HAWKS ON A JEWELRY
When you buy gold or platinum jewelry in France, it is essential to request and check the mandatory hallmarks which are: the master's markand the state guarantee hallmark.

Hallmarks on a piece of jewelry
1. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A JEWELER AND A JEWELLER?
Hallmarks = Quality + Safety
These punches bringessential security for the consumer.
These markings are not simple random punches, butcarefully defined symbols depending on the type of metal used.
Each hallmark represents a specific alloy with a precise content of pure metal, thus guaranteeing the quality of the jewel:
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for example, theEagle head indicates an alloy18 carat gold (75% pure gold),
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while theHorse's headattestsplatinum at 85% purity.
This precision allows the consumer to make an informed choice by knowing exactly the composition of the jewel.
By checking these hallmarks, the buyer can be sure thatthe jewel complies with official standards and does not contain lower quality materials, thus providing increased confidence in its purchase.
In addition, the maker's marks make it possible to link the jewel to its creator, thus reinforcingthe artisanal aspect and traceability of the product.
In summary, the guarantee and state hallmarks provide the consumer with the guarantee of acquiring an authentic, quality andcompliant with French legislation.
2. WHO IS THE BEST JEWELER IN THE WORLD?
The world's number one jeweler, Cartier, is known as "the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers," Van Cleef & Arpels is renowned for its nature-inspired designs, Bulgari for its baroque exuberance, and Tiffany & Co. for its engagement rings and diamonds. It's almost impossible to say which is the best; each has its own distinct identity.
Voici en tout cas une liste non exhaustive des meilleures Joailliers qui vous en conviendrait sont principalement Français.
Cartier
Dans l’univers de la haute joaillerie, la maison Cartier est une véritable référence. Créée en 1847, cette marque française s’est rapidement imposée pour son savoir-faire inégalé, l’originalité de ses créations et le prestige de ses pièces. À la fin du XIXe siècle, les dames de la cour portaient quasiment toutes des bijoux Cartier. Et elles n’étaient pas les seules, puisque cette maison est devenue le fournisseur attitré de plusieurs familles impériales et royales. Édouard VII d’Angleterre l’a même surnommée « Joaillier des rois et roi des joailliers ». Parmi les clients de la marque, figurent notamment Marie Bonaparte, la duchesse de Windsor, les maharajahs de Patiala ou Grace de Monaco.
Van Cleef & Arpels
Installée à Paris depuis sa création en 1906, la marque de bijoux de luxe française Van Cleef & Arpels remporte un succès à l’international pour combiner un design original et une interprétation poétique des beautés de la nature (fleurs, motifs animaliers…). L’essence même de la marque réside dans la délicatesse et la poésie des créations, insufflant légèreté et mouvement aux matières les plus précieuses. L’une des forces de la maison est d’ailleurs de faire s’effacer le métal au profit d’une mise en valeur des pierres et des associations de couleurs.
Chaumet
Créée en 1780, la maison Chaumet est devenue le joaillier officiel de l’impératrice Joséphine, une fidèle cliente séduite par le talent de son fondateur, Marie-Étienne Nitot. Il n’en faut pas plus à la marque française pour se faire un nom dans le milieu.
Boucheron
Fondée en 1858, la maison Boucheron est la première à s’être installée place Vendôme en 1893. Reconnue mondialement pour ses motifs figuratifs et son innovation, cette marque associe avec élégance tradition et modernité sur chacune de ses pièces de luxe.
Tiffany & Co
Fondée en 1837 à New York, la maison Tiffany & Co. est une icône internationale du luxe, célèbre pour ses créations joaillières innovantes, son extraordinaire savoir-faire et sa créativité inégalée. L’optimisme, l’humour légendaire et l’énergie typiquement new-yorkaise de la marque inspirent un rêve qui commence à l’ouverture de chacune de ses précieuses Blue Box.
Bulgari
Explorez l’élégance à l’italienne avec Bulgari. Fondée à Rome en 1884 par Sotirio Bulgari, talentueux orfèvre grec, la marque s’impose progressivement comme un emblème de l’excellence italienne à travers de magnifiques créations joaillières nées d’un savoir-faire incomparable. Au fil des décennies, la famille Bulgari façonne un style unique, caractérisé par de spectaculaires associations de couleurs, des volumes exquis et des motifs inimitables rendant hommage aux racines romaines de la Maison. Fidèle à son héritage culturel, Bulgari est aussi à l’origine de créations innovantes qui réinventent les codes de la joaillerie et de nouvelles tendances devenues des icônes du design contemporain.
3. HOW TO RECOGNIZE A DIAMOND ON A JEWEL?
With so many counterfeit diamonds circulating on the market, how can you tell a real diamond from a fake one?
Many articles on websites will give you all sorts of tips for determining if your diamond is real! A plethora of "professional" sites will offer advice such as rubbing the stone with sandpaper or performing the mist test, or mentioning the water glass test, but none of this is very reliable, as the study of gemstones—gemology—is a complex science. I strongly recommend that you consult a true professional with solid knowledge in this field to help you determine if your stone is indeed a natural diamond.
Firstly, it is much more complicated to test a stone set in jewelry than a loose stone. Some tests, such as simply weighing the stone, are not possible once it is mounted. Many imitations, some more convincing than others, are in circulation and often mislead even uninformed professionals.
Without going into too much detail, I would say that the three most convincing imitations are:
Moissanite
Moissanite is the most perfect diamond substitute, but this stone is not very easy to detect in jewelry.
Cubic zirconia
Cubic zirconia is the second best diamond substitute, but it is denser than diamond, which means that, weight for weight, the stone is smaller.
Lab-grown diamonds
For the past few years, a stone has flooded the market: the perfect imitation of a diamond. This is the synthetic or lab-grown diamond. This stone is simply 100% a diamond created in a laboratory.
No jeweler in the world will be able, with the traditional measuring equipment available to them, to tell you whether it is a natural diamond or a synthetic one. Unless the professional is equipped with very specific equipment used primarily in laboratories.
While there are indeed some rather expensive devices designed to allow jewelers to perform tests, according to the latest information I have, their accuracy is only around 80% (simply put, because these machines don't identify all the different types of lab-grown diamonds). In reality, a small, fully equipped lab with several machines is necessary to provide a perfectly reliable result. Stéphane ARTERO Jewelers has such a lab and is able to test all diamonds to give an accurate answer to all its clients.
So, recommending that you test at home with steam or sandpaper would, once again, be a serious lack of professionalism...
4. HOW TO KNOW IF A JEWEL IS GOLD OR NOT?
If you ask search engines, they will give you a ready-made answer by suggesting that you use a magnet! Well, this is not serious, you should not believe everything that is written on the Internet. It is quite complicated for everyone to finish from home whether a piece of jewelry is gold or not.
First of all, it is important to differentiate the three main gold titles, which are 9 carats, 14 carats and 18 carats. For this, I refer you to my dedicated article .
The three most common ways to test gold:
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By the so-called "touchau by comparison" process, the process consists of rubbing the gold jewel to be tested on a touchau, also called a "touchstone", so that a few micrograms of gold are deposited. Put a drop of acid on the trace of gold left on the touchstone and observe the reaction to the acid: if the mark deposited on the stone disappears, the object of the test is not in gold; if the mark turns red, it is in gold of a lower carat than the acid used. If no reaction is visible, the gold test is conclusive and the object of the test is in gold corresponding to the acid used. In any case, these tests must always be carried out with a reference standard. Here is the exact composition of the acid (touch waters):
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Gold over 18 carats: Aqua regia or royal water is a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid concentrated in a proportion of two to four volumes of hydrochloric acid to one of nitric acid.
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18-14 carat gold: nitric acid 49 parts by volume, hydrochloric acid 1 part by volume and distilled water 12.5 parts by volume.
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14 karat gold and below: nitric acid only.
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Silver: nitric acid 3 parts by volume and hydrochloric acid 1 part by volume.
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Platinum: hydrochloric acid 9 parts by volume and nitric acid 2 parts by volume.
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The second method is much more modern and very reliable in my experience. It involves using an electronic device dedicated to the detection of gold and platinum. Its use is extremely simple: after calibrating the measuring pen, we touch the piece in question while waiting for the reading on the screen which will indicate the titration.
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This involves using a magnifying glass and looking for the hallmarks on the jewel . You still need to recognize the hallmarks. This is a bit complicated if you are not a professional, but I would say that it is the simplest method for everyone.
5. WHICH GOLD IS BEST: 9, 14, 18 OR 24 CARAT?





