Points to keep in mind while shopping for 'Jewellery'

If you are planning to buy jewellery, be it diamond, gold or silver, take care of some important things while making the purchase. This article sums those common mistakes that one could do while buying a jewelry and the tricks the shopkeeper uses to deceive the customer. Jewelry is a one-time investment so there should be no chances of letting the shopkeeper fool you. Go through these excellent tips and become a smart shopper.

Jewellery in India

In India people have been using jewelry for ages. Jewelry is considered one of the most auspicious gifts for functions like birth, wedding, baby shower etc. This shows the significance of it in our culture. In ancient times men too used to adorn themselves with lots of jewelry but today they make a limited use of it. It plays a great importance in the life of women till now. Jewelry is considered not only for adornment but also serves as an investment in times of emergency need of money. One of the reasons behind gifting Jewelry to the daughter in the marriages is this also. Jewelry can prove a huge support at times. But what if at the time of need one finds that his/her jewellery is of very less worth as compared to the cost actually paid for it. Even if no such need arises, why buy something less worthy by paying such a huge amount for it? Thus it is very necessary that we keep our eyes open while investing in any jewellery piece. Following are some points that should be checked before making a purchase-

Hallmark jewellery

Always buy a BIS ( Bureau of Indian Standards) hallmark jewellery. Whether it is a small ring or a big set, the jewelry should be hallmarked.
A BIS Hallmark, consists of five components

BIS Mark

The fineness marks

916,

Assaying and hallmarking centre's Mark

Jeweller's identification mark

The year of marking

Other important things

Buy jewellery from a reputed or branded shop.

While buying a gold jewellery with a Mina Kari work, make sure that it is genuine Mina. Some shopkeepers use other solutions and nail polish instead of Mina. To check this take the jewellery into natural light .Genuine Mina is transparent whereas other solutions will have a patch on it.

Always ask the shopkeeper about the resale value of the jewellery or else a large percentage can be cut-off when you go to sell it for money or for making a new jewelry.

Ask for the receipt that shows how much VAT or other taxes you have paid for the jewelry. Some shopkeeper charge the taxes but give normal receipt which is a fraud.

Keep yourself about the making charge the shopkeeper place on a jewellery. Every shopkeeper has his own making charge. Visit two- three shops and ask about the making charge. Gold jewellery generally has making charges of about Rupees 300 per 10 grams. Diamond jewellery has a little higher making charge. However, this should always be checked on hallmark Jewelry only. If the making charge of jewellery is less and it is not a Hallmark on it don't buy it. If the making charges of Hallmark jewellery in one shop is less than the other then go for the cheaper one.

If you are buying jewellery specifically for investment purpose, buy such pieces that has less Mina Kari work and less stones studded on it. This is because you pay for the jewellery with the weight of these included but when you go to sell the same jewellery the weight of stones and Mina is not included .You will get only the cost of gold /silver/diamond. Other things are counted as wastage.

While buying a diamond jewellery be confirmed about the actual carat of the diamond. Some shopkeepers write the carat in round figures. For example they would write 4 carat even if it is 3.75 carats. After checking the actual carat, calculate the cost of diamond by multiplying it with the rate per carat and adding the making charge to it.

Ask for the certificate showing the carat and other specifications of the diamond. All hallmarked jewelers give a certificate. If a shopkeeper denies, don't make a purchase from his shop.

To make jewellery of Platinum some other metals need to be included. Ask the shopkeeper about which metal has been mixed with platinum to make the jewelry you are purchasing. Take care if you are allergic to some metals.

Platinum jewellery also comes with standard certificate. Don't forget to collect your certificate from the shopkeeper. Ask the shopkeeper for the special pouch made for platinum jewellery as it bears the highest risk of getting scratches.

When you are purchasing silver jewellery ,buy the piece which has 92.5 or simply 925 mark on it. This is the approved fineness mark for silver from BIS.

Some general tips

Some jewellery pieces with Kundan, Mina Kari work, Polki are always in fashion so it is wise to invest in these. You can continue wearing it for long years without the tension of looking untrendy and even pass it to the next generation.

Check the jewellery from both the sides. It should have no sharp edges or it will be uncomfortable to use it regularly. You will not get the satisfaction of your investment.

Rings, Bracelets, Bangles should not be hollow from inside. Though such pieces cost less, they bend or break very easily.

Do not forget to remove your jewellery before going to bed. Most of the jewelry lose their shape or break while sleeping. The small hangings from the ear- ring can break and go inside the ear while sleeping.