Know Finishing and Hallmarking to Buy Genuine Jewellery Online

Published by Team KuberBox on

Reading Time: 7 minutes

FINISHING:

Finish refers to the final process in which the karigar gives the jewellery a final polish and retouching. There are multiple types of finish that your client could choose for their jewellery and hence you must be familiar with all, in order to be comfortable when selling your KuberBox jewellery. Finish is integral because wearing jewellery is a very intimate relationship between wearer and jewellery. Jewellery should arouse the senses with its touch, which is why KuberBox checks each piece of jewellery thoroughly so that your client does not face any issues with the finish of their product.

polishing wheel for finishing process of jewellery
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This is a polishing wheel

polishing surface of the metal
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A polishing wheel that is used to polish the surface of metal

difference between polished & unpolished jewellery
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Unpolished jewellery on the left and, after polished jewellery on the right

There are a number of different polishes the metal can take on and each of your clients will also, in turn, have their own preferences.

MATTE FINISH

The Matte Finish, for example, is a frosty, hazy and lustreless finish that is given to the fine metal. The metal looks dull but still has its innate colour that will never be lost. This finish is very hard to maintain as it can scratch easily and also become polished with constant wear.

matte finish gold jewellery
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HIGH FINISH

High polish is when the artisans fashion the metal to look like a mirror that is highly reflective and smooth. The metal takes on such a shiny appearance it gives out the true colours and nature of the metal. This is a very popular finish style and also the default style for most gold and diamond jewellery.

high finish gold jewellery
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FLORENTINE FINISH

This finish is one that has a crosshatch pattern or engraved lines that give the wearer the benefit of wearing the same metal with a different look.

florentine finish to the jewellery
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SATIN FINISH

The Satin finish is another style wherein the metal looks like it is so soft almost resembling the velvety touch in fabrics. This softened look is not as bright but is very soft to touch and still maintains the qualities of the metal. Satin finish gold is characterised by its polished look, but one which doesn’t reflect. Therefore if you prefer a non-shiny polished gold-effect, go for this.

satin finishing in gold jewellery
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Finish is one of the most integral parts of the whole manufacturing process as it resolves problems like extra soldering marks or sharp edges which are not nice when selling precious jewellery. No customer wants to pay large sums of money and then receive a piece of jewellery that is badly finished or has spots or pits in the metal. As a KPP you can be assured of the quality of the jewellery you are receiving, as all our jewellery goes through strict quality checks, which allows you to sell flawless jewels confidently.

HALLMARKING:

Gold has been marked from the ancient times and among other things, marks were used to suggest the purity of the metal. This tradition has been passed down generations on and has since then become almost a norm in the jewellery and bullion industry. Hallmarking is now an essential part in the production of most jewellery that you buy although you might not know it and your clients must understand the reason why precious metals are marked with various quality marks. This gives each client the confidence when buying jewellery or anything with precious metals. Through external party verification, your customers are assured of their purchases and need not worry about a thing. Quality marks clearly state what karatage the metal is composed of, which can also help instil trust when making a purchase.

BIS HALLMARKING In India, the BIS Hallmarking system is accepted and approved by the government. This BIS hallmark is something you should know about, as it will help sell your KuberBox tested jewellery to your clients. Certified assaying centres can only carry out BIS hallmarking. These centres receive complete training from the BIS team and can then mark metals for three consecutive years after.

bis hallmarking system
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The BIS hallmark as depicted has 5 components, which are:

1. BIS (triangular) mark

2. Fineness or purity mark

3. Assaying centre mark

4. Year of marking which is denoted with Alphabets as decided by the BIS (i.e. A for the year 2000 etc.)

5. Jewellers identity mark

BIS Hallmarking Standards
958Corresponding to 23K
916Corresponding to 22K
875Corresponding to 21K
750Corresponding to 18K
585Corresponding to 14K
375Corresponding to 9K

Jewellers can stamp their jewellery with their own quality marks, which is another widely practised part of the manufacturing process. Recently, BIS has announced new norms wherein the year of the mark has been removed. Silver can also be hallmarked in the same way and is done across countries globally. Sterling silver is marked with the 92.5% “Sterling” stamp that indicates to customers the purity of the metal. Platinum jewellery, on the other hand, is generally stamped with the “Plat”, “Platinum” or “pt.” marks.

PLATING

For you to be a well-versed sales assistant, you should know about the different types of quality marks that are available and sold on the market. Plating in jewellery has its own set of quality marks. Gold plating must always be coated with at least 10K gold in order to be considered gold plated. It must also have a minimum ½ a micron layered on top. G.P, which stands for Gold Plated is what you will see, stamped on the gold plated jewellery.

Gold plating is usually done in the case of jewellery where the base metal isn’t gold. You must have heard of 1-gram jewellery. 1-gram jewellery is nothing but a marketing gimmick where they pass on gold plated jewellery as 1-gram jewellery.

GOLD TESTING

Today we cannot negate the probability of fraudsters out to make an extra bit of money. This is the reason why gold testers and testing processes have become such an important part of the retail jewellery sector. When it comes to testing the purity of the metal there are two subcategories, being the destructive tests and the non-destructive techniques. Your clients might sometimes want to sell their gold jewellery back or want their gold tested for their self-satisfaction. At that point, your knowledge of testing techniques will prove valuable, as your suggestions will go a long way. The Electronic Gold Tester is a small and compact machine with a pen-like device that detects the purity of the gold. You may have already seen it in jewellery stores as they are used quite frequently when jewellers buy back jewellery from customers. This machine gives instant results and does not damage the jewellery piece in the process. You must also know that this tester is not entirely accurate, as it only detects the metal on the surface. It detects gold plating to be gold which would be completely incorrect. The touchstone test is a relatively accurate test used to check the karatage of the gold. In this process, the gold is tested on its reaction to acids. In this process, a basalt stone is used to first rub the gold against it leaving a mark. This streak mark is then confirmed with the help of two needles of the estimated karatage on either side of the streak. Adding solutions of either Nitric acid or Hydrochloric acid will change the colour of the streak that thereby determines the gold karatage. Jewellers must be careful as the jewellery piece can be damaged as it’s rubbed against the basalt stone. This should always be carried out with the consent of your client.

gold purity test method
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The other method and most accurate are the fire assay, which is most likely done at a special facility because of the lengthy process. It is also a destructive test in which the entire jewellery piece will be destroyed. The metal is weighed then placed to melt at 1100°C with a piece of silver. Once melted, the two small balls of silver and gold remain. These pieces are further parted with the help of a platinum lined tray and nitric acid. The gold separates entirely from the silver leaving behind the pure metal. This is then weighed and the difference is noted. This assay process is one of the most accurate methods to test a metal. In recent times, X-rays have been used to determine the gold purity of solid gold jewellery. This is done through a process called the XRF process wherein the X-rays are used to analyse the piece of metal and then declare the composition of the metal. 

FAQ:

  1. Is Hallmark jewellery real?

The purpose of a hallmark is to certify the metal purity of the item. In other words, if an object is stamped with a ‘gold’ hallmark, then you, the consumer, knowing that it is indeed real gold and not something else that simply looks like gold.

2. What does high polish finish mean?

High polish is when the artisans fashion the metal to look like a mirror that is highly reflective and smooth. The metal takes on such a shiny appearance it gives out the true colours and nature of the metal. This is a very popular finish style and also the default style for most gold and diamond jewellery.

Know Finishing and Hallmarking to Buy Genuine Jewellery Online by Team KuberBox

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