Contents:

1.Wood

2. Metal

3. Stone/Clay/Ceramics

4. Crystal vs. Glass

5. Silver

6. Gold

7. Fabric

1. Common types of wood

Mahogany: Very smooth texture. Resistant to moisture. Mostly reddish-brown. It polishes and oils very well and can be buffed to a very high shine.

Flame Mahogany: Particular cut of wood from the mahogany tree, the flame-like figure is produced by cutting from where a branch meets the trunk.

Pine: Light brown/yellowish color. Distinct difference between the light color of wood and darker knots.

Oak: Rough, porous wood. Has a wavy grain. If you run your hand along the surface and it’s completely smooth, it’s probably NOT oak.

Tiger Oak: Striped grain resembling tiger fur. The stripes appear light in the dark wood because they show the inner growth rings of the oak tree.

Teak: Usually tends to be golden or light to dark brown in color. Very strong wood which makes it a popular outdoor furniture. Also commonly found in mid century modern furniture.

Walnut: Chocolate brown coloring. Usually straight grain.

Rosewood: Deep, red/brown to purplish-brown color. Streaked and grained with black resinous layers.

Maple: Creamy light brown coloring. Most Maple pieces will have a tight, straight grain to them.

Birdseye Maple: A type of very hard wood from Sugar Maple trees with a distinctive grain structure caused by the presence of the ‘Birdseyes’

Burlwood: Wood burls are external knots or growths on trees that form intricate wood grain patterns. The random wood grains create denser, stronger wood that’s ideal for furniture and highly prized for its beauty.

2. Common types of metal

Brass: Typically yellow-gold in color. Since brass does not contain iron or steel, it will not stick to a magnet—if your item sticks to a magnet, it is not brass. You can also check for patina; most items made from brass develop a patina over time as they oxidize when exposed to air. 

Bronze: Reddish-brown hue. Bronze is also used for sculptures and outdoor artwork because the valuable metal wears well over time.

Copper: Compare the color to a penny which is made of copper. Copper corrodes in a very unique way. It produces a crust that is blue or green in hue. You may find this patina on some older items.

Chrome: Chrome plated metal has been mixed with chromium with the aim of preventing rusting. The resultant effect is a shiny/mirrored metal that looks attractive to the eyes.

Iron: A heavy metal. Moving iron furniture should be challenging/require more effort than lightweight aluminum. Wrought iron is bent and twisted into shape. Cast iron was poured into a mold for a specific shape. The presence of rust could mean the piece is made of wrought iron. If there’s no rust, it could be that the item is aluminum.

Aluminium: Light weight. Aluminium is also non-magnetic, meaning that it won’t stick to even the strongest of magnets. It also doesn’t rust but it can corrode.

3. Stone/Clay/Ceramics

 

Stone material is cut from rock therefore it is very solid and heavy. Cement is made from crushed stone.

Marble and granite are also made from rock and can be very heavy.

Alabaster is a softer rock.

Plaster is a mix of soft minerals, water, and sand therefore it is lightweight.

Resin and composite items are synthetically (chemically) made to imitate a natural product, therefore also lightweight

Ceramics vs Porcelain

“Ceramic” means made of clay and hardened by heat. Pottery is a type of ceramic ware that is made from earthenware clay.

Porcelain is a type of ceramics that is primarily made from kaolin clay, a fine-grained white clay that gives a smooth outer texture.

4. Crystal vs. Glass

1- Listen to the sound of the glass.

When tapped, crystal glass is supposed to make a resonated ringing sound with some echo; the more lead crystal glass contains, the longer the ringing tone is.

2- Hold up your glass to a source of light.

 If you notice the ray of light creating a prism or rainbow effect with slight blue/purple hues through the glass, then it is crystal.

Crystal is clearer (thus the term ‘crystal clear’!) whereas regular glass is cloudy when held up to the light.

5. Sterling Silver vs. Silver Plated

#1 THE HALLMARK

The easiest way to tell the difference between sterling silver and silver plated objects is to check for a hallmark. This is a mark made by the manufacturer and may tell you who made the piece, as well as what it is made of. Sterling silver products should say “sterling,” “sterling silver,” or the numbers 925 in some variation. The number refers to parts per thousand, referring to the fact that the alloy is 92.5% pure silver.

If an item is silver plated, there are several common hallmarks to look for:

• Silver plate
• EP (electro-plated)
• EPNS (electro-plated nickel silver)
• EPBM (electro-plated Britannia metal)
• BP (Britannia plate)

However, not all silver plated items have a hallmark. The lack of a hallmark altogether may be a good indication that the item is not sterling silver.

For items like sterling silver flatware, the hallmark can usually be found on the back of the handle, while larger items like candlesticks, plates, bowls, tea sets, and mirrors will likely have a hallmark on the bottom or on a handle.

6. Gold vs. Gold Plated/Gold Tone

One of the fastest and easiest ways to identify if the gold jewellery is solid or plated is to check its hallmarks. Gold purity is measured using the karat system, marked as “k”, “K” or “Kt”, on a scale from 0 to 24, the latter being the purest form with no other metals mixed. The higher the karatage, the purer the gold.

Keep in mind that hallmarks on older heirloom pieces may not be visible due to wear and previous repairs, meaning you should investigate further than just visual inspection. Moreover, in some cases, the jewellery never got a stamp because hallmarking became common in the 1950s.

The most common stamps used to mark gold plated jewellery are GP standing for “gold plated” and GEP meaning “gold electroplated”. Heavily gold plated items are marked as HGP, while heavily gold electroplated jewellery is marked as HGE. Not having one of these markings does not imply that your jewellery is made of solid gold. It may simply not be hallmarked as some manufacturers do not stamp their plated jewellery.

Acid Test

The acid test for gold is probably the most reliable at-home method to tell if the jewellery is made of solid gold. It is usually used for finding out gold purity level but can also indicate if the jewellery is gold plated.

You can buy a gold testing kit and do this test at home, but for the high accuracy of the results, it is recommended to have such a test done by a professional jeweller. During the test, you will need to make a tiny scratch in the metal, apply a drop of acid to it and look for a reaction. Real gold does not react when it comes in contact with nitric acid. If the jewellery is gold plated, the acid produces a green reaction. A milky colour indicates a gold plating over a sterling silver base.

7. Fabric: suede, leather, wool, silk, linen, velvet,

Leather material consisting of animal skin prepared for use by removing the hair and tanning

Suede is a type of leather made from the underside of the animal skin, giving it a soft surface.

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons.

Velvet today is usually made from synthetic and natural fibers, but it was originally made from silk. Pure silk velvet is rare today, as it’s extremely expensive.

Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent and dries faster than cotton.

Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids.