FTC FACTS for Consumers

FOR THE CONSUMER 1-877-FTC-HELP

ftc.gov FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

B uuying jewelry can be fun, exciting, and confusing. Whether you’re considering a gift of ujewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms 

used in the industry. Here’s some information to help you get the best quality jewelry for your 

money, whether you’re shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.

Gold

The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, 

it’s usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry is 

not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.

The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. 

Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base 

metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near 

the karat quality mark, you should see the name or the U.S. registered trademark of the company 

that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol, or initials. 

If you don’t see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another 

piece.

Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The 

proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.

Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are 

either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. 

Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and 

how thick the plating is.

Gold‐filled, gold overlay, and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a 

layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with 

one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for 

example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the 

total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 

14K Gold Overlay.

Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum 

of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or 

gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 

microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold‐filled, or gold electroplate.

All That Glitters...

How to Buy Jewelry
Facts for Consumers 

Platinum, Silver and 

Other Metals

Platinum is a precious metal that costs more than 

gold. It usually is mixed with other similar metals, 

known as the platinum group metals: iridium, pal‐

ladium, ruthenium, rhodium, and osmium.

Different markings are used on platinum 

jewelry as compared with gold jewelry, based 

on the amount of pure platinum in the piece. The 

quality markings for platinum are based on parts 

per thousand. For example, the marking 900 

Platinum means that 900 parts out of 1000 are 

pure platinum, or in other words, the item is 90% 

platinum and 10% other metals. The abbreviations 

for platinum — Plat. or Pt. — also can be used in 

marking jewelry.

Items that contain at least 950 parts per 

thousand pure platinum can be marked simply 

platinum. Items that have at least 850 parts per 

thousand pure platinum can be marked with the 

amount of pure platinum and the word platinum 

or an abbreviation (for example, 950 platinum, 

900 Plat. or 850 Pt.). Jewelry that contains less 

than 850 parts per thousand pure platinum, but 

has a total of 950 parts per thousand of platinum 

group metals (of which at least 500 parts is pure 

platinum), may be marked with both the amount 

of pure platinum and the amount of the other 

platinum group metals in the piece. For example, 

the marking 600 Plat. 350 Irid. means that the 

item has 600 parts per thousand (60%) platinum, 

and 350 parts per thousand (35%) iridium, totaling 

950 parts per thousand of platinum group metals, 

and 50 parts per thousand (5%) other metals.

The words silver or sterling silver describe 

a product that contains 92.5% silver. Silver 

products sometimes may be marked 925 which 

means that 925 parts per thousand are pure silver. 

Some jewelry may be described as silverplate: 

a layer of silver is bonded to a base metal. 

The mark coin silver is used for compounds 

that contain 90% silver. According to the law, 

quality‐marked silver also must bear the name or 

a U.S. registered trademark of the company or 

person that will stand behind the mark.

Vermeil (ver‐may), a special type of gold 

plated product, consists of a base of sterling silver 

that is coated or plated with gold.

Pewter items may be described and marked as 

such if they contain at least 90% tin.

Gemstones

Natural gemstones are found in nature. Laborato‐

ry‐created stones, as the name implies, are made in 

a laboratory. These stones, which also are referred 

to as laboratory‐grown, [name of manufacturer]‐cre‐

ated, or synthetic, have essentially the same chemi‐

cal, physical, and visual properties as natural gem‐

stones. Laboratory‐created stones do not have the 

rarity of naturally colored stones, and they are less 

expensive than naturally mined stones. By contrast, 

imitation stones look like natural stones in appear‐

ance only, and may be glass, plastic, or less costly 

stones. Laboratory‐created and imitation stones 

should be clearly identified as such.

Gemstones may be measured by weight, size, 

or both. The basic unit for weighing gemstones 

is the carat, which is equal to one‐fifth (1/5th) of 

a gram. Carats are divided into 100 units, called 

points. For example, a half‐carat gemstone would 

weigh .50 carats or 50 points. When gemstones 

are measured by dimensions, the size is expressed 

in millimeters (for example, 7x5 millimeters).

Gemstone treatments or enhancements refer 

to the way some gems are treated to improve 

their appearance or durability, or even change 

their color. Many gemstones are treated in some 

way. The effects of some treatments may lessen 

or change over time, and some treated stones may 

require special care. Some enhancements also 

affect the value of a stone, when measured against 

a comparable untreated stone.

Jewelers should tell you whether the gemstone 

you’re considering has been treated when: 

the treatment is not permanent; the treated 

stone requires special care; or the treatment 

significantly affects the value of the gemstone.
Facts for Consumers

Some common treatments that you may be told 

about and their effects include:

• Heating can lighten, darken, or change 

the color of some gems, or improve a 

gemstone’s clarity.

• Irradiation can add more color to colored 

diamonds, certain other gemstones, and 

pearls.

• Impregnating some gems with colorless 

oils, wax, or resins makes a variety of 

imperfections less visible and can improve 

the gemstones’ clarity and appearance.

• Fracture filling hides cracks or fractures in 

gems by injecting colorless plastic or glass 

into the cracks and improves the gemstones’ 

appearance and durability.

• Diffusion treatment adds color to the 

surface of colorless gems; the center of the 

stone remains colorless.

• Dyeing adds color and improves color 

uniformity in some gemstones and pearls.

• Bleaching lightens and whitens some gems, 

including jade and pearls.

Diamonds

A diamond’s value is based on four criteria: 

color, cut, clarity, and carat. The clarity and 

color of a diamond usually are graded. However, 

scales are not uniform: a clarity grade of “slightly 

included” may represent a different grade on one 

grading system versus another, depending on the 

terms used in the scale. Make sure you know how 

a particular scale and grade represent the color 

or clarity of the diamond you’re considering. A 

diamond can be described as “flawless” only if 

it has no visible surface or internal imperfections 

when viewed under 10‐power magnification by a 

skilled diamond grader.

As with other gems, diamond weight usually 

is stated in carats. Diamond weight may be 

described in decimal or fractional parts of a carat. 

If the weight is given in decimal parts of a carat, 

the figure should be accurate to the last decimal 

place. For example, “.30 carat” could represent 

a diamond that weighs between .295 ‐ .304 

carat. Some retailers describe diamond weight in 

fractions and use the fraction to represent a range 

of weights. For example, a diamond described as 

1/2 carat could weigh between .47 ‐ .54 carat. If 

diamond weight is stated as fractional parts of a 

carat, the retailer should disclose two things: that 

the weight is not exact, and the reasonable range 

of weight for each fraction or the weight tolerance 

being used.

Some diamonds may be treated to improve 

their appearance in similar ways as other 

gemstones. Since these treatments improve the 

clarity of the diamond, some jewelers refer 

to them as clarity enhancement. One type of 

treatment — fracture filling — conceals cracks 

in diamonds by filling them with a foreign 

substance. This filling may not be permanent and 

jewelers should tell you if the diamond you’re 

considering has been fracture‐filled.

Another treatment — lasering — involves the 

use of a laser beam to improve the appearance 

of diamonds that have black inclusions or spots. 

A laser beam is aimed at the inclusion. Acid is 

then forced through a tiny tunnel made by the 

laser beam to remove the inclusion. Lasering 

is permanent and a laser-drilled stone does not 

require special care.

While a laser-drilled diamond may appear as 

beautiful as a comparable untreated stone, it may 

not be as valuable. That’s because an untreated 

stone of the same quality is rarer and therefore 

more valuable. Jewelers should tell you whether 

the diamond you’re considering has been laserdrilled.

Imitation diamonds, such as cubic zirconia, 

resemble diamonds in appearance but are much 

less costly. Certain laboratory‐created gemstones, 

such as lab‐created moissanite, also resemble 

diamonds and may not be adequately detected 

by the instruments originally used to identify 

cubic zirconia. Ask your jeweler if he has the 

current testing equipment to distinguish between 

diamonds and other lab‐created stones.
Facts for Consumers

Pearls

Natural pearls are made by oysters and other mol‐

lusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, 

but with human intervention; that is, an irritant 

introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. 

Imitation pearls are man‐made with glass, plastic, 

or organic materials.

Because natural pearls are very rare, most 

pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or 

imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are 

made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more 

expensive than imitation pearls. A cultured pearl’s 

value is largely based on its size, usually stated in 

millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, 

which gives it luster. Jewelers should tell you if 

the pearls are cultured or imitation.

Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue, 

and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, 

occur that way in nature; some, however, are 

dyed through various processes. Jewelers should 

tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally 

colored, dyed, or irradiated.

A Jewelry Shopper’s Checklist

When you’re in the market for a piece of jewelry 

for yourself or someone you love, shop around. 

Compare quality, price, and service. If you’re not 

familiar with any jewelers in your area, ask family 

members, friends, and co‐workers for recommenda‐

tions. You also should:

• Ask for the store’s refund and return policy 

before you buy.

• Check for the appropriate markings on metal 

jewelry.

• Ask whether the pearls are natural, cultured, 

or imitation.

• Ask whether a gemstone is natural, 

laboratory‐created, or imitation.

• Ask whether the gemstone has been treated. 

Is the change permanent? Is special care 

required?

• Make sure the jeweler writes on the sales 

receipt any information you relied on when 

making your purchase, such as the gem’s 

weight or size. Some jewelers also may 

supply a grading report from a gemological 

laboratory.

In addition, these tips apply when you’re 

shopping for jewelry online:

• Shop with companies you know or do some 

homework before buying to make sure a 

company is legitimate before doing business 

with it.

• Get the details about the product, as well as 

the merchant’s refund and return policies, 

before you buy.

• Look for an address to write to or a phone 

number to call if you have a question or a 

problem or need help.

For More Information

If you have a problem with the jewelry you pur‐

chased, first try to resolve it with the jeweler. If you 

are dissatisfied with the response, contact your local 

Better Business Bureau or local consumer protection 

agency. You also may contact the Jewelers Vigi‐

lance Committee’s Alternative Dispute Resolution 

Service. This program assists consumers and busi‐

nesses in resolving disputes about jewelry. The Jew‐

elers Vigilance Committee (JVC) is an independent, 

non‐profit organization formed to advance ethical 

practices in the jewelry industry. You may contact 

the JVC by mail: 25 West 45th Street, Suite 1406, 

New York, NY 10036, or by phone: 212‐997‐2002.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent 

fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business 

practices in the marketplace and to provide 

information to help consumers spot, stop, and 

avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free 

information on consumer issues, call toll-free, 

1-877-FTC-HELP, or use the complaint form at 

ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, 

identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints 

into a secure, online database available to 

hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement 

agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

March 2008