Number every gold jewellery piece before weighing
Separate bracelets, necklaces, rings and pendants into individual items. Photograph each complete piece beside its identifier before taking close views of marks, clasps, settings or damage.
- Individual gross weight with the scale unit
- Total gross weight calculated from the listed pieces
- Any confirmed gold weight stated separately from attachments
Retain the scale display, unit and weighing conditions. A total is useful only when another person can see exactly which numbered pieces were included.
Keep loose attachments outside the jewellery weight
Do not combine a loose tag, box or receipt with the jewellery weight. Photograph supporting material independently and preserve any conflicting description.
State which numbered pieces make up the total and retain every individual figure. This exposes omissions without requiring another weighing session.
Packaging, receipts and family notes can support provenance, but their wording should remain separate from physical observations.
Read a hallmark as a claim that still needs checking
Locate visible 999, 916 or 750 marks and transcribe them exactly, including their position. A mark is evidence of a stated fineness, not automatic confirmation of the whole object.
Photograph the hallmark under neutral and raking light without filing or polishing it. Worn, partial or altered characters should remain uncertain until direct testing is appropriate.
Separate gold from non-gold components
List stones, pearls, cords, tags, springs, solder and other fittings that may affect gross weight. State whether removal would damage the piece rather than assuming a net figure.
Hollow construction, internal supports and filled sections can alter how weight relates to size. Describe the structure visible at openings, joints and repaired areas.
Map every non-gold or unconfirmed component to its numbered piece before any deduction is discussed.
Inspect the places that carry stress
Show clasps, links, hinges, solder joins, settings and moving parts. Note looseness, cracks, distortion, prior repair and missing components before any handling test.
Support long chains and articulated pieces across a padded surface. Do not pull a clasp or flex a hollow section merely to prove that it moves.
Keep valuation inputs transparent
A price discussion depends on confirmed fineness, confirmed gold weight, deductions for non-gold parts, condition and the applicable buying basis. Gross weight alone cannot settle the result.
Retain receipts, packaging and family accounts as provenance, dated and photographed. They can inform the enquiry while remaining distinct from examination and testing.
Start with an itemised group photograph and complete views of each numbered piece. Then add individual gross weights, the scale unit and located hallmark close-ups.
List all stones, pearls, cords, tags and other fittings before discussing a possible gold weight. If an attachment cannot be removed safely, state the limitation.
Map hollow areas, supports, solder, clasps and repaired joints. These details affect handling and help explain why pieces of similar size may weigh differently.
