Is it possible to sell gold without a hallmark: where is the mark indicated and what does its absence mean, an overview of sales options

When purchasing gold items, the first thing to consider is the sample. Gold is a metal that has value at all times.

Countries around the world are interested in hallmarking gold jewelry. And according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, all gold products intended for sale must be marked. But gold without hallmark can still be found. Gold jewelry comes into our lives not only through retail chains. We can receive them as a gift, by inheritance, or purchase them from private jewelers.

Content:

1. Why is there no hallmark on gold?
2. Is a hallmark or hallmark on gold a guarantee of quality?
3. Methods for checking gold for authenticity
4. How to check gold for authenticity with your own hands
5. Where to put a stamp or hallmark on a gold product if there is none
6. Is it possible to sell gold without assay?

To give a gold product strength, as well as to reduce the cost of the final product, various metals are added to gold - silver, brass, copper, nickel and others. Accordingly, the specific gold content in the final product decreases. Confirmation of the authenticity of a piece of jewelry, as well as an informational sign showing the content and fineness of gold, is a hallmark (or hallmark).

But on some, even high-quality gold jewelry, there is no mark. This could be for several reasons. Firstly, the mark was not always placed on jewelry. The mark, as a confirmation of the quality of a jewelry product, as well as protection against fraud, was introduced by Tsar Peter I by decree, obliging jewelers to apply a hallmark to their products. Therefore, if your gold jewelry is missing hallmarks, it may be antique. It's unlikely, but the possibility exists. Secondly, gold jewelry can be made by a private craftsman. Private craftsmen do not always brand and test their products. If you ordered your jewelry from a master you know and are confident in him, perhaps your gold is genuine, although without a mark. However, you can always have your gold checked by an independent expert jeweler. Thirdly, your product may contain much less gold than was indicated on the price tag when you purchased it. To hide the fact of discrepancies in gold content, unscrupulous sellers try to sell gold without indicating the purity. In this case, you can also check the quality of your gold with an independent expert. Fourthly, perhaps what you think is gold is actually costume jewelry. Costume jewelry can be cheap and expensive. But even expensive jewelry does not contain gold, in extreme cases, only a thin coating. In this case, you have become a victim of scammers. Fifthly, your gold jewelry may have undergone restoration, and during the process the area with the hallmark or hallmark was used to restore the main item. Sixth and last, your gold item was made by handicraft, perhaps from melted down gold from other items.

Why is there no mark?

Gold without significant additives and without a hallmark remains a precious metal. The hallmark shows the amount of precious metal in the product.

Under Peter I, the level of gold in coins was 98%. After Peter the Great, intensive state support for jewelers in their activities began in the Russian Empire.

For variety (gold changes color in combination with different metals) and to make soft gold more hard, cheaper soft metals began to be mixed into it. There are several valid and not entirely worthy reasons why the ring will not contain a sample.

1. The product may turn out to be antique, made in a time when labeling was not strictly followed.
2. Prints on old products are erased due to the softness of the metal.
3. A product made of yellow precious metal will be without hallmark after alteration or restoration.
4. Stamps are not applied to handicraft production of small series.
5. Unique handmade items that are not widely traded may also be unmarked.
6. Private jewelry collections.
7. Products brought from abroad, especially from resorts. Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece are countries where trade in unmarked gold products is not prohibited.
8. Possibility of counterfeit.

Is a hallmark or hallmark on gold a guarantee of quality?

No, a sample or stamp is not a 100% guarantee of quality. Fraudsters who counterfeit jewelry copy and hallmark their items. Therefore, a jeweler appraising a gold item looks at the sample first, but then conducts other tests. Keep in mind that gold is authenticated only if its owner has given permission.

How does a specialist determine the sample?

To sell gold without assay profitably, entrust the determination of the quality of the alloy to a pawnshop employee. It is important to remember that a specialist has the right to determine the percentage of gold in the alloy only with the permission of the owner of the jewelry.

Gold earrings from the brand “DEL'TA” (go to the SUNLIGHT catalog)

A neat undercut is made on the inside of the product, onto which special reagents are then applied. This procedure is necessary in order to determine what impurities and in what quantity are present in the decoration. Only after determining the sample can a pawnshop employee tell you the exact cost of the jewelry.

You can read more about determining the gold standard here.

Traditional methods of checking gold for authenticity

• Using a file, a small scratch is applied to the gold item. If a product is presented as gold, but in fact is only covered with a thin layer of gold, a scratch will indicate the presence of another metal under the gold layer
• The smell. All metals have their own smell, but gold does not have it.
• Gold is inert and resistant to aggressive environments, so it can be tested for mold. To do this, gold is placed in fresh black bread for several days. When the bread has become stale and moldy, it is broken and the gold item is examined. If the gold is genuine, there will be no traces of mold or oxidation left on it

Keep in mind that authenticity is best checked by an experienced jeweler.

Where is the sample indicated?

The appraiser will use a magnifying glass to inspect the surrendered jewelry in search of the mark:

• inner surface of the ring;
• lock wire or earring pin;
• a link (sometimes a plate) connecting a clasp to a bracelet or chain.

On large jewelry such as brooches, buckles, and cutlery, select a place for testing on the reverse side.

How to determine gold purity

All home-grown methods will not give the correct result. If you have to regularly buy and sell gold, buy an electronic device or a touchstone with reagents - they are unlikely to rent it to you.

For a one-time case (you bought a gold necklace in Egypt and are unsure whether it is fake), I recommend contacting the state assay laboratory.

How does a specialist determine a sample?

The pawnshop merchandiser has a real physical and chemical mini-laboratory at his disposal.

1. Drip method using chemical reagents. The surface of the donated item is scratched with a file. This is necessary to get to the deeper layer. After all, gold plating is possible, and underneath it is an alloy of copper and silver, for example. Then a reagent is dripped onto the damaged area (a solution of gold chloride for 583, for the rest - an acid reagent).

Gold itself is inert; other metals in the product react. After 15–20 seconds. The reagent is removed and the changed color is compared with the reference table.

If the returned product is 585 standard, the color will turn light brown. The damage will turn green in the case of the 375th sample. The brightness of the color is also taken into account: the darker the color, the less precious metal in the alloy.

1. Determination using a touchstone and a needle (also called the “dash test”). First, they use a file (it looks like a tiny file, a file) to damage the product, which they want to take to a pawnshop, in order to exclude a fake - checking for authenticity. Then, using this section, a line is drawn along the touchstone - a polished black beam of fine-grained slate. A second line is drawn next to it with an assay needle (sample standard) and the resulting color is compared.
2. Determination using a touchstone (also called “Lydian stone”, “touchstone”) and a reagent. After drawing the line, as in step 2, nitric acid is dripped onto it. The percentage composition is determined by the changed color.
3. Determination using an electronic detector. Determines the thickness of the applied coating and the specific gravity of the delivered item in 5 seconds. Works in the range of 333-750 or 6-18 carats.

The most accurate value will be given by the state assay laboratory, where individuals can submit jewelry to have the sample checked. This will no longer be an express test, but a full-fledged analysis using fire - a muffle method with integrity damage.

Gold assay table

In 1870, at the invitation of the French government, representatives of 24 states at a meeting of the International Meter Commission agreed to switch to the metric system. The Russian Empire then received its standard meter and kilogram. From that moment on, the transition to the metric system began, due to the need for a single standard.

Later, in the jewelry business of the Soviet Union, they moved away from their own spool system to the metric system, and the owners of the Western jewelry business were left with carats.

“Skinny question”: standardization implies the need to “hand over” professional secrets (alloy composition, manufacturing technology), which entails a decrease in the profits of well-known jewelry houses.

It is believed that the maximum possible amount of gold without impurities in the karat system is 24 parts. For the numbers we are used to, we need to divide the carats by 24 and multiply by 1000. I will translate the 14 carat chain into “our language” - 14/24*1000 = 583.33, which approximately corresponds to our 585th sample (see table).

Conclusion: if we compare 14-karat gold and our 585-carat gold, domestic gold is much higher quality. I will explain:

• the mass fraction of precious metal in the alloy is greater;
• the alloy itself is characterized by greater wear resistance (GOST R 51152-98).

Fact: Jewelers refuse to work if fragile “disposable” 14-karat gold brought from abroad is repaired.

For investment gold bars, a purity of 999.9 is used. Foreign ones were also cast from an alloy of 990, 995, 996, 998 and 999 samples. A similar ratio of gold and ligature in the alloy is still used today in the manufacture of gold coins (an ancient coin with the mark 916 and 917 can be found).

Technical gold, where it cannot be avoided, is used in very pure form: its fineness is 998–999. This became possible thanks to refining. Before this, devices and equipment used an alloy with a specific gravity of precious metal of 96–99%. But it’s better not to bring fees into the buying process - you’ll get more for the whole TV you buy.

Modern medals and awards are just an imitation: a brass (most often) blank is coated with 9 carat gold (375). Military awards of the First and Second World Wars and the Patriotic War were made of 750 gold. The “Gold Star” of the Hero of the Soviet Union consists of 95% precious metal.

In dentistry, 900-carat gold is used; the alloy contains 4% silver and 6% copper for strength and sterility. Until the middle of the 20th century. the crowns were made of gold with a purity of 916 (917). Taking your teeth to a pawnshop is exactly what it sounds like!.. Gold leaf (sheets 0.002 mm thick) corresponds to 23 carats. “Russian Standard” is made from an alloy with 95.8–96% gold.

The gold standard is indicated on foreign-made products. With us - only for the base metal.

For example, on a chain made in the Russian Federation made of silver, plated with gold, there will be a silver mark.

A foreign manufacturer can supply 14KHGE or 14KTHGE (if 14 karat precious metal is used). Take this point into account so that when you hand over the “golden” accessory, you won’t be surprised at the ridiculous amount.

The most common standard of 14 K (domestic 585th) is used in jewelry and ritual decorations. The color of the alloy ranges from yellow-green to red.

Where to put a stamp or hallmark on a gold product if there is none

If your gold item is truly genuine and, for example, custom-made and very valuable to you, you can officially put a real hallmark or hallmark on it. This service is provided by the State Assay Chamber. Typically, legal entities resort to its services, but individuals also have the right to use its services. This process is not cheap and will take more than a month, but your sample or stamp will be officially affixed.

How to register a deposit in a pawnshop

After assessing the values, the pawnshop organization issues you a loan. It does not necessarily have to be the entire appraisal amount - you can “borrow”, for example, 50% of the appraisal amount, so as not to overpay extra interest when returning the collateral. At the same time, if you are not sure that you will be able to buy the property, it is better to withdraw the entire amount. You will receive a pledge ticket with a description of the details of the transaction. In addition, the package of documents includes a consumer loan agreement. These documents and a passport will be needed when completing the ransom.

Is it possible to sell gold without assay?

Of course, gold can be sold without assay. Either way it will be gold. You can sell your gold to a jeweler or a pawnshop. The price for it will be lower than you bought it, but it will still be the price of gold. Pawnshops buy gold, calling it buying scrap precious metals.

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Related posts:

How to distinguish gilding from gold

Gilding is a thin layer of gold plating on jewelry made of metals and alloys. It is applied to silver or jewelry steel to give jewelry a pleasant yellow tint. The items are visually indistinguishable from gold, but are much cheaper.

The disadvantage of gold plating is that it comes off quite quickly, especially if the product is worn constantly. At the same time, gilding can be easily restored in a jewelry store. To make gold plating last longer, you should avoid contact with water, cosmetics and perfume. You should also avoid wearing gold-plated jewelry while playing sports. You can distinguish gold from gilding using iodine.

Category: question-answer

I checked the ring to see if it was gold or not. How can I get rid of iodine stains now?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

Iodine blots can be easily cleaned with hydrogen peroxide and soap. Prepare a solution by mixing soap with peroxide and place the ring there for half an hour. After this, the ring will need to be rinsed with running water and wiped dry.

Will vinegar corrode gold when tested?

Expert opinion

Andrey Seleznev

Chemist-technologist, Volgograd

Solar metal is quite difficult to dissolve. This can only be done with the help of aggressive concentrated acids, nitric and hydrochloric, a mixture of which is also called aqua regia. Therefore, testing gold with vinegar will not give any reaction.

What does it mean if a gold ring is slightly attracted to a magnet?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

Most likely, the gold ring contains impurities, they can become magnetic. In such situations, it is worth assessing the force of gravity. If the ring is strongly magnetic, it makes sense to check it with a series of home tests.

High-quality gold transmits magnetic waves.

Gold ring on a magnet

Is it possible to test gold by tooth? How reliable is the method?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

The old verification method was relevant several centuries ago. The precious metal used for minting coins is very soft. Since the coins consisted mostly of it, people, fearing counterfeits, bit the money and examined the surface for signs of teeth.

Now it’s definitely not worth checking jewelry “by the tooth.” There are many other more reliable methods. In addition, it is very easy to make mistakes using only teeth.

Lead, for example, is even softer than the solar metal. If you bite it, marks will definitely remain.

I was given handmade gold earrings for my birthday, how can I check their authenticity and purity?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

It’s definitely worth turning to professionals in a jewelry workshop. Masters have all the necessary tools to obtain an accurate result. You can try to find out the sample yourself using a set of acids, but the resulting value will only be approximate. In addition, such a purchase is not practical for one-time use.

Jewelry with stones - how to donate

Where is the best place to donate gold with inserts?
When returning jewelry with precious stones, check whether they will be taken into account. Sometimes the weight of the stones is simply subtracted from the weight of the item, but this is not a general rule - look for a pawnshop that will pay for your diamonds. If the inserts are semi-precious or synthetic stones, their cost will not be taken into account: the estimated weight of the inserts will be subtracted from the total weight of the jewelry. The appraiser calculates the weight of the stones without removing them from the jewelry, using special tables. When selling jewelry, you can take the inserts for yourself and dispose of them at your own discretion, but no one can guarantee that the stone will not be damaged during dismantling. It is not uncommon for a diamond to chip off its lower part (culet). Sometimes a stone is damaged long before it reaches the appraiser's hands, but this remains unnoticed while the diamond is in the setting. Do you want to get money for branded jewelry, large diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds? Go where they will be appreciated: do not settle for the price of scrap gold.