i have a silver tea and coffee and creamer (hollowware}set that is stamped 7 INSERTED PEARL PATENTED JULY 8TH 1856 on bottom of both pots, and signed YD.g.g 45.00 on each piece. There doesn't seem to be any other marks. How can I tell if these in fact are sterling silver or better? Whatever the type of silver these are,  it is very soft and easily scratched.
127889
Why not take a page from Archimedes' Eureka! moment?\n\nMeasure the density, then ask a jeweler.
122820
You should get 2-3 prices from different jewelers if possible.  They will often offer more if they know you are shopping around.  You should also make an attempt to find the owner.  Some diamonds are marked and can be traced.
398479
Diamonds can scratch glass...I don't believe zirconium has the same property.  You can tell with pearls if you rub them against your teeth...real ones are gritty feeling, fake ones are smooth.\n\nAs for the others, I think it requires a gemologist or someone well versed in dealing with gems.
570964
Check the internet for different appraisals on similiar items but remember it really depends on what someone else will pay for it...something worth $100 2 years ago may now only be worth $50 due to supply and demand. It also depends on the item and how rare it is, the authenticity of the signiture, condition of item, etc
660277
I am a jeweler from New England. I would suggest your either sell your jewelry on Ebay, or see if a jeweler in your area would take your piece on "consignment". This means they put your jewelry in the case, and give you part of what they sell it for. Usually, jewelry is only worth scrap to a jeweler, and so you will not get half as much as it is worth by selling it outright to a jeweler.
571581
I sell pearl jewelries on ebay, and I get my items wholesale from the Philippines.\n\nI got my sources not on the Web though, but actually traveling and meeting with suppliers and checking the quality and workmanship of their products. I went to the Philippines and scoured for possible suppliers (I had contacts who helped me identify suppliers).\n\nYou will have a hard time looking for a reliable supplier from Asia on the Web. One of your main problem will be quality of the item. They can show you a good photo but what is shipped to you may not necessarily the same quality; or quality will be so inconsistent that one necklace would be ok while the other looks so bad.
587557
If you can measure the weight and volume of the ring, you could find its density.  The value will be different depending on what purity it is (24k will be denser than 12k, for example).  Most gold in jewelry is not 24k, but some alloy with nickel, copper, etc. that makes it harder.  These alloys are also how you get white, pink, and green gold.\n\nBiting a ring will only give you marks if it is 24k gold.\n\ndensity would be the easiest way, I'd say.  (density = mass/volume)\nYou'll need the equipment to measure pretty small masses and volumes, though, which most people don't have in their kitchens.
617903
Contact the manufacturer. Go to any local library and ask the librarian to show you how to use the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers or online go to http://www.thomasnet.com/browse/other/jewelry-1.html - also you can read Jewelry trade magazines. See http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Jewelry/Trade_Magazines/ for those.\nYou will need a sales tax number or business license from your state to be able to buy from these manufacturers.\nHope this helps.
172506
I have no idea.  I'd take it to a jeweler.
206093
Fun! That would be a Morgan Dollar, named after the designer\n\nhttp://www.coinfacts.com/silver_dollars/morgan_dollars/1881_morgan_dollars/1881_morgan_dollar_obv.jpg\n\nAs of today (Apr 21) silver is at about $13 per ounce. US silver coins are 90% silver. There is a little premium because it is a Morgan dollar -- I would say that if you were selling the coin to a dealer he would give you about $13 and if you were buying one from him, he would charge you about $20\n\nLikely the coin has been in a peanut butter jar or coffee can, so it has no numismatic (collectable) value. If it were a proof coin it would be worth a couple 10s of thousands.\n\nEnjoy having it -- the fun is worth twenty bucks!\n\nSometimes I give silver dollars to my clients as closing gifts\n\nLeigh\nhttp://www.LeighMaynard.com
212841
i don't know about that, but you can check out QVC-- www.iqvc.com and look at their diamonique-- i have many pieces and no one can tell they are not real.  Even jewelers sometimes have problems telling the diff (w/o that little eye thing).  \n\nhttp://www.qvc.com/asp/frameset.asp?class=F600&tmp=ddsn&cont=classF600&cm_re=PAGE-_-BRANDSHOPS-_-DIAMONIQUE \n\nit's also really inexpensive.
571936
You should really try to get a collector to take a look at them.  Don't send them, bring them in person and don't let the person keep them overnight or anything like that.  They may have a substantial collector value.
169272
You might be referring to Alpaca silver, which is an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc. It looks like silver but it is not, and because of this it is very inexpensive.  Low-end jewelery in Peru is made of this kind of "silver", high end jewelery in Peru will use a very high grade of silver usually .925 or .950.
550552
This would depend on the quality, size and condition of the individual pearls. Look at the "paspaley" pearl sites on the net for more information.
469474
Possibly when the ring was new, it had a layer of clear hard varnish which has now been buffed off.  The scratches it used to get were scratches in the varnish, not in the ring itself.  But find another jeweller and get a second opinion.
52864
Your best bet is to take the ring to a jewelry store and ask them about the ring. Some people who have been in the buisness a long time may be able to tell you some of the history on different stones etc.
102656
Since you don't give any mint marks or any comments about condition, as well as only describing one side of the coin, this is hard to answer, but I'll do my best. \n\nFIRST COIN: I can't answer this without knowing what's on the back and the size of the coin. There were several coins from this period that looked like this - half dimes, quarters, dollars, and $10 dollar coins. E-mail me with details and dimensions, and I'll find out for you.\n\n\nSECOND COIN: CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You have a fairly rare coin that is worth, at the poorest grade, $85. If the coin is in pretty good condition, it could be worth thousands ($4000 sound OK?). I HIGHLY recommend you take this coin to a reputable dealer to have it appraised and placed in a protective case. You may also want to have it insured.