Buying gold jewellery is a thrilling, momentous, and unforgettable occasion. Whether you’re buying it to wear yourself, as a gift, or as an investment, it’s an experience that should be savoured.
For this reason, it’s understandable that you might be a bit sceptical about buying gold jewellery online. To ease your mind, we’re here to offer a hand. Let us help you navigate the online jewellery world. Learn how to buy gold jewellery safely with our list of dos and don’ts.
The dos
To keep buying jewellery safe and special, we’ve created this list of ‘dos’. These are things you should definitely look at before making a purchase. Follow our gold buying tips to ensure your jewellery box is full of quality pieces.
DO check for purity
When you buy gold jewellery, you should always consider the purity of the gold. This goes for buying it in person or online, though when you can’t see the piece with your own eyes, there are some additional checks to consider.
The easiest way to check the purity of your gold jewellery is to look for hallmarking. All gold jewellery must be hallmarked, as per UK law. A hallmark tells you the official proportion of gold in the piece. It also shows that the jewellery has been independently verified as matching its description.
All UK jewellery hallmarks are made up of three distinct marks:
A Maker’s Mark - This is the mark of the jeweller or company which sent the piece for hallmarking. In the UK, this has at least two letters and all maker’s marks are completely unique.
A Purity Mark - Although we generally talk about the purity of gold in terms of karats, in the UK, all gold jewellery is marked with a number out of a thousand. This number shows you the proportion of precious metal in your piece. For instance, 18k gold will be marked with ‘750’ as it’s 75% pure. In contrast, 24k gold has a ‘999’ mark, as it’s at least 99.9% pure. An Assay Office Mark - This mark shows that the jewellery has been tested and hallmarked by one of four Assay offices in the UK.
Studying the hallmark is the most important when it comes to gold buying tips. All 7879 24k gold jewellery is officially hallmarked by the Assay Office, with the full traditional UK marks. Our pieces also come with a purity promise and a certificate of authenticity. As such, you can trust your pieces are of the highest quality.
DO check the pricing
Gold is, naturally, expensive. For some people, this is part of its allure; for others, this is just a part of owning one of the world’s most beautiful materials. Either way, you don’t want to be ripped off. If you’re wondering what precautions you should take while purchasing gold jewellery, checking that the overall cost of the piece is reasonable is important.
Gold pricing revolves around the purity of the gold plus the craftsmanship that went into designing and making the piece. The price of gold itself changes daily depending on the market rate. Most jewellery stores display daily bullion rates. If you’re buying gold jewellery online, you can also easily check these rates out yourself.
Of course, gold jewellery is much more beautiful than gold bullion. To make your pieces special, labour and design costs are involved, which are passed on to you in the final price.
Hand-crafted gold jewellery, for example, will have a higher markup as you’re buying from an artisan, and your piece is truly unique. For reference, machine-made or simple gold jewellery may cost up to 14% more than the value of the gold itself. Hand-finished gold can cost 25% more.
At 7879, our pricing is completely transparent. All of our gold jewellery prices are set at the current market rate and update in real-time. You’ll also pay a fixed craftsmanship fee to ensure our jewellers are paid fairly for their skills. We give you ethical jewellery at a fraction of the cost of bigger brands.
DO look into warranties
We understand that buying jewellery online can be a little daunting. No photo, or even video, can capture the spellbinding lustre of gold. You can’t feel the weight of the pure metal in your hands, you can’t run your fingers over its smooth surface, and you can’t try a piece on to see how it makes you sparkle.
Because of the nature of online shopping, you must look at the small print. Warranties, return policies and shipping charges are all important when considering how to buy gold jewellery online. Most jewellers offer a warranty on gold jewellery with a period of 1-3 years. At 7879, however, we go beyond this to let you shop with peace of mind.
Our lifetime warranty means that your pieces are always protected. We also have a 30-day return policy to ensure you love your pieces just as much as we do. Finally, we also give you free next day shipping on orders of over £200. We know the finer details matter – in life and in jewellery.
The don'ts
Learning what to avoid when buying jewellery is just as important as knowing what to look for. In fact, we’d say our list of ‘dont’s’ is even more important, as some of our gold buying tips might subvert your expectations.
DON'T be blinded by a brand name
It’s easy to become tied to the idea of name brand jewellery. After all, famous brands such as Tiffany’s have become synonymous with jewellery itself, giving you reassurance of quality and customer service. Often, however, when you buy gold jewellery from a designer brand you’ll pay over the odds for it.
At the end of the day, a name means nothing. Instead, focus on the purity of the gold and the quality of the design. These factors guarantee you a timeless piece that won’t lose value as fashion trends ebb and flow.
At 7879, we price all of our items on their weight and live market values. In contrast to other brands, we don’t focus on excessive marketing and branding which keeps our costs down and our prices fair. Our aim has always been to level the playing field; delivering beautiful gold pieces without unjust markups.
DON'T forget to check for quality
Just as checking for purity made our ‘dos’ list, remembering not to overlook quality is equally important. Of course, this starts with purity but covers a whole range of other factors too.
The highest quality gold you can buy is 24k, as this is 99.9% pure. However, this isn’t enough to make a quality piece of jewellery specifically. You also need exquisite craftsmanship and design, to ensure your pieces last the test of time.
Besides the quality of the piece itself, you should expect excellence in all departments when you’re investing in something so special. The story of your jewellery begins the minute you step (or click) into the store, and may continue for hundreds of years to come. As such, every stage of your buying journey should sparkle.
At 7879, we pride ourselves using the highest quality materials to make our jewellery. Our simple, hand-finished designs are not only stylish but they’re built to last too. We’re also proud of our commitment to customer service and to offering a hassle-free approach to buying gold.
These two concepts are why we confidently offer a lifetime warranty on all 7879 products.
Don't re-sell to other jewellers
We hope you’ll be happy with your 7879 pieces for years, if not generations to come. We do, however, understand that circumstances change. Whether you want to sell your jewellery for cash or to invest in different pieces, it’s crucial you know what it’s worth.
As mentioned earlier, the price of 24k gold jewellery can be largely broken down into two parts; the cost of the gold itself, and the cost of the craftsmanship. When it comes to reselling, you can a fair share of the value of your gold back. On the other hand, you may take a loss on the labour costs.
To ensure you get a fair resale price, it’s always best to go back to the store where you bought the jewellery. For instance, here at 7879, we’ll always exchange your jewellery for cash at market rates, anytime you feel the price is right.