Always trust your instincts when it comes to buying jewellery off of private sellers, especially those trying to sell you what they claim to be ‘real gold.’

In a recent interview with the Express, a Central Alberta business was contacted by many residents claiming they had been sold real gold when really that wasn’t the case.

Whether it’s a gift for a family member or friend, an engagement or wedding band, it’s important to know what you are buying.

A lot of the times, these ‘gold’ pieces look and feel real. Some of the time the rings are even marked 18-karat gold on the inside, having people believe they are the real deal.

A big component to look for when someone is trying to sell you these pieces of jewellery is to really take into consideration the price. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. This is where trusting your instincts should come into play.

Even though it may look real and have that heavy feel to it, it’s important to pay attention to the price.

On the lower end of the scale, someone may offer you $30 for a piece of what they claim to be ‘real’ gold when let’s be honest, that’s not nearly the cost of a real piece of gold.

The one Central Alberta business had someone bring in a whole set they purchased for $500 and they payed $100 a piece. That, again, isn’t what a whole set of real gold jewellery would cost, but you’re now getting into those higher costs out of your pocket.

If there is a piece of gold jewellery you are interested in purchasing from a seller off the street, it’s important to check first with the professionals who actually buy and sell real gold jewellery.

Go to that jeweller, get it tested and get educated on these products so that you can help others close to you to not buy these products.

For those who have purchased what claims to be a ‘real’ piece of jewellery, it’s important to take this to not only a jeweller to test it, but also to the RCMP so that these individuals who are selling these products can be held accountable for their actions.