Costume jewelry, on the other hand, is usually fashioned from base metals, like brass, aluminum or copper. It can also be plated with precious metal, like gold-plated jewelry.

To determine whether you have a piece of costume jewelry or the real thing, check for markings on the metal to determine if it's gold, silver, platinum, or titanium, and perform other tests to ...

If you're in a rush, I'll give you the gist of the entire article in a single sentence: It's time to call up your mom and ask if you can have all of her old vintage costume jewelry, because the ...