Every piece of fine jewelry that you is a potential family heirloom. Every piece of fine jewelry you buy entails an oftentimes significant expenditure. The jewelry market has expanded many-fold as a result of television shopping channels, on-line auctions and on-line web shopping. What this explosion of availability means is that as a shopper you are faced with many more options, many of which bring with them pitfalls that were never there before.

As an educated consumer you need to know, first and foremost, that the laws that apply to shopping in a bricks-and-mortar retail store also apply to the shopping on-line, so the key to buying fine jewelry is making a wise decision about where you shop!

To help you with decision making we offer some tips from the Jewelry Information Center, a nonprofit trade association based in New York City.

1. Trust the professional jeweler.
   As you would when buying any item of value, do your homework. Ask for recommendations. Check with the Chamber of Commerce and/or Better Business Bureau. Ask the jeweler about his or her professional affiliations. Organizations like Jewelers of America (JA), requires high ethical standards from members and offer them continuing education, so they can keep up to date. When you make a purchase, make sure you understand the return policy (in writing) and get an itemized receipt.

2. Don't be fooled by discounts.
   Check out our article about Jewelry Bargains & Discounts. Keep in mind that if something is too good to be true, it probably isn't.

3. Study quality marks and registered trademark.
   On gold jewelry the karat mark indicates the degree of purity . . . "14K" means 58.3% pure gold, "18K," 75% pure. Different metals, in different quantities are added for strength and sometimes to for color (i.e., rose gold, white gold). Platinum, the hardest and most rare metal, is usually marked "PLAT" or "950 PLAT." Sterling silver is usually stamped "925." Pieces manufactured in the U.S., if the quality mark appears, the piece is required by federal law to also be stamped with the manufacturer's trademark. That ensures that the manufacturer stands behind the authenticity of the piece.

4. Be knowledgeable about what you are buying.
   Our "Archived Articles" cover all of the important types of jewelry you may be buying. Read the articles. Ask your jeweler about what you don’t understand. A reputable jeweler should be ready, willing and able to answer your questions. Buying fine jewelry is unlike any other purchase. If bought wisely, it will be a gift for yourself or another . . . forever.