Woman buys $4.99 necklace, amazed to learn what it’s worth—”Over the moon”

Thrifting is all about bargains, but this woman got a much better deal than she expected when she picked up a necklace for just CA$4.99—only to discover that it’s in fact 14-Karat yellow gold.

Nada Abdulkarim, 27, loves shopping for unique jewelry, but there’s no need to head into any expensive jewelers to find it. She’s been searching in local thrift stores for many years, and earlier this month she spotted a gorgeous pearl and gold necklace, priced at only CA$4.99.

It was too good an opportunity to miss, as Abdulkarim, from Ontario, Canada, told Newsweek that she “had never seen” a piece like it before. When she returned home and inspected the necklace in further detail, she was astonished to realize that it wasn’t a cheap fake—it was real gold.

“With every piece of jewelry I buy, I inspect it with my jeweler’s loupe to see if I missed any stamping, as they can be hard to see with the naked eye,” she said. “Upon further inspection, I noticed there was a 585 stamp on the necklace, which means it’s made of 14K gold.

“Once I realized it was real gold, I started testing the pearls by doing the grit test, which involves lightly rubbing the pearl on your tooth. If it feels gritty, there’s a high chance it’s real; if it feels smooth, then it’s fake. The pearls passed the test, so I knew I had a real gold and pearl necklace.”

Just to be sure, Abdulkarim took the necklace to a jewelers to get a second opinion. They came to the same conclusion and confirmed that it’s real pearls and yellow gold.

She may have got change out of five bucks for the necklace, but now Abdulkarim estimates that it could be worth anywhere between CA$400 and $800. But that’s inconsequential to her, as she told Newsweek that “it’s priceless.”

The necklace will be stored with the other pieces she’s thrifted over the years, and one day she plans on handing them down to her future children.

Abdulkarim continued: “I was, and still am, over the moon with happiness and gratitude. I’ve been thrifting for precious metals since I was 9 years old. It’s not a necklace design that you see every day, and the experience I have every time I thrift adds to its value.

“I keep every piece of real jewelry I’ve found safe because I want nothing more than to have them as family heirlooms, especially pieces as unique as this one.”

While this was certainly an impressive discovery, it doesn’t top the pendant necklace that Abdulkarim bought last year for CA$2.99. After taking a closer look, she learned that it was a handmade 18-Karat white gold necklace with a pear-shaped sapphire. That antique jewelry was priced at over CA$2,000.

Finding such beautiful pieces and “hunting for treasure” is only part of what she loves about thrifting. She also enjoys giving a new lease of life to something that was previously tossed aside. As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Abdulkarim shared a picture of her latest find on Reddit (u/tinselpandora) much to the shock and amazement of many. With over 790 upvotes, it’s received an overwhelmingly positive reaction, and many people have reached out to Abdulkarim asking for tips and insights when thrifting.

Among the comments, one person wrote: “It’s a beautiful necklace, I love the wavy gold accents!”

Another person responded: “Love this, keep it, it’s a timeless piece you’ll love wearing. Congrats!”

While another comment reads: “I’m not big on pearls, but once in a while I see them in a beautiful design. This is a lovely design I would love to have.”

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