally thought to be a real diamond or precious gemstone, one that could financially be sold to get them out of a situation, ended up being a fake. Much to their horror and disgust. But they also say that if you have any doubts at all, that this is the first indication that something might not be what it seems.

We have all had that ‘gut feeling’ (read about it here https://repeller.com/intuition-gut-feeling/) and on more occasions than we would like to admit the truth eventually came out. And we knew it all along. So what do we do? Should we ask them, go behind their back to check its authenticity, or should we trust that what they say it is, actually is?

It can be a tricky situation to find yourself in, and even now on reading this article, you are thinking about the jewelry in your bedroom or cabinet. Past flames that claim to have spent their life savings on that one particular piece of sparkle, or you’re simply looking down at your hand and hoping that you won’t one day wake up to a green ring on your finger where your band sits.

Either way that feeling won’t go away, it might be pushed down, subdued to a box in your mind that you dare not open for fear of breaking down, but it will always be there until you do something about it.

What to do.

The answer is simple, take it into a reputable and reliable jeweler to have it certified and authenticated. You may get the answer you were hoping for or the other side of the coin, the main objective is that you will get a result to that nagging that’s been on your mind for months or even worse, years.

Be sure that the company you take your piece to is qualified to carry out the assessment, to begin with, stores such as Mimi’s Jewelry understand that customer service is a key priority, but also confidentiality. You may feel terrible taking in your wedding ring, but could it be worse than the conversation of asking your husband, no thank you.

You need to do your homework when selecting which boutique to go to, with a few pointers to guide you you’ll be able to find the right fit for your needs and that makes you feel comfortable.

To trust or not to trust.

The right company could be the first result in the search engine or the last, but having your fundamentals in place on which to base your decision will help you narrow your search and pick the best option. Let’s take a look at the top 5 criteria a quality jeweler or jewelry shop should offer.

• Member. Is your jeweler option part of a trusted and reliable organization recognized worldwide, this will be proudly displayed on their webpage as well as on a plaque in their shop. If you can’t see any information don’t hesitate to enquire on this fact, they should be more than happy to assist and answer this question.
• Experience. Do they have the qualifications and certifications to perform the repair or custom design, the last thing you want is to hand over your family heirloom to an untrained workman who could end up damaging the piece altogether.
• Quality. Do they pride themselves in their work and a job well done, do they offer a warranty or return service? This will not only indicate their level of professionalism but how they perceive customer satisfaction.

While design and aesthetics are major factors to choosing a ring or piece of jewelry, the craftsmanship, and work that went into making it can tell a lot about a company. If you have any doubts then don’t rush into any purchases, you are not alone in this thinking, others who you can read about in this link have had the same feelings, and reading what they went through will help navigate for a better experience on your journey.

• Price. Sometimes what seems too good to be true is simply that, don’t fall for flashy gimmicks and clever advertising, what looks like a great discount or promotion could essentially be the average price for that particular ring or service at other venues. Do your homework and research before jumping in with both feet.
• Knowledgeable. Are they trained in not only the repair or certification side of things but can they answer questions or queries with ease and confidence. Can they offer alternatives or solutions to your problems, and are they well-versed in the book-smart side of fine jewelry.

With so many questions and concerns you need to take your search one step at a time, this will help you make calculated and accurate decisions based on facts and figures as opposed to your emotions which we all know can certainly take us for a ride when it has time.

Who knows, the ring and stone may well be genuine and all tension in your shoulders can be released, do you decide to tell him that you went to the shop just to check, I’d advise not.

Harper Harrison

Harper Harrison is a reporter for The Hear UP. Harper got an internship at the NPR and worked as a reporter and producer. harper has also worked as a reporter for the Medium. Harper covers health and science for The Hear UP.