You found a piece of jewelry and know nothing about it.
Take it to a jeweler.
"What can I observe right now without tools?"
Work through the five checks in order. Photograph everything. Do not clean or test yet.
Check marks under good light. Test with a magnet. Look for color changes at edges. Feel the weight. Examine stones under magnification. These five checks take minutes and give you evidence for every decision that follows.
Look for fineness marks like 750 or 585. Test with a magnet. Examine edges for color change that would indicate plating. These checks suggest gold content. They do not confirm it. Professional testing is definitive.
No. Document first. Try to read marks using angled light before cleaning. A dry soft cloth to remove loose dirt is safe. Wait until you know the materials before any deeper cleaning.
Look under magnification. Genuine gemstones have sharp facet edges. Glass has rounded edges and may contain bubbles. These observations are suggestive, not definitive. A gemologist can confirm.
