Never rely on a "14K" stamp, as many items are counterfeit. You’ll need:

Before buying anything, you must know the —the current market price for 24k (pure) gold. Since scrap is rarely 24k, use this formula to find the value of a piece:

Scour listings for "broken jewelry" or "old charms."

A stone and various acids (10k, 14k, 18k, 22k) to check for reactions.