 | eBay Singapore's Precious Metals Buying Guide  
Jewellery such as rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets, are traditionally created using precious metals. Learn the differences between gold jewellery, silver jewellery and platinum jewellery and discover how to judge precious metal purity. Start shopping for precious metal jewellery now on eBay Singapore! |
Discover Gold Jewellery |  | 
Gold is a highly-malleable and soft metal, does not tarnish easily and is more expensive than most precious metals. Its softness can sometimes result in scratches and dents. You will find gold in a variety of colours:
- Yellow gold jewellery: Yellow gold jewellery is non-corrosive and sturdy. Diamonds set in yellow gold benefit from the colour contrast while slightly tinted stones can appear brighter.
- White gold jewellery: White gold jewellery has a shiny silver hue that gives it the look of platinum. White gold is virtually non-tarnishing.
- Rose gold jewellery: Rose gold jewellery includes alloys that bring out deeper pink accents.
The purity of gold is measured in karats. Gold jewellery should be stamped with the karat mark ("K") along with the manufacturer's trademark and country of origin (if outside Singapore). European karat markings are different from those in Singapore.
Singapore |
European |
Percent Gold |
24K |
1000 |
100% |
18K |
750 |
75% |
14K |
585 |
58.3% |
9K |
375 |
37.5% |
Because pure 24K gold is too soft to securely hold a stone, gold is alloyed with other metals like silver, copper, and zinc to make it sturdier.
Spot gold-coated jewellery
Not all gold jewellery is gold to the core and in Singapore metal less than 9K cannot legally be sold as gold. Most eBay Singapore sellers will make sure you know the exact gold content by weight of any piece they sell.
- Gold-filled jewellery: Gold-filled jewellery, also referred to as gold overlay, has a layer of at least 9-karat gold bonded to the surface of a support metal. The karat gold must be at least 10% of the total weight.
- Gold plated jewellery: The gold content in gold-plated jewellery, similar to overlay, may be as little as 5% of the total weight.
- Jewellery with gold leaf: Gold leaf jewellery has a very thin layer of gold applied by hand to the surface of an item.
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  Choose Silver Jewellery |  | 
Silver, a malleable and plentiful metal, is less expensive than other precious metals, but tarnishes easily and needs frequent maintenance and care. Because it is too soft for use in jewellery in its pure form, most silver jewellery is sterling silver (92.5% silver and 7.5% copper). Sterling silver should be marked "sterling", "925", or "ster".
Although several jewellers can easily resize a non-gemstone silver ring, plus or minus two sizes, resizing a gemstone silver ring can be difficult due to silver's properties when heated.
Tiffany & Co is a popular choice for silver jewellery on eBay Singapore. |  Back to top |
 Maintain Your Gold, Platinum, & Silver Jewellery |  | 
By following a few simple steps you can help make your precious metal jewellery last longer. Any jewellery that you wear on a daily basis will experience the most wear and tear. Protect your precious metals using some common sense:
- Be gentle on your jewellery: Avoid wearing scratch-prone precious metal jewellery during rough manual work, sports or other activities.
- Properly store your silver jewellery: Store silver in a cool, dry dark place. Do not store silver directly on wood or plastic in order to slow tarnishing.
- Stay away from chemicals: Ensure your precious metals do not come in contact with harsh chemicals or abrasive surfaces.
- Clean your precious metals regularly: Wash silver with soap and water. Clean gold and platinum with soap, water, and a cloth or soft brush, if needed. Dry your precious metal jewellery thoroughly with a soft cloth. Clean tarnished silver with a commercial polish, paste, or tarnish-removing wipe. Silver polish may remove intentional oxidation (shading of the metal), requiring professional re-oxidation.
- Take your jewellery to the pros: Regularly inspect jewellery for loosening or damage, and have it professionally repaired if required. Even if you don't detect loosening or damage, get a professional jeweller to inspect metal jewellery to ensure prongs and bezels remain intact.
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 Jewellery Shopping Checklist |  | 
Buying jewellery can be an extremely fun and rewarding process, but it’s important for buyers to be consumer savvy as well. Buyers should read thoroughly through the listing description of jewellery items, before committing themselves to a purchase.
- Take care when sellers use valuations to indicate the amount of savings on a particular piece of jewellery. Such valuations may not always be correct for the market you are buying in. For example, a seller may suggest a diamond has been valued at $2000, however in actual fact, if the diamond was resold onto the market, this may not actually reflect what the seller would receive for it.
- Ensure that you read the seller’s description to locate the material condition of the jewellery that you’re interested in buying. For example, if you’re interested in buying a gemstone, try to find out if the gemstone has been treated with extra coating or materials to improve its appearance (as opposed to an untreated gemstone). If you can’t locate this information then it’s highly recommended that you ask the seller directly, so that you are able to get a better idea of the actual quality of the gemstone.
- Be aware of any jewellery terminology being used by sellers. Sellers may use common terms in their listing descriptions, which are known within the jewellery industry, but not commonly known or understood by consumers. For example, the word “synthetic” is actually another term for “artificial”. If you’re not sure of what a particular word means, then don’t hesitate to ask the seller directly or to seek external advice
- Ensure that you confirm with sellers about the country of origin of a piece of jewellery. For example, if the seller describes a gemstone as a Tanzanian emerald, it’s best to check with the seller if the emerald has actually been mined in Tanzania rather than assuming it has been.
(Content, trademarks and brands referred to and contained in the third-party links provided in this section are the property of their respective owners, and eBay has no control over and accepts no responsibility for their content). |  Back to top |
  Buy with Confidence |  | 
Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Singapore and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase
Carefully read the details in item listings.
- Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it is sent.
- If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.
- Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Singapore (with a bid or Buy It Now). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Singapore are not covered by eBay Singapore protection programmes.
- Never pay for your eBay Singapore item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.
Know your seller
Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.
- What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?
- What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?
- Most top eBay Singapore sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?
Buyer protection
In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Singapore and PayPal are there for you.
- Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to US$1,000.
- eBay Singapore Security Centre: Visit the Security Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Singapore's quick and efficient resolution tools.
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