The Journal · Topic

Buying Guides

How to buy antique and vintage jewelry without getting burned: what to ask, what to check, what the paperwork does and does not prove.

Loose ruby, emerald, sapphire, citrine and amethyst gemstones on an antique tray with tweezers, a loupe and cut diagrams.
October 2026

Ruby Buying Guide: Pigeon's Blood, Origin, Heat and Glass-Filled Rubies

Ruby buying guide: what makes a ruby valuable, what pigeon's blood really means, origins from Myanmar to Mozambique, heated, flux-healed and glass-filled...

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Vintage puffed mariner link chain in 10k gold, 22 inches, with domed oval links each crossed by a centre bar.
October 2026

Gold Chain Types: Mariner, Cuban, Figaro, Rope and Box — and How to Spot a Hollow One

Gold chain types explained: cable, curb, Cuban, mariner and the puffed Gucci link, Figaro, rope, box, wheat, snake and herringbone, which ones...

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Imperial Russian ring with three blue sapphires and old cut diamonds set flush in a hand-engraved 14k gold band, hallmarked 56 zolotnik, 1864.
October 2026

Rose Gold, Red Gold and Russian Gold: Why Antique Gold Looks Pink

Why antique gold looks pink: how copper makes rose, pink and red gold, what 56 zolotnik and Soviet 583 mean, why rose...

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A 1.06 carat L colour old mine cut diamond bezel-set in an 18k yellow gold engagement ring.
October 2026

Diamond Color Scale D to Z: Why Warm Antique Diamonds Deserve a Second Look

Diamond color scale D to Z: the five GIA colour groups, how colour is graded against master stones, how setting metal and...

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Hands holding a jeweler's loupe over the stamped marks inside a gold ring, with calipers and an open sketchbook on the workbench.
October 2026

How to Tell If Hermès Jewelry Is Real: Clic H, Kelly and Chaîne d'Ancre

How to tell if Hermès jewelry is real: fashion vs fine jewelry, the HERMES stamp and metal marks, Clic H enamel and...

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An Art Deco onyx and diamond ring beside an old-cut diamond spray brooch and a Victorian gold locket with a pearl star, on green velvet.
October 2026

White Gold vs Platinum vs Silver: How to Tell Them Apart

White gold vs platinum vs silver: how to tell them apart by marks such as PT950, IRIDPLAT, 750 and 925, by weight...

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Loose emerald, ruby, sapphire, citrine and amethyst gemstones on an antique tray beside tweezers, a jeweler's loupe and gem cut diagrams.
October 2026

Birthstones by Month: The Full List, What Each Means, and the Antique Versions

Birthstones by month: the full modern list and its alternatives, the 1912 origins and later additions such as tanzanite and spinel, traditional...

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Loose old mine and old European cut diamonds on green velvet beside brass calipers, a jeweler's loupe and diamond cut diagrams.
October 2026

Diamond Clarity Chart: FL to I3, Eye-Clean, and What Actually Matters

Diamond clarity chart from FL to I3: what each GIA grade means at 10x, the inclusion types on a report, which grades...

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Hands examining the hallmarks inside an antique gold ring through a jeweler's loupe, with calipers and a sketchbook on the table.
October 2026

How to Tell If a Cartier Juste un Clou Is Real

How to tell if a Cartier Juste un Clou is real: Aldo Cipullo's 1970s nail design and its 2012 relaunch, nail head...

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