Black Friday is right around the corner. Surely you are waiting for it with open arms to save a few euros on those purchases you want to make.

Me too! It is a great opportunity to find very, very interesting discounts.

In the sector that I know best, that of jewelry, I have seen many times how very attractive promotions are launched at prices that are truly scandalous.

But do they really give what they promise?

Offers with a trick: 3 keys to distinguish low-quality jewelery

Black Friday is a great time to go shopping. I love finding deals and starting to cross things off my Christmas gift list early.

But I recognize that you have to be careful, because aggressive promotions often promise more than they deliver.

And since there is a point of impulse buying on Black Friday (retailers know this very well) you may end up taking home something of a lower quality than you expected.

When it comes to your jewelry, you are quite disappointed when, after wearing it a few times, it loses its shine, it darkens, the stones fall off, the clasps don't fit... Anyway.

Since I don't want any of that to happen to you, today I'm going to tell you some details that you have to pay attention to so they don't give you a pig for a poke.

Is it really gold?

If you want to buy a high-quality jewel, it must be First Law gold, which is the one with a minimum of 18 carats.

Any jeweler can explain that this means that it is made up of 75% gold and 25% of another metal. It is done this way because gold is a soft material, and that part of other metals in its composition gives it extra hardness.

There are jewels with an even higher percentage, which are close to pure gold, but 18k gold is very common and is of very good quality.

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And how do you distinguish it? Surely in pirate movies you have seen that they bite the coins to check if they are gold.

Given the softness of the metal, it makes some sense (although it's not a test I recommend you do, really).

There are more ways to check, such as measuring density or using nitric acid. You can imagine that it is not very practical.

The best and most sensible thing is to buy in a jewelry store that gives you confidence and that offers you a guarantee certificate. Better than escaping from the marketplace where you can find real bargains… but of very dubious quality.

With your jewelry, don't get complicated: 18k gold or platinum are a safe bet.

Since you invest in quality, then it's time to take care of it. I leave you here some tips to clean the gold to recover all its shine. Home tricks that keep your jewelry perfect.

Precious stones… or not

It is quite easy to pass off ordinary material as a precious stone. Today there are resins or plastics, or even synthetic stones manufactured in a laboratory , capable of "casting" as if they were high-quality stones. How to distinguish them?

If you are not an expert on the subject, the truth is that it is quite complicated.

I'm sorry to tell you that, in this case, there is one thing that is quite reliable: the price. If you are about to buy a jewel with a high-quality stone, do not wait for those great discounts on Black Friday.

Have you seen real emeralds or rubies on sale?

Me neither. In the high jewelry sector, bargains do not exist.

Do you trust those settings and closures?

In a quality piece, the stones will be set precisely and symmetrically. Be suspicious if the stones are not placed in the same way, there are gaps or inequalities that attract attention.

A high-quality jewel is perfectly balanced. If there is something that "squeaks", a bad sign.

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