Akshaya Tritiya 2019: Things to keep in mind before buying jewellery

*Quality

It is important for the customer to look out for the following aspects which guarantee quality while purchasing jewellery:

– The jewellery should bear BIS Hallmark, which is a guarantee of the purity of the metal. Hallmarking is done by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The mark establishes the origin and fineness of the material and makes sure that it has been accurately tested. At times, consumers get confused between a branding mark and a legal hallmark. Both these marks have respective significance and should not be confused. BIS embosses its logo for hallmarking which also bears a fineness number.

– While buying diamonds, it is important to consider the 4C’s – Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat of the diamond. All these factors determine the appearance and quality of the diamond. Also it is essential to buy a diamond that is tested by independent gemological labs. The certificate gives clarity of the weight, measurement, colour, polish, cut, and quality of the diamond.

Since jewellery buying is a huge investment, it should be purchased from a brand which the consumer can trust and has been in the industry for long years.

Transparency

As there is no standard invoicing pattern in India and the billing system also varies from one brand to the other, the customer should always ask for the price break-up of the jewellery. They should also check if this is in alignment with the buy-back policy of the jewellery brand, as it would help the customer gauge the transparency of the brand and get the right amount against the jewellery in future. Customers should also look out for the jewellers exchange policy, if any.

Longevity

This is one of the most important aspects that the customer should take into consideration. Since jewellery buying is a huge investment, it should be purchased from a brand which the consumer can trust and has been in the industry for long years. Doing complete research, both offline and online, would of help to know the brand better. It’s also important to ask for mandatory documents that act as a proof of the jewellery.

Clarity specifies fractures in a gemstone. The fewer the fractures, the better is the quality of the gemstone.

Educate yourself about basic jewellery techniques

Jewellery techniques includes colour, clarity, cut, and carat.

• It is advisable to buy a faceted gemstone as they have better clarity. This is because of their nature to allow the light to pass through them. A lot of laboratory created gemstones are also available in the market. Although these look similar to the natural gemstone, they are less valuable.
• Clarity specifies fractures in a gemstone. The fewer the fractures, the better is the quality of the gemstone. Lesser number of fractures are known to enhance the transparency of the stone.
• The cut of the gemstone is of two types – faceted and non- faceted. As mentioned above, it is always preferred to go with a faceted gemstone as the stone is well proportioned and symmetrical in nature.
• Carat is the measure of the purity of diamond and karat is the measure of the purity of gold. The higher the karat, the more valuable is the gold. In addition to gold, other metals/ alloys like zinc, copper, silver are also added in order to increase the hardness and toughness of the jewellery. Although 24Kt is the purest form of gold, 22Kt is the most popular form of gold jewellery used.

Making charges

This depends on the kind of jewellery the customer plans on buying. It also depends on the kind of detailing required in the design. Making charges is either a percentage of total material used or flat. It varies for each brand. Considering that the price of gold is on an increase, flat making charge would benefit the consumers.