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Most people don't think about jewelry appraisals until they need one. Maybe their insurance company asks for documentation after a claim. Maybe they inherited a ring and have no idea what it's worth. Or maybe they just spent $5,000 on an engagement ring and someone mentioned they should "get it appraised." Here's what an appraisal actually is, what it costs, when you need one, and what the numbers on that piece of paper really mean. What a Jewelry Appraisal Is (And Isn't) An appraisal is a document that states the replacement value of a piece of jewelry. That's the cost...

If you own a white gold ring, the bright silver-white colour you see isn't the gold itself. It's a thin coating of rhodium, a platinum-group metal that's applied over the gold to give it that clean, cool-white appearance. The gold underneath is actually a pale greyish-yellow, because white gold is still gold alloyed with white metals like palladium, nickel, or silver. Without rhodium plating, white gold looks noticeably warmer than most people expect. This is one of the most common questions we get at Vanhess: "Why is my white gold ring turning yellow?" It's not turning yellow. The rhodium plating...

Most gold jewelry just needs warm water, a drop of dish soap, and five minutes. That's it. The problem isn't that cleaning is hard — it's that people reach for the wrong products (toothpaste, baking soda, commercial dips) and end up scratching or discolouring pieces that were fine before they tried to "clean" them. Here's what actually works, what to avoid, and when to stop DIY and bring it to a jeweller. The only method you need for solid gold This works on 10K, 14K, 18K, and 22K solid gold. Rings, chains, bracelets, pendants. What you need: A small bowl,...