Because of their inconspicuous placement, these stamps will generally go unnoticed, however they do provide some information in regards to the value of your gold or silver jewellery. It is important to note though, that if you did not purchase your gold or silver jewellery from a reputable jeweller or dealer, the stamps on your jewellery may not be legitimate, so it’s best to get a valuation from a professional gold and jewellery valuer such as EzyCash Gold Buyers for more accurate information.

There are two main stamps or markings that you are likely to find on your gold or silver jewellery:

• Metal quality: For gold, this mark indicates the carats, or gold quality, of the piece of jewellery. It may be shown using abbreviations such as 24ct or 18ct or expressed using a decimal figure which denotes the percentage of gold, for example .416 (10ct).
  For silver, quality marks may be used on silver jewellery that contains a minimum of 92.5% pure silver, and this may feature a stamp showing, 925, 92.5 or .925
• Trademark or maker’s stamp: The other mark is likely to be the trademark stamp, initials or logo of the manufacturer or jeweller who crafted the piece. This helps identify the origin, and often the age, of a piece of jewellery and therefore can assist with accurately appraising an item, particularly antique pieces.

EzyCash Gold Buyers offers a gold and silver jewellery valuation service, either in-store or from your own home using our mobile gold-buying service. We can value your gold, silver, diamonds and luxury watches and provide instant cash for your jewellery. So, if you have gold or silver jewellery you would like to exchange for cash, get in touch!

The post Understanding Markings on your Gold and Silver Jewellery appeared first on EzyCash Gold Buyers.

Recently the price of gold has softened slightly due to three factors:

The strengthening of the US dollar, slower than expected economic growth in China and a potential decline in gold demand in India.

EzyCash Gold Buyers keeps a close eye on the price of gold so they can give you a top cash price for your unwanted gold.  Bring in broken gold, scrap gold, gold jewellery and more to their store in Panmure, Auckland.  With their knowledge of the price of gold and the gold market, they can give you an expert valuation on your gold and a top cash price.

Despite the US experiencing high levels of debt and a generally gloomy economic outlook, the dollar continues to strengthen.  This is partly due to a slowdown in China’s economic growth which in turn has put commodity prices (such as the price of gold) under pressure.  And when the price of gold goes down, the US dollar often goes up, and vice versa.

China is the world’s second largest consumer of gold.  Earlier this year the Chinese government downgraded it’s growth expectations to about 7.5% and with the economy slowing down, this will decrease China’s ability to buy gold.

India is the only country that tops China in its demand for physical gold but economic factors also look to curb their population’s desire for gold.  They have recently proposed to lift gold import duties to 4%.  This will no doubt have an impact on the demand for gold jewellery if the import tax on gold is lifted.

At time of writing the price of gold was hovering at around US$1648 per troy ounce.

Things are looking positive for the silver market with silver retailers reporting a consistent increase in the price of silver year after year.  In fact, jewellers in the US had an increase of 25% in sales of silver jewellery in 2011.

Bring in your unwanted gold or silver to EzyCash Gold Buyers in Panmure, Auckland and help to pay off debt when you receive a top cash price.

The post Another Slight Dip in the Price of Gold appeared first on EzyCash Gold Buyers.

EzyCash Gold Buyers specialise in buying 22 carat gold.  22 carat gold has special significance in India– the world’s biggest consumer of gold.

The carat weight of a piece of gold refers to how much pure gold is present in the gold.  A piece of gold that is 99.9% pure gold is referred to as 24 carat gold.

In India, 22 carat gold is seen as the most pure form of gold available.   This was first acknowledged in the late 1980s and refers to the fact that pure gold loses some of its purity after melting, leaving it at 91.67% pure gold, or 22 carats.

India has a long standing relationship with gold.  In Western countries it’s often a dream to own your own home, but in Indian culture it’s a dream to own gold.

What gold means

Gold is especially important for weddings.  Gold signifies purity and shows the wealth and wellbeing of the couple-to-be.  An Indian bride that is bedecked in gold is showing the honour and standing of her family.

Half of the gold bought in India is contained in gold jewellery bought for weddings.  Not only is India the number one consumer of gold jewellery in the world but is also home to the most gold bars and gold coins in the world.

What is interesting is that almost all of this gold is imported – Indian gold mines produce less than one percent of the world’s gold.

The demand for gold

Demand for gold in India has risen in recent years.  With a booming economy, the number of rich and middle-class Indian families has rapidly increased.  This, combined with the fact that Indian families routinely save 30 percent of their wages, means they have even more ability to buy gold.

It is well documented that the price of gold has increased exponentially in recent times.  Could this be due to India’s demand for gold?  Some say it is and that any large fluctuations in the gold price, both up or down, can be attributed to India’s appetite for gold.

As one analyst has said: ‘when India sneezes, the gold industry catches a cold’.

Bring your 22 carat gold into EzyCash Gold Buyers in Panmure, Aucklandwho specialise in 22 carat gold and will give you a top cash price for your 22 carat gold jewellery, 22 carat scrap gold, 22 carat gold bars and more.

The post One nation’s love for gold appeared first on EzyCash Gold Buyers.