THE SHORT ANSWER
Document the construction claim before calculating purity or value
This private browser worksheet organizes fourteen evidence fields for solid, hollow, plated, filled and vermeil jewelry. It stops on conflicts and distinguishes missing records from not-applicable fields. It deliberately does not decide authenticity, fineness, eligible gold weight or market value.
PRIVATE BROWSER WORKSHEET
Build a construction-first evidence file
Nothing is uploaded or retained. Use a private item reference; do not enter a home address, safe location, access credential or another person's identifying information.
Add the missing source records or explain why a field does not apply. Coverage is not a purity, authenticity or value score.
Missing: Item identity, Seller description, Construction term, Substrate or core, Gold layer specification, Full mark set, Jurisdiction and date, Gross weight and units, Non-gold components, Condition and wear, Test evidence, Valuation route, Buyer terms, Conflict reconciliation.
This tool deliberately performs no metal-content or payout calculation. A plated layer, hollow space, filler, stone, solder or unknown substrate makes gross-weight shortcuts unsafe.
HOW TO USE THE FILE
Attach evidence quality to each completed field
“Documented” should mean you have the original source, units, observation and scope—not that someone typed a conclusion. Preserve unedited photographs, invoices, listings, assay reports and written offers outside the CSV. Use the notes to point to those files with private references.
A copied mark is weaker than a mark photographed in place. A single surface test is weaker than a report with instrument, calibration, locations and uncertainty. A buyer's verbal percentage is weaker than a settlement sheet defining eligible weight and deductions.
PRIVACY AND LIMITS
Keep custody and identity details out of a portable worksheet
Use a private item code rather than a full serial number, address or storage location. The browser does not upload or retain the form, but copied text and downloaded CSV files become local records you must secure. Do not use the coverage percentage in a sale listing or certificate.
Start with the construction guide to choose relevant fields, then use a qualified appraiser, assayer, jeweler or refiner for the actual decision.
OFFICIAL SOURCES AND SCOPE
Construction words only work inside a defined jurisdiction
- The U.S. FTC consumer guide to platinum, gold and silver jewelry explains karat marks, solid and hollow construction, mechanical overlays, electroplate, vermeil, wash and the responsible company's mark. It was published in November 2024.
- The FTC Jewelry Guides hub and 2018 revision record explain how marketers can avoid deceptive composition, coating, durability and value claims. These are U.S. marketing guides, not a universal product dictionary.
- Current 16 CFR 23.4 describes the U.S. use of “vermeil”: a sterling-silver base, gold or gold alloy of at least 10 karat on all significant surfaces, and a minimum fine-gold-equivalent thickness of 2.5 microns, with a disclosure condition for an intervening base-metal layer.
- The GOV.UK hallmark summary and practical guidance notes define the UK's complete hallmark, weight exemptions and special treatment of mixed, plated and filled articles.
Sources reviewed July 31, 2026. Rules, terminology, exemptions and recognized marks vary by country and date. Verify the law and official assay-office guidance for the market where an item is described or sold.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions about the private worksheet
Does this checklist authenticate gold jewelry?
No. It organizes claims, marks, construction, testing, condition and valuation evidence. It does not assay, authenticate or appraise an item.
Is the coverage percentage a confidence score?
No. It counts documented applicable fields only. It does not weight source quality, test sensitivity, sampling, uncertainty or marketability.
Does GoldObserve store the worksheet?
No. The worksheet runs in your browser. Copying or downloading creates a local record under your control.
What should be marked as a conflict?
Use conflict whenever a seller claim, mark, geometry, test, invoice or buyer assumption disagrees. Do not downgrade a contradiction to missing evidence.