Gold is a symbol of a happy family life for newlyweds. More than three-quarters of all women in China live in metropolitan areas and own at least one luxurious piece of gold jewelry. But here it is important to take into account that for the Chinese, yellow metal is not only decoration, it is a profitable way to invest money. Chinese gold: how good is it? Do positive or negative reviews about such jewelry prevail among people who have purchased such products?
Gold from China
Is there gold in China?
For a long time, the presence of gold mines in China was completely denied. Only in the early 90s of the last century did the country's government begin careful searches and studies of possible deposits. At the same time, all information about the results was deliberately kept silent. As a result, unexpectedly for everyone, in 2007 China not only increased its own gold reserves, but also immediately became the leader in the world market.
The trend of recent years shows that China continues to actively develop deposits of the precious metal and discover new ones.
Customer reviews about gold on Aliexpress
On the website of the trading platform or on other resources you can find customer reviews about gold on Aliexpress. However, they can differ radically from each other. Analyzing all the reviews, we can divide buyers into two camps. The first are those who were satisfied with their purchase and advise everyone not to pass by this online store. The second, on the contrary, are disappointed and believe that there are only fake jewelry here. They are all right in their own way, since everyone has different requirements for purchasing. Thus, some buyers believe that jewelry made from real precious metal will cost from $300, so anything below this mark will not be of high quality. In this regard, they pay attention only to such options. Others understand this and prefer cheaper jewelry that uses high-quality gold plating.
To summarize, it’s worth saying that if you want to purchase a quality product and trust exclusively customer reviews, then study them carefully. It is worth taking into account only those from which it becomes clear that the person used the services of this online store. This means that he describes his purchase, posts photos or videos and therefore can provide real information about the product.
Thus, answering the question of whether there is gold on Aliexpress, we can say with confidence - yes, but to find it you will have to make every effort. If you still have questions on this topic, then we suggest watching a video about whether the gold on Aliexpress is real.
Historical reference
The People's Republic of China is a state in East Asia, which entered the world gold market only in the 80s of the last century. This is due to the political course of the government, which until 1978 promoted communism. One of the main principles was the denial of commodity-money relations.
With the advent of the new government, the course of the country's development changed dramatically. At the same time, China's gold reserves began to form. And if for the first twenty years the pace of development of gold mining was slowed down due to the solution of other problems, then at the beginning of the new millennium, party leaders were able to pay attention to this issue.
Returning gold items to Aliexpress
No one is insured against receiving products with defects, so returning goods is always possible. But you must remember - returning gold items to Aliexpress has its own characteristics, which it is better to know about in advance.
- There is a special form for the return procedure - dispute. Please note that only it is recognized as official by the AliExpress administration and, accordingly, you are guaranteed to receive your money using it.
- If you want to exchange a low-quality product, then you will pay for the return shipment, not the seller.
- When returning an item, it is recommended to open a dispute for partial financial compensation, since this form of dispute helps resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
- The buyer has the right to open a dispute for partial financial compensation after receiving the goods. Therefore, if you plan to initiate a dispute before the package is delivered, please indicate your intent to receive a full refund.
- If during a dispute the seller asks you to close it because he will pay compensation on his own and send a new product, you should not do this. Remember, without a dispute form, you can only receive money from an honest seller. And why would an honest seller violate the rules of the trading platform?
Be an informed buyer and know your rights in advance so you can get your money back.
Main gold deposits of China
There are more than a hundred gold deposits in China. The largest of them is located in the area of the Chinese city of Laizhou, Shandong province.
It is noteworthy that there are layers of gold in all provinces of the PRC, but the eastern regions turned out to be especially rich. The north and west of the country have been little studied, and therefore are considered promising.
In first place in terms of production level are deposits located in the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (AR), as well as the western part of the AR Inner Mongolia.
Stores with real gold on Aliexpress
As already noted, stores with real gold on Aliexpress have their own rating. It depends on several criteria, namely the number of positive reviews, which are then converted into percentages and the number of years of work on the site. This information is freely available, so every buyer can familiarize themselves with it.
So we invite you to find out about the best of the best. Remember, the list also includes stores that offer high-quality gold-plated jewelry
- UMODE Official Store - 98.7% positive reviews and 5 years of work on the site.
- fine_jewellery - 97% and 6 years.
- Magic Cube Jewelry (Quality Items) - 98.5% and 4 years.
- 925Silver Store - 97.7% and 5 years.
- K-Box - 97.7% and 2 years.
- Elsa Elsa's store - 95% and 4 years.
- LUXUSTEEL Official Store - 98.4% and 4 years.
- STARYEE Official Store - 95.8% and 5 years.
- windshow Official Store - 98.6% and 2 years of work - top seller.
- UNNA Lin's store - 96.9% and 3 years.
- Seven Kingdoms Jewelry - 97.2% and 6 years.
- SINKEE JEWELRY Store - 98.4% and 4 years - top seller.
- DaHe Jewelry Factory - 97% and 1 year.
- Lea's pearl Jewelry - 98% and 4 years.
- Jewelry Designer Factory - 100% and 2 years.
- Luck Jewelry Store - 97% and 2 years.
By whom and how is it mined?
Gold mining in China occurs under state control. Most foreign companies are involved in only small deposits. Permission to carry out the work is issued to them only in exchange for a specific amount of investment made in the development of the field.
Gold mining companies
To control the gold mining industry, China develops the vast majority of large deposits on its own. The work is organized by CNGGC (China National Gold Group Corporation). Another 3 main mines are being explored by Zijin Mining. The third most important company in the country is Zhaojin Mining.
Extraction methods
Gold in China is mined mainly in mines. Technologies and methods depend on the company involved in the development, its technical equipment and experience. For example, at the Jinfeng deposit, bioleaching, cyanide leaching, and flotation are used to extract gold. Heap leaching is being developed in Jilin Province.
Production volumes
Until 2006, the success of Chinese gold mining companies was not very outstanding. However, already in 2007, the state displaced the previous leader in average annual gold production - South Africa. Over the next decade, the volume of precious metal mined increased by 3%.
Today, about 450 tons of gold are extracted from the mines of China during the year (in Russia this parameter barely reaches 270 tons). The government plans to introduce a number of changes aimed at increasing existing indicators (up to 500 tons/year).
China's gold reserves: dynamics and volume for today
Until 1976, it was believed that China had no government gold reserves at all. However, from 1977 to 2000, the country’s reserves were replenished and amounted to 395-398 tons.
Since 2001, the growth rate of gold reserves has increased by 26% and amounted to 500.8 tons. Over the year, the figure increased by another 15%, reaching 600 tons. It remained this way until 2010.
With the start of large-scale development of gold deposits, the amount of precious metal in the country’s fund began to increase again. For several years now, China has been occupying a leading position in the ranking of world countries with the largest gold reserves (1842.6 tons).
Gold rate in China
If you trace the dynamics of gold prices in China over the past 5 years, you can see that only the last year and a half have they been relatively stable. The stabilization of pricing was influenced by the discovery of new deposits, government policy, and the introduction of the national currency into the international currency basket.
The cost of 1 ounce today can be seen on this chart:
Historical Gold Chart by GoldBroker.com
Price per 1 gram
1 ounce = 28.35 grams. The graph below shows the price as of today in China for 1 gram of gold of the highest standard (24 carats):
Chart XAUCNY/31.1034768 provided by TradingView
Characteristics of Chinese 999 gold
Pure gold, without impurities, has a purity of 999, i.e. the precious metal content in it is 99.9%. The remaining part of the composition is occupied by inclusions of copper, which cannot be completely removed. The presence of even such a small particle of impurity provides the precious metal with a red tint, which is why it is also called red. Chinese gold of the highest standard is practically not used in the manufacture of jewelry, since pure precious metal is very ductile and is easily exposed to external influences.
Fake gold on Aliexpress
Is it really possible to counterfeit gold on Aliexpress, you ask? When answering this question, you need to understand that the possibility of counterfeiting always exists. But it is worth treating this concept correctly. The rules for choosing real gold have already been given above. Therefore, following them and taking into account the price indicator, you can become the happy owner of high-quality jewelry. But sometimes people need to buy a beautiful, but cheap one - this is a kind of alternative option, which is popularly called a fake. For such cases, there is an opportunity to buy fake jewelry on AliExpress.
To do this, you need to enter “gold fake” or “fake gold” in the search bar and you will get a wide selection of gold-plated jewelry.
Interestingly, on the website you can track the price trend for such jewelry.
Thus, there is fake gold on Aliexpress, but honest sellers always warn buyers about this. At the same time, you should not exclude the possibility of receiving a fake instead of a product with the highest standard; in this case, do not forget about the possibility of returning the goods to the seller.
Testing systems
Until the end of the 19th century, different countries had their own test systems for marking precious metals. With the advent of the metric grading system in 1888, states began standardizing the designations. Russia moved away from its own sampling system (spool) only in 1927.
Today, the international market uses the karat designation for the gold content of a piece of jewelry. However, in Russia and the countries of the former USSR the metric standard is still in effect.
Metric
The metric sealing system is widely used in the CIS countries. It corresponds to the percentage of gold in the alloy. For example, if a ring is marked with the numbers “585,” this means that it contains at least 58.5% gold, and the rest is a ligature.
Carat
The carat test is used by foreign jewelry factories and is recognized internationally. The marking of the product in this way displays the amount of gold present in the alloy. Pure precious metal without impurities is marked 24 carats, which corresponds to the domestic 999 standard. When a master alloy is added to the alloy, the number of carats is reduced accordingly.
Zolotnikovaya
The spool sampling system was used in the Russian Empire from 1798 to 1927. The quality of the gold alloy was displayed in accordance with the precious metal content in 1 Russian pound. It corresponded to 96 spools. The lowest sample was considered to be 36 spools, i.e. the amount of gold in the product was 0.375 of the total mass.
Sample table
All sample systems are interconnected by strict ratios to ensure regulated prices for products. You can determine the relationships between certain alloy designations using a table.
Metric gold standard | British carats | Spool system | Pure gold content |
990 | 24 K | 96 | 99% |
958 | 23 K | 92 | 95,80% |
875 | 21 K | 84 | 87,50% |
833 | 20 K | 81 | 83,33% |
792 | 19 K | 76 | 79,17% |
750 | 18 K | 72 | 75,00% |
625 | 15 K | 60 | 62,50% |
585 | 14 K | 56 | 58,50% |
500 | 12 K | 48 | 50,00% |
417 | 10 K | 40 | 41,67% |
375 | 9 K | 36 | 37,50% |
333 | 8 K | 32 | 33,33% |
US gold reserve - reality or myth?
Everyone knows that the American economy is in a difficult situation and there is no reliable evidence anywhere about the state of the US gold reserves, as well as information about the chemical composition of American gold. The problem is compounded by the fact that many European countries store their gold in America, such as Germany, purchasing it on the New York Stock Exchange and leaving it there for safekeeping.
Vasily Yakimkin, associate professor at the Faculty of Finance and Banking of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, claims that there may not be any gold in the US gold reserves; it was resold long ago as a result of financial fraud. This statement is fully confirmed by the story that occurred in 2009, when the US Treasury Department sent 5,600 gold bars of 400 ounces each to China to pay off the national debt. The authorities prudently instructed experts to conduct special tests to check the purity and weight of the ingots. They were shocked when it turned out that the gold contained mostly tungsten and was delivered to China covered only with an amalgam (thin layer) of gold.
Experts initially assumed that the fake gold was produced in China, but it turned out that these bars had been stored in the most famous American gold vault, Fort Knox, for many years. The most likely version is that they were produced during the reign of Bill Clinton in order to hide the existing economic situation in the country. Moreover, as a result of Bill Clinton's Gold Scam, the entire world economy suffered as Americans sold some of the counterfeit gold on the international market.
Since then, economists have questioned the authenticity of American gold, especially since, due to mysterious circumstances, the US government for many years prevented a full audit of the US gold reserve, which was proposed by Congressman Ron Paul. The check was still carried out, but it was not complete.
The New York Federal Reserve Bank's gold vault was audited over the course of just one day, there were no independent experts, no documentary checks, and the audit results fit on 14 sheets. The remaining gold storage facilities remained classified and hidden from the eyes of impartial observers.
Where and how to buy Chinese gold
The easiest way to purchase Chinese-made gold items is online. One of the main online stores for purchasing goods from China and, in particular, jewelry is the Aliexpress website. Here you can find gold earrings, rings, chains, etc.
For an accurate selection, there are filters that sort jewelry by type of metal (yellow, pink, white), type of inlay, type of product, price, etc. When the desired product is selected, you need to add it to the cart and place an order: fill in the contact information, select the method of payment and delivery.
Criteria for choosing quality gold jewelry in China
- Each gold product must have an imprint indicating the sample number and the corresponding design.
- Low-grade gold in China (below 330) is equivalent to costume jewelry. For long-term use, it is recommended to choose jewelry of the best quality with a purity of 585 or 750.
- Products with a matte finish must have a uniform color.
- It is also recommended to check the quality of the weaving before purchasing a chain or bracelet in person. You need to wrap the product around your finger. If the process occurs effortlessly, the knitting is of high quality.
Price level
The state's pricing policy regarding the sale of gold products is relatively stable. This is facilitated by the presence of our own material reserves and the fixing of prices for products within the country...
If we talk about buying jewelry, then wedding rings of classic models on the Aliexpress website are much more expensive than similar Russian-made goods. For a model of 14 carats with a weight of 3.5 g from China they are asking about 25 thousand rubles, and in Moscow a similar piece of jewelry with the same parameters costs up to 15 thousand rubles.
How not to run into a fake
To do this, you can use standard methods: check for the presence of a sample and evaluate the appearance of the metal.
However, most of the jewelry from China is sold through online platforms. In this case, for a safe purchase, you must, among other things, check the rating of the store or seller on Aliexpress, and be sure to study all customer reviews about it. Especially negative ones.
Platinum
Let's talk about platinum. You can find gold jewelry with white inserts on store shelves. Many sellers who want to sell their goods at any cost will assure the potential buyer that it is real platinum. However, almost all Chinese are well versed in this issue:
- Working with platinum is quite difficult. It requires special skill;
- It is absolutely impossible to create a filigree product without high-quality specialized equipment;
- platinum products cannot be cheap. The price for such jewelry should be quite high.
Most likely, the white inserts on gold items are nothing more than rhodium plating. Also, such a product can be given a white color due to the presence of nickel particles in the composition. You should not covet such “cheap” platinum products. Don't be fooled.
Is it worth the risk and trying to buy Chinese gold jewelry?
Buying gold jewelry made in China is a good way to make a profitable investment. However, if you decide to purchase your favorite trinket, it is recommended that you study the terms of purchase and information about the supplier as thoroughly as possible. It would be a good idea to study reviews from real customers about the store and the products purchased there.
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Cheap gold on Aliexpress
In addition to real gold, you can also find cheap gold on Aliexpress. It will vary in quality, but if you are interested in such products, then you are willing to take risks.
To quickly find the desired option, you will again have to do everything manually. In the search bar you need to enter the words “cheapest gold” and you will get all the products that match your requests. Traditionally, on the left side of the screen you can specify additional parameters. In this case, the following are suitable:
- Gender - there are categories for men, women, girls, unisex and separately for lovers.
- Style - classic, vintage, rock and hip-hop, fashionable, sports and leisure, romantic or cute are possible.
- Shape and pattern - in this case, you can choose a plant, animal, heart, drop of water, figure, moon, skeleton and much more.
- Ring size is provided from 5 to 9, but it is better to seek help from the seller so that unpleasant situations do not arise.
- Event - searchable by three criteria - party, wedding and anniversary.
Interestingly, you can order not just one product, but a whole batch.