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.
Clip-On Earrings: Why Vintage Clips Are Back, and How to Wear Them All Day
Why clip-on earrings were the mid-century standard, how to make clip-on earrings comfortable with placement, pads and jeweler-set tension, and what converting...
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How to Clean Antique Jewelry at Home Without Ruining It
How to clean antique jewelry at home safely: the gentle method that works, what never to use on emeralds, opals, pearls, enamel...
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How to Tell If Pearls Are Real: The Tooth Test and Better Ones
How to tell if pearls are real or imitation: the tooth test done properly, what drill holes and lustre reveal, why glass,...
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Bezel-Set Engagement Rings: Pros, Cons and Why They Suit Real Life
Bezel vs prong setting, honestly compared: security, snagging, the light performance myth, cleaning, resizing and cost, plus why the oldest setting in...
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Moissanite vs Diamond: How to Tell Them Apart, and Which Is Right for You
Moissanite is not a diamond, and a basic diamond tester will not tell you so. How moissanite and diamond differ in fire,...
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Buying a Vintage Watch: What to Check Before You Pay
A vintage watch is valued on originality first and brand second. How to check the dial, hands, case polishing, movement, service history...
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What Do 375, 585, 750 and 916 Mean on Gold? Jewelry Stamps Decoded
What 333, 375, 585, 750, 916 and 999 mean on gold, how they convert to karats, which marks such as GP, GF,...
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Pinky Rings: Meaning, Which Hand, and How to Wear One Now
What a pinky ring actually means, from signets and sealing wax to engineers' rings, which hand to wear one on, what size...
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How to Tell If a Diamond Is Real: The Tests That Work and the Myths That Don't
How to tell if a diamond is real: why the fog, newspaper and water tests mislead, especially with antique cuts, what a...
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