How-to guides about coins, gold, silver and jewelry: testing, grading, storing, buying and selling.
1 - 10 of 14 entries
Featured Guide
If you have inherited jewelry, found a chain in a drawer, or are thinking about buying gold at an estate sale, the first question is simple: is it real? This guide walks you through the easy checks you can do at home and explains the tests a jeweler or gold buyer uses to give a f...
The tiny stamps inside rings and on clasps tell you a lot about a piece of gold jewelry, if you know how to read them. This guide explains what karat marks and number marks mean, what plating stamps look like, and what t...
Broken chains, single earrings, outdated rings and dental gold can add up to real money. This guide is for anyone with a pile of gold odds and ends who wants to sell it sensibly. You will learn how to prepare it, what ha...
Selling gold jewelry is not always the same as selling scrap. A wearable ring, a signed bracelet or a vintage brooch may be worth more to a buyer who will resell it than to one who will melt it. This guide helps you figu...
Many people have jars of old change or a coin collection from a parent and wonder which coins contain silver. US coins made for circulation before 1965 are mostly 90% silver, and spotting them is easier than you might th...
Coins can last for centuries, but the wrong storage can damage them in just a few years. Whether you have a few inherited silver dollars or a growing collection, this guide explains which holders are safe, which material...
Two coins with the same date and mint mark can sell for very different amounts because of their condition. That condition is described by a grade. This guide explains the grading scale, the common terms you will see in l...
When you find a tarnished old coin, the natural urge is to make it shine. With coins, that is almost always a mistake. This guide explains why cleaning lowers value, how buyers can tell, and the few safe things you can d...
Sorting through a jewelry box from an estate can be confusing. Some pieces are gold, silver and real gemstones, while others are plated metal and glass. This guide shows you the clues that separate costume jewelry from f...
Whether you are buying an estate ring or trying to understand a diamond you inherited, the "4 Cs" are the common language for describing diamond quality. This guide explains each one in plain terms, how grading reports w...
1 - 10 of 14 entries
