Gold Jewellery : What's Real and What's Fake on eBay

There are so many rock-bottom bargains on eBay, especially with jewellery
items, that it's all too easy to lose sight of what you're actually bidding on
and buying.
There's fine jewellery and there's costume jewellery - expensive and cheap -
superior quality and inferior quality. There's absolutely nothing wrong with
costume jewellery but make sure you haven't paid a fine jewellery price for it!
The descriptions that accompany "gold" items are limitless. Ruthless
sellers will often make a fake item appear to be more expensive than
what it's worth in a number of ways. Firstly, they'll list it in "Fine
Jewellery" instead of costume jewellery. Some buyers have felt proud
having just paid a mere $30 for a genuine 18K gold bracelet and
probably still, to this day are wondering why their wrist is turning
green or black. Key words such as "authentic" and "genuine" lull buyers
into a false sense of confidence that their purchase is exactly what
the seller claims it is. Bad mistake! People can claim what they like
but the reality is, unless YOU know the difference and ask the right
questions, you'll get a cheap import which is only gold-plated (not
solid gold) or electroplated (same problem) or goldtone (metal in a
gold colour - no solid gold at all). Any item which is plated will
eventually wear away to whatever lies underneath. Often, it's a ghastly
coloured metal which will give anyone with sensitive skin a rash from
hell. A classic example is Permagold. Within a week of wearing the
"real gold" bracelet, I developed a rash, my skin discoloured and the
bracelet was tarnishing - yes, the lifetime guarantee "not to tarnish"
was absolute rubbish.
Rule number one: always ask the
seller if the gold is hallmarked. Gold is stamped according to its purity. You
can have 24K, 22K, 18K, 14K, 10K

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