and speakin about necklaces...

[Arkteia]

There is this guy who buys and resells jewelry. He has a decent reputation although I suspect that his initial prices he quoted me were way too high. Once, however, he showed me a set - a bracelet and a necklace with pearls and small Paraibas.

He did not mind me submitting it for an independent appraisal although it did come with appraisal. The reason I did not go this way is because the necklace felt uncomfortable and VERY HEAVY on the neck. It was thick, he said it was gold and platinum. I just did not expect gold to be this heavy...just like an iron yoke. The paraibas were very small, cabs but hearing about neon quality right left and center I would not be surprized if they were real. They were neon. The pearls were small, not seed but you could see they were cultured and not too expensive.

As I have said, I just did not believe it was gold. Asking prices was $ 10 K. He did not even mind me taking photographs but I just decided to pass on it. Strangely, I have a feeling that the stones were real although I do not have a "gift" to feel stones. I have some doubts about the metal.

So...At least 4-cm between inner and outer radii, with lots of metalwork, even some spirals in it, about 3-5 mm thick...can it feel that heavy?

 

[chrono]

It depends on the karatage of the gold. The purer the gold, the heavier it is. Both pure gold and platinum are very heavy metals so combined with all that swirly design and all, I am inclined to believe it is really heavy. I've been passed on a 50g 22kt gold bracelet and it is almost too heavy for my wrist.

 

[winternight]

I have some 18k and 22k pieces which I find rather heavy. In particular a 22k necklace with seed pearls, turquioise, etc, I can definitely feel its weight. So I think it depends on the piece. I would think if it were fake gold it might weigh less actually --- but I don''t really know.

 

[ma re]

Costume jewellery is often very ligthweight and that''s what tends to give it away as such, but it''s not a rule of thumb. In places like India, China, or the Middle East gold pieces are often very heavy and it''s not unusual to find necklaces weighing well over 100 grams (sometimes more than 200 grams) there. Or look at this diamond/ruby necklace, it''s 120 grams:
http://www.suwagem.com/dictionary/quality/book3-22/2.html
Sure it''s platinum, but even if it were 18k gold, it woudn''t be all that much less, most likely around 100 grams.