How can I tell if I found a small piece of jade or not?
540910
A dark green stone with light green flecks..hmm, could be jade.  But it could be something else too....a quick trip to the jeweler or to a gemologist will solve it! Really, all you need to do is get a specific gravity measurement on it (i.e. a ratio between how much the stone weighs in air versus in water).  Jadeite is 3.33 and Nephrite is 2.95.\n\nHowever, there are a few quick tests & observations you can conduct at home that might shed some light on what you have.\n\nHold the stone in your hand.  Does it feel cool to touch?  (You may have seen Chinese or Burmese people touch jade to their cheeks to test its coolness as a sign of authenticity.)  \n\nObserve the texture of the material. If there is a fracture, the texture should be splintery and rough.  If it shows fairly smooth flat surfaces and "faults" (cleavage planes), you may have another type of green stone. e.g. Amazonite. \n\nIf it is polished, does it look like it has a "dimpled" skin? Can you see tiny veining on the surface? If it is translucent, does the material look slightly fibrous?\n\nIt's really hard to say what you've got based on your description.  As a collector, I'm pretty good at visual ID of jade.  If you have a photo, send the url to me and I'll do my best to help!
405248
The standard way of testing if something is diamond is to do the scratch test.  Because diamond is so hard only diamond will scratch diamond.  There are more technical methods to determine phase, e.g. X-ray diffraction, Spectroscopy techniques etc. but I guess that they are not available to you.
239680
try to find the proof first
297821
I would look on E-Bay under "vintage magazines" or something like that and see if anyone else has same type up for auction.  See what their opening price is and if anyone has bid on it.  That would help.  It would also tell you if there is an interest in the particular magazines you have.  I've been selling some antique crystal on there and sometimes there is just no market for some of it, though, it could change in a week.
1121611
First off...look for any stampings on the jewellery, these numbers and or letters will determine karat or silver.  If there is no stamp the piece is likely plated or gold filled.  Precious metals (except silver) will not fade or tarnish.  By your explanation....it sounds like your jewellery is plated.  If you see another metal under the surface it is plated.  If the metal is discolouring but you see no under laying metal, it is likely gold filled.  Platinum is an extremely dense metal (heavy), malleable and presents a grey/white tone.  There are other colors of gold besides white and yelow,  if you see green or rose color these peices are likey gold.
766367
The details\nDon't overlook the smaller features. The zips, handles, buckles and other trimmings are often what lets down a fake. Hermès bags should have an 'Hermès Paris' stamp, while genuine Louis Vuitton leather goods say 'Louis Vuitton Paris, Made In France'. However, the fakers are cannier than ever and are wise to the fact that savvy shoppers seek the 'LV' stamp on zips and press studs. In this case, look even closer. Monograms should be clearly printed, not smudged - and stitches should be tiny and discreet, not clumsy and gaudy..........\n\n\nSmall variations in the LV letters and flowers (such as printing them upside down) are telltale signs and another important factor is the colour of the leather. The leather should be a light brown which gets darker with age.\n\n1. If it claims to be "brand new" and costs less than $300, most likely it is fake.\n\n2. If the "LV" logo is upright on both sides, it might be a fake.\n\n3. If it's "brand new" and being sold on eBay or Yahoo! Auctions, there is a good chance it's fake.\n\n4. If the piping is not leather, it is fake\n\n5. If the seams are uneven, frayed, the monogram is off or the bag is poorly sewn, it is definitely fake.\n\n\n6. If there is no date code (a.k.a date number) provided or if the seller is reluctant to provide a date code or receipt, it could be fake.\n\n7. If it's a new bag and the bag's handle is a different color leather than that of the piping, it's fake.\n\n8. If the seller doesn't allow returns, most likely it's fake.\n\n9. If you bought it in your local Chinatown or from a street vendor, it's fake.\n\n10. If the dust cover has rounded edges and/or it doesn't come with a dust cover, it's fake.\n\n11. If the bag has a hanging tag (of any type) or a bright yellow tag or envelope, it's definitely a fake.\n\n12. If you bought the bag on an ecommerce site other than eluxury.com (be careful of eBay), it's fake.
695375
Try checking E-Bay for similar items.
494816
The best test is a streak test. If you are not familiar with this, it is when you rub the mineral across a piece of unglazed porcelain plate or tile.\n\nIn a streak test the gold will leave behind a gold streak while pyrite will leave behind a black one. This works, trust me, I know. All you need is a piece of unglazed porcelain.\n\nYou said earlier about rubbing it across the skin. I have never seen this work however some cheap jewlery is made of pyrite & will leave the fingers, etc. black looking. That is after you wear it a while.\n\nGold is very dense for its size. Pyrite is not nearly as dense. You could do a density test by displacement in water but I assume from what you told me that the "gold" is in a matrix.\n\nPyrite is usually found as a mass of cubic crystals. Sometimes they take on the appearance of a nugget b/c the cubes are very tiny. Gold will not have these cubes.\n\nGold is sometimes found in quartz veins. If you have a chunk of quartz it is possible that there is some gold in there.\n\nGo with the streak test & let us know what happens.\n\n:)
133696
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.
1000065
How would one know if this 'cream' were indeed real, since no one could see it?
127686
Go to your local antique store or an appraiser.  They have methods of finding out where an item was made, how old it is, etc. often with their services for free.  Hope this helps.
438553
Well you need to give some identifying characteristics before anyone can ID it for you.\n\nDoes it have crystals?\n\nDoes it rub off in your hand when you hold it?\n\nWhat color is it? Does it contain more than one color?\n\nDoes it have layers?\n\nIs it heavy for it's size?\n\nGive some more info & maybe we can help.\n\n:)
642151
hard to say. i found lots of things in the desert. my husband is a geologist. if you mail me a picture, i will have him look at it.\nthere is lot of crystal stuff in egyptian deserts, most are worthless unless you enjoy it as decoration in your house. does it has a greenish tone in the bottom of the crystals? i have lots of them. it depends also where you found it. if it was near a roman settlement, it could be ancient glass, but if it scratch glass now, i doubt it. i found lots of this, but not this big of a piece, that would be uncommon. tell me more about it, maybe i can help you.\n\nsend me a picture...susuegypt@hotmail.com
192371
I do and don't recommend this. I'd hit them with something hard, but not too hard to make sure that it wasn't glass. If it breaks it's not a diamond and if it chips it might be fake, but it might be real. The best way to find out is to go and get it appraised at a jewelry store
102153
Buy a Money Tester Pen.\nIf it's Amber is genuine.\nIf it's Dark is suspect.\nThey are widely used in currency exchanges.
117170
Ask your closest friend to check for you.\nThey should tell you the truth.
877991
try to find out which one is not correct