kasue
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posted on March 10, 2004 09:47:15 PM new
I just received a ring that I purchased on Ebay. It was called "14K" and they said it had a replacement value in 1989 of $210. I only paid $43 for it, but I wouldn't have bought it at all if I had know it was plated. I don't want "plated" rings. This is the mark inside, "14KPFO". It has an open work mounting and you can see under the pearls the most godawful looking support system for the mounting. At least two of the pearls look glued back on. It is a mess. Do those marks mean plated? I may have grounds to return it if they do. Thank you.
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kiara
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posted on March 10, 2004 10:33:45 PM new
If it looks that cheap I would doubt that it's 14K.
I'm not familiar with that mark and couldn't find it on Google.
14KPFO 14 Karat Plated Faux Ormolu ?
14KPFO 14 Karat Plated Fake Object ?
I can think of some other ones too but won't write them here. 
You could maybe write the seller and ask her what the marks mean. Does she sell lots of jewelry? If not, she may be just clueless or going by what she has been told.
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sparkz
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posted on March 10, 2004 10:43:07 PM new
<<14KPFO 14 Karat Plated Fake Object>> LOL. That's a good one Kiara  And you're probably right.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
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neroter12
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posted on March 11, 2004 03:32:05 AM new
I was looking at the 14kt gold rings the other day, too. (I am thinking about selling one that I've have) But I cant figure out how they sell a $1600.00 ring for 49.00 or whatever. Or even start a 300.00 ring at 1.00. Seems to me a lot of them must be made very cheaply, or the retail markup on gold jewelry must be totally outrageous? Or is this just the jewelery they cant move no matter what?
I noticed lots of zero and (1-2) bidders on the bidded up ones too. It seems like there are more jewlers selling them just your every day joe. Every auction I opened was by some Jeweler somewhere, Flashing and all to-do all over the auction. I hardly saw any that were suzy q selling her grandmothers ring.
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classicrock000
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posted on March 11, 2004 04:47:56 AM new
did you get this from Fluffy??
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wgm
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posted on March 11, 2004 04:54:48 AM new
"KP" stands for "Karat Plumb" - the exact amount of gold in the ring.
I don't know what "FO" stands for.
edited to add definition:
Plumb gold: a term that was used to designate an item whose gold content was closer to its stamped karat. Often it would be indicated by the addition of the suffix "P" to the karat stamp.
__________________________________
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to the people who sleep under the very blanket of freedom I provide, and then question the manner in which I provide it." - A Few Good Men
[ edited by wgm on Mar 11, 2004 05:24 AM ]
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on March 11, 2004 06:34:52 AM new
Are you positive about the mark? There are various marks for gold-filled, like 14KGF. Or PFO could be the manufacturer.
Replacement value has nothing to do with the actual market value of the piece. All it means is that that is what it would cost to fabricate the same item all over again if it were lost or destroyed.
So-called retail values for gold jewelry on eBay are largely imaginary. Retail value doesn't mean anything unless the piece is actually for sale elsewhere (off eBay) at that price. The sterling silver jewelry I sell is manufactured in Italy, Thailand, China and Canada for American department stores. It is displayed and sold in those stores at the tagged price. So I feel very comfortable citing retail prices in my jewelry auctions because those are prices that people actually pay every day.
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earthmum
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posted on March 11, 2004 06:59:53 AM new
Once in a while, I list a nice piece of gold jewelry and start at just $1, no reserve. The idea is to get attention. Sometimes it works - you get several bidders that see a gold item for a very low price and they start to compete. Sometimes the item sells very low - someone gets a bargain! But that keeps 'em coming. And I agree, too many commercial jewelers selling. But only a few of them have good sales, check it out. And several of them are what you might call a bit "shady," with diamond earrings for a penny and shipping up around $20. The earrings are not even worth $20. They are probably technically diamonds, but extremely poor quality. Neroter, I would suggest listing your ring at a price you would like to get, with a BIN with what you would be delighted to get!
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stopwhining
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posted on March 11, 2004 07:07:47 AM new
kasue,
take it to a local jeweler,he could tell you if it is 14k gold or goldplated.
1989 gold and silver and platinum prices were very low,silver was around 3 dollars,gold barely 300 and platinum around 500 plus.
now gold is around 400,platinum 1000 and silver 7,so who is going to give away a good gold ring at 43 dollars??
if you want quality gold ring,you should go to a reputable retail store.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
[ edited by stopwhining on Mar 11, 2004 07:34 AM ]
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kasue
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posted on March 11, 2004 08:01:32 AM new
So it sounds like it might actually be solid gold if the "P" means "plumb". It is marked "14KPFO". I looked again. Maybe it is 14 karat plumb flimsy object. I really wonder about that "P" meaning "Plated" though. I will email her and see what she says. At the very least the pearls should not looked glommed on with glue. This is the only piece of jewelry I have seen her list. It looks like she just has listed a hodge podge of things she is tired of around the house.
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earthmum
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posted on March 11, 2004 08:25:57 AM new
Kasue - I would say that if the pearls are glued in, the quality of the ring must be very low. Usually, pearls in a good gold ring are claw set or bezel set. If you don't have the means to chemically test for gold, here's an "old wives" test - cheap jewelry is often plated over brass and brass has a distinctive smell. Give it a sniff! Get something you know is brass to compare. Stopwhining - you obviously don't buy jewelry on eBay. I have bought many gold rings, some with diamonds and other gems, for $43 and UNDER! Ya just gotta keep looking.
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neroter12
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posted on March 11, 2004 09:16:54 AM new
earthmum, I've been toying around with the idea of selling it for awhile. I think I will take it to a jeweler or get it appraised first. I know its white gold diamonds but I couldnt say any more on the quality of it. I bought it years ago when I was young, confident, i.e., had a career, and a Macy's Card. ha! So its not that I really want to sell it but I am starting to think I am wasting time with low end items -- I mean, I have sales -- probably average 40-50%, but am thinking I need to move into higher ended items to make this worth something more than fun. Am I the only the one that feels its a bit of downer to think you are 'doing something' or makeing some money, and then get your ebay bill and see a whopping third or half of it of it goes toward the empty listing fees? I know shouldnt really complain because I am doing better at it than I ever thought I would; and see some sellers with less hits/bids and way more listings than me...but still I keep thinking theres gotta be a better way.
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stopwhining
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posted on March 11, 2004 09:32:41 AM new
earthmum,
if you are finding good gold jewelry on ebay,i am happy for you.
years ago i bot some nice jade with 14k gold bale on ebay from a woman who is a receptionist in a law firm,she and her ex used to own a jewelry store and she kept the nice pieces for herself.
that was years ago when there were only 20,000 items on ebay .
now one has to go thru pages and pages of junk to find something which look promising.
kasue.
next time you go shopping,just walk into a jewelry store and show it to the salesman or owner,it should not take them more than 5 minutes to tell you about your ring.
some stores have geminologists with their machines,they are always curious to see what people bring in.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
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earthmum
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posted on March 11, 2004 09:35:06 AM new
Neroter - most jewelers charge to appraise jewelry, sometimes as much as $50!! Try running an eBay search for a similar ring. You really need to know the diamond size, but you can measure in millimeters. Oh, and the jeweler will appraise the ring very high, probably several times what you could get on eBay. I sell a lot of gold, diamond and gemstone estate jewelry, but I don't make an awful lot on most of them, just enough to keep me doing it. Sometimes, my "Hail Mary" BINs work out! I like the jewelry, and with estate stuff you can wear it for a while (it is already used). Also, easy shipping and the stock doesn't take up much room. Hard part is getting a good picture of diamonds - it is hard.
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kiara
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posted on March 11, 2004 09:40:14 AM new
kasue, this page has some good info about gold and how to closely examine the mark.
Thanks wgm, I didn't know about Karat Plumb and the page also has the info on that.
http://www.motherlodegold.com/view_article.php?display=22
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neroter12
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posted on March 11, 2004 09:52:38 AM new
earthmum, thanks for that tip about appraisals. yuck 50 or more?! I may just scout it out on ebay like you suggested.
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glassgrl
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posted on March 11, 2004 09:55:02 AM new
re: taking pictures of diamonds & jewelry.
I learned over in Diamondtalk forum to take an excellent picture of rings etc. the secret is styrofoam. This guy over there that takes the most gorgeous picture uses a styrofoam tortilla warmer. I didn't have one of those, so I got the smallest styrofoam coolers I could find. In a pinch, you can also use a foam cup, I've done that too. It's something about the way the light bounces. (I haven't tried out the foam cooler yet though....)
Ah, here's the thread on how to do it:
http://www.diamondtalk.com/forums/archive/2/2003/4/1/17322/The/very/high/technology/of/the/tortilla/to/take/pictures
great forum to ask questions about jewelry too!
[ edited by glassgrl on Mar 11, 2004 10:10 AM ]
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kasue
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posted on March 11, 2004 10:36:07 AM new
glassgrl, Could you explain how that is done with styrofoam? I can't picture it.
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glassgrl
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posted on March 11, 2004 11:09:48 AM new
kasue you'll have to use the link above to understand.
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stopwhining
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posted on March 11, 2004 11:21:04 AM new
placing the item inside a styrofoam container
-it can be a coffee cup or something bigger.
you also need a certain kind of glue which will make the ring stand upright.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
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OhMsLucy
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posted on March 11, 2004 11:35:00 AM new
Hi all,
Sounds like a good idea - think I'll try it.
You know, I bet Museum Wax might work to keep the ring in position.
Lucy
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stopwhining
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posted on March 11, 2004 12:14:00 PM new
where can we get museum wax??
is it transparent??
the problem with this technique of using styrofoam is that it will show the flaw/dirt/scratch/patina of old jewelry .
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
[ edited by stopwhining on Mar 11, 2004 12:16 PM ]
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glassgrl
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posted on March 11, 2004 12:22:20 PM new
I've used MOTHERS Mag & Aluminum Polish to polish all my rings and they look like new.
I LOVE Endicia! You will too – Click here!
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Libra63
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posted on March 11, 2004 12:57:05 PM new
What about the white containers that chip dip come in or even the large butter. It isn't styrofoam but a white plastic. Thanks for the idea I am going to play around with it. I will try anything to make my images better. It should work with rhinestones also don't you think?
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glassgrl
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posted on March 11, 2004 01:01:46 PM new
I think the point of the styrofoam is that it's a dull surface and not shiny like plastic. I don't know, I've never tried it.
I have used a styrofoam cup and got a much better picture than just trying to photograph it. In the link, he shows you the difference in taking a picture with the top off of the tortilla warmer and with it on. And it's amazing.
here's a link for museum gel with free shipping at a good price. The museum wax is for more permanent adhesion.
http://bjcrystalgifts.com/cgi-bin/shop.plx/page=3311.html
I wonder if you couldn't use a glue gun and a spot of glue in a pinch - letting the glue cool momentarily. I've glued antique fishing lures in a printer's type tray and it didn't harm the lures. but I suppose the hot glue would melt the styrofoam...
also, the furniture stores throw away a lot of styrofoam, some of it very thin large sheets. I supposed you could make your own torillia warmer. I just threw some away the other day and this didn't even occur to me. I guess I'll have to get my camera out and try my styrofoam chest and see if it works or if I want to make one. the styrofoam I threw away was only about 1/4" thick or less and could be bent. I just looked at it and said it was too thin to use for anything.
[ edited by glassgrl on Mar 11, 2004 01:15 PM ]
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mcjane
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posted on March 11, 2004 02:25:43 PM new
glassgrl:
I went to the site & his pictures certainly are good.
What I don't get is if you put the lid on wouldn't it be dark inside.
Libra, I think it would work great with rhinestones.
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glassgrl
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posted on March 11, 2004 02:33:39 PM new
Hey MCJane! How's it hanging? got your new house plans yet?
About the pic/camera/darkness...heck if I know. Like I said, the only time I've actually used this technique was to shoot down the opening of a cup. Sometime later I picked up a small chest for next time but haven't tried it yet.
he's probably like any good cook and doesn't give away all his ingredients.
I LOVE Endicia! You will too – Click here!
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kiara
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posted on March 11, 2004 02:37:37 PM new
Hi mcjane
Did you ever get your camera fixed..... were they able to get the metal clip from the disk back out again?
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Libra63
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posted on March 11, 2004 09:33:27 PM new
Well, can you believe it. Down by my left leg I have two large sheets of stryfoam and I suppose I could make a box. I didn't realize it until someone above mentioned sheets of stryofoam. I use the sheets to put cuff links in to image because I can stick them in and it looks like they are standing up. Next project after I get my other eye done. Can't do much with one eye. It's the pits, can't read the paper, can't see the monitor so I will be at a stand still until after March 22. My project now is cleaning up my eBay room.
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JUNEBUG27
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posted on March 12, 2004 12:27:56 PM new
Once the picture is taken how do you get the effect with a pure white background as if the ring is floating?? Is it achieved through an editing software?
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