Brittany Higgins has abandoned appeals against her costly defamation battle loss to her former boss, ex-Liberal senator Linda Reynolds.

Reynolds sued Higgins over a series of social media posts the former defence minister believed damaged her reputation.

Western Australia's Supreme Court in August found the posts were defamatory and awarded damages of $315,000 plus $26,109 interest to Reynolds.

READ MORE: New accusations come to light as Virginia Giuffre's memoir is released

Higgins was also ordered to pay 80 per cent of Reynolds' legal costs, which are estimated to be over $1 million.

The former political staffer in September, appealed Justice Paul Tottle's damages award and finding that she breached a 2021 deed of settlement between the pair with an Instagram post referring to her being a defamation victim.

She also challenged the costs order in another appeal.

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A court spokesperson confirmed discontinuance notices for both appeals were filed on Monday.

It comes about a week after Reynolds launched bankruptcy proceedings against Higgins to recoup the costs awarded in her defamation win.

Reynolds filed a creditor's petition in the Federal Court, claiming Higgins "failed to comply" with a bankruptcy notice issued to her several weeks earlier.

Higgins' husband David Sharaz has also been served with bankruptcy proceedings by Reynolds.

He was also found to have defamed the former politician and was ordered to pay $85,000 in damages plus interest and costs. 

Higgins previously apologised to Reynolds after the former defence minister emerged victorious from the duo's high-profile five-week defamation trial, which ended in September 2024.

Justice Tottle found Higgins' social media posts carried an array of imputations.

They included Reynolds engaged in a campaign of harassment against Higgins, mishandled her rape allegation and engaged in questionable conduct during Bruce Lehrmann's aborted criminal trial for rape.

The 360-page judgment made factual findings about the events involving Reynolds and Higgins, including her alleged 2019 rape and the events in the years after it.

Higgins made 26 false or misleading statements in media interviews after her alleged sexual assault, it said.

She alleges former co-worker Lehrmann raped her in the senator's ministerial suite.

A Federal Court judge overseeing a defamation case launched by Lehrmann against Network Ten found Higgins was, on the balance of probabilities, raped by her former co-worker in the office.

Lehrmann is appealing that finding.

He has always denied the rape allegation and his criminal trial was derailed by juror misconduct.

Support is available by calling 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service on 1800 211 028.

With temperatures soaring in parts of Australia today, plenty of people will be slathering on sunscreen – but what should you do if the bottle in your beach bag has been recalled?

More than 20 sunscreens have been pulled from shelves over SPF claim concerns, according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Here's a full list of the recalled sunscreens, what to do if you own one, and how to get a refund.

READ MORE: City braced for its hottest October day on record

Sunscreens that have been recalled in Australia

Ultra Violette's Lean Screen SPF 50+ sunscreen was one of the first to be pulled from shelves in August.

Since then, the following sunscreens have been recalled as they use the same base formulation:

• Aspect Sun Physical Sun Protection SPF50+
• Aspect Sun Tinted Physical SPF50+
• Aesthetics Rx Ultra Protection Sunscreen SPF50+
• People4Ocean SPF50+ Mineral Bioactive Shield Lightly Tinted Cream (10g and 45g)
• BEAUTI-FLTR Lustre Mineral SPF 50+ Illuminating Facial Sunscreen
• MCoBeauty SPF 50+ Mineral Mattifying Sunscreen
• Outside Beauty & Skincare SPF 50+ Mineral Primer
• Salus SPF 50+ Daily Facial Sunscreen

Additional sunscreens using the same base formulation have voluntarily cancelled their listing on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and are under review by the TGA.

They include the following: 

• New Day Skin Good Vibes Sunscreen SPF50+
• New Day Skin Happy Days Sunscreen SPF50+
• Beauti-FLTR Lustre Mineral SPF50+
• GlindaWand The Fountain of Youth Environmental Defence Cream SPF50+

Some sunscreens have paused supply in Australia and are also under review by the TGA.

They include the following: 

• Found My Skin SPF 50+ Tinted Face/Body Cream
• Ethical Zinc Daily Wear Light Sunscreen
• Ethical Zinc Daily Wear Tinted Facial Sunscreen (Dark)
• Ethical Zinc Daily Wear Tinted Facial Sunscreen (Light)
• Endota Mineral Protect SPF50 Sunscreen
• We are Feel Good Inc Mineral Sunscreen SPF50+
• Naked Sundays Collagen Glow Mineral Sunscreen

Allganics Light Sunscreen SPF50+ has not been recalled, cancelled or paused but is under review by the TGA.

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Why are sunscreens being recalled in Australia?

Sunscreen products are being pulled from shelves due to concerns that their SPF may actually be lower than advertised.

That could increase the risk of sunburn when using a product and reduce the long-term effectiveness of preventing skin cancer.

Many of the recalled products use the same base formulation from manufacturer Wild Child Laboratories.

This is the same base used in Ultra Violette's Lean Screen SPF 50+ sunscreen, which reportedly returned an SPF rating of just 4 in Choice's independent testing.

The TGA also expressed concerns about UK-based testing company Princeton Consumer Research (PCR Corp).

A number of Australian sunscreen brands have used PCR Corp for SPF testing, including Ultra Violette.

The TGA is "considering whether to take regulatory action" with regard to SPF claim concerns.

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How does sunscreen testing work?

SPF, which stands for sun protection factor, is a measurement of how well a product protects your skin against ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

The higher the rating, the better and more long-lasting the protection.

SPF is measured by testing a product on human skin and measuring how long it takes to burn.

The TGA is not responsible for testing sunscreen sold here in Australia; that responsibility falls to individual sunscreen brands.

They send their products to accredited laboratories, many of which are overseas, for testing.

Testing involves applying the product to a person's skin and exposing them to a solar simulator that imitates sunlight.

The lab measures how long it takes the skin to react where the product has been applied and where it has not, then compares the data.

Per the international standard for sunscreen testing, a product must be tested on at least 10 volunteers to calculate a product's SPF accurately.

The SPF is the mean (average) of the SPF from each valid test.

Results can vary between different labs, often due to human error.

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What to do if you have a recalled sunscreen

If you already own one of the sunscreens that have been recalled, you may be entitled to a refund.

The TGA advises consumers to return the product to the place you purchased it, then contact the sponsor (the brand behind the sunscreen) for a refund.

A full list of recalled sunscreens and sponsor contact details can be found on the TGA website here.

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The plane carrying Prime Minister Anthony Albanese home from his successful trip to Washington has been forced into an unscheduled landing in the US.

After taking off from Andrews Air Force Base, the Royal Australian Air Force Airbus A330-200 taking the prime minister home was meant to fly directly to Hawaii but unexpectedly landed in St Louis, Missouri, after less than an hour in the air.

The move is a precautionary one after a piece of luggage fell from an overhead locker and hit another passenger on the aircraft.

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"It looks like there's been a little mishap inside the plane," 9News national affairs editor Andrew Probyn said.

"We're told it's not very serious, but as a precaution…

"It looks like one of the RAAF staff at the back of the jet has opened an overhead locker and something heavy has fallen on someone below it.

"But I stress it doesn't seem to be too serious, as a precaution they're stopping in Missouri."

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The unscheduled stop has been just about the only blip – aside from Donald Trump clipping Kevin Rudd during an awkward exchange – in what was a tremendously successful trip to Washington for Albanese.

During his White House meeting with Trump, the prime minister inked an $8.5 billion critical minerals deal to combat China's stranglehold on the industry, while the US president was effusive in his praise for Australia and signalled the AUKUS pact will go ahead as planned.

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Shane Hryhorec has been using a wheelchair for the past 18 years and ran into an ironic and glaring issue at Health and Disability Minister Mark Butler's office in Port Adelaide.

He was met with steps leading to the front door when he showed up for their 30-minute meeting to discuss matters affecting people with disability in July.

Then, he noticed a sign reading "ring bell for rear delivery and wheelchair access". The only problem was that the doorbell was missing.

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"I just got lucky. I had my phone on me. If I didn't, I'd be in trouble," he told 9news.com.au, adding that the situation was "ironic".

Hryhorec rang his office, and staff came out appearing "embarrassed" and "ashamed" as they tried to figure out how to let him into the building.

He was taken around back and had to wheel past rubbish bins, old campaign corflutes, up a non-compliant ramp, and past the smokers' area to get inside.

"The staff were just clearly fumbling, and you could tell they were like embarrassed to have someone in a wheelchair visiting them and having this kind of experience," he said.

"When I got inside, there was nowhere for me to wait, there was no spot.

"So I was just stuck in a walkway next to someone's desk, watching them design flyers or brochures for public transport."

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The ordeal ate into the meeting and left him with only 10 minutes of the federal minister's time.

"I'm asking him in this meeting about what can he do to make life better for people with disabilities, but what hope do we have of achieving that if his office is not even accessible?" he said.

"The pin dropped at that point. It was a bit of a helpless cause."

Hryhorec addressed the missing doorbell with Butler, but said he received some pushback until his staff confirmed it was not there. 

A few days later, he followed up with the office and was told the doorbell had been fixed. 

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"I run into those issues all the time, but I don't run into those issues at an office for a minister or an MP. Not often," he said.

"Sadly, this is such a common occurrence for people with disabilities."

Hryhorec said his experience "shook" him.

He was unsure whether to share his story, and it took him months to build up the courage to do so. 

Since sharing his experience online, he has received more than 1.5 million views and received support from other people with disabilities, who have run into similar issues.

Hryhorec also lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission to make Butler's office more accessible.

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He argued that the lack of accessibility also meant his office had not hired anyone with a disability.

"The problem is laws need to change, but the people that we need to speak to to change those laws are the same people like Mark Butler, that you can't even get inside their office," he said.

"The only way people can work together is if they have an equal seat at the table and if they can even get inside the building."

A spokesperson for the minister said the office complied with the Disability Discrimination Act, but acknowledged the current set-up "was not good enough".

"Of course, Australians living with a disability should have access to federal parliamentarian offices," the spokesperson said.

"We know this is not good enough."

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Butler's spokesperson said the minister had spoken to the Department of Parliamentary Services about installing a disability access ramp at the front of the building and renovating the reception area for ease of access three years ago, in October 2022.

But they were quoted about $100,000.

"As this expense would be a cost to taxpayers, the office decided to retain the existing accessible entrance," the spokesperson said.

Butler's spokesperson said they requested the Department of Parliamentary Services for a better office in late 2023 and early 2024.

A property with a "more inclusive design" was identified, and discussions are currently underway to secure that property.

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A meteor shower lit up Australia's skies last night, but don't worry if you missed out – there's still plenty of time to see the Orionids meteor shower.

The annual shower comes around every October and runs for multiple weeks, meaning there's plenty of opportunity to spot its shooting stars.

Here's everything to know about the Orionids meteor shower and how to see it in Australia.

READ MORE: Your guide to Australia's skies: The lunar eclipses, meteor showers and celestial events happening in 2025

Can you see the Orionids meteor shower in Australia?

Yes, the Orionids meteor shower is visible across the southern hemisphere, including here in Australia.

Swinburne astrophysicist Dr Sara Webb said this week will be Aussies' best chance to see a shooting star.

"With the Orionids peaking this week, it's a perfect opportunity to head outside, away from city light and soak up the universe for an hour or so," she said.

"Look in the direction of the Orion constellation, a very easy one to spot with your naked eye, or via the help of a night sky app."

It is also visible in the northern hemisphere.

What causes the Orionids meteor shower?

The Orionids meteor shower is named for the constellation Orion, as the meteors appear to radiate from the same area of the sky where the constellation is located.

But it is caused by the comet 1P/Halley crossing Earth's orbit.

The comet leaves debris in its wake, which Earth passes through, creating the Orionids meteor shower.

"When you spot the shooting star, you'll be looking at a bit of cosmic debris left behind from a comet burning up in our Earth's atmosphere," Webb said.

And this is not the only meteor shower caused by Halley.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is also created by debris from the same comet.

That meteor shower occurs in May and is also visible from Australia, so keep an eye out in 2026.

Though both meteor showers are caused by Halley's Comet, the comet itself is rarely visible from Earth.

It was last seen in Earth's skies back in 1986 and won't be visible again until 2061.

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What to expect

During the Orionids meteor shower, meteors appear as flashes of light moving across the sky – or, in plain English, shooting stars.

The meteors often originate in the area of the sky near the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

How many meteors will I see?

At its peak, up to 20 meteors are visible every hour in the Orionids meteor shower.

Generally, the number of meteors visible in the sky decreases each night after the peak until the shower ends.

What is the best time to see the Orionids meteor shower?

Technically, the best time to see it was last night – but that doesn't mean you've missed out.

The Orionids meteor shower started on October 2, peaked on the night of October 21-22, and will remain active until early November.

That means meteors will still be visible for the rest of the month, though the frequency will decrease over time.

The shower will officially end around November 7.

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Where can you see the Orionids meteor shower best in Australia?

The best place to see the Orionids meteor shower from Australia is from a secluded area away from bright city lights.

Pick somewhere with a clear view of the sky and check the weather forecast, as you need a clear sky to spot meteors.

A meteor shower sky map can help you locate the radiant (area where most of the meteors will appear from) and then it's just a waiting game.

When is the next meteor shower in Australia?

Another meteor shower is already on the horizon: the Leonids.

The Leonid meteor shower will start around November 6, peak around November 17 or 18, and wrap up by the end of the month.

It will be visible from both hemispheres, meaning Australians who miss the Orionids will get another chance to witness a meteor shower soon.

After the Leonids, other meteor showers that will be visible from Australia include the Geminids in December, the Lyrids in April, and the Eta Aquarids in May.

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The Paris prosecutor leading an investigation into crown jewels stolen in a dramatic weekend Louvre heist says they are worth an estimated 88 million euros ($157 million), but that the monetary estimate doesn’t include their historical value to France.

Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said today about 100 investigators are now involved in the police hunt for the suspects and gems after Sunday’s theft from the world’s most-visited museum.

“The wrongdoers who took these gems won’t earn 88 million euros if they had the very bad idea of disassembling these jewels,″ she said in an interview with broadcaster RTL.

READ MORE: Looted Louvre treasures may never be found, experts say

″We can perhaps hope that they’ll think about this and won’t destroy these jewels without rhyme or reason.″

The French government has confirmed the precious objects were not covered by private insurance.

Typically, museum collections in France are considered state property and are only insured when being transported to another facility.

France's culture minister said that the security apparatus installed at the Louvre worked properly during the theft.

Questions have arisen about the Louvre security — and whether security cameras might have failed — after thieves rode a basket lift up the Louvre’s facade, forced a window, smashed display cases and fled with priceless Napoleonic jewels on Sunday morning.

“The Louvre museum’s security apparatus did not fail, that is a fact," the minister, Rachida Dati, told lawmakers in the National Assembly.

"The Louvre museum’s security apparatus worked.”

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Dati said she launched an administrative inquiry that comes in addition to a police investigation to ensure full transparency into what happened.

She did not offer any details about how the thieves managed to carry out their heist given that the cameras were working.

But she described it as a painful blow for the nation.

The robbery was “a wound for all of us," she said.

"Why? Because the Louvre is far more than the world’s largest museum. It’s a showcase for our French culture and our shared patrimony.”

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Monday that the museum's alarm was triggered when the window of the Apollo Gallery was forced.

Police officers arrived on site two or three minutes after they were called by an individual that witnessed the scene, he said on LCI television.

Officials said the heist lasted less than eight minutes in total, including less than four minutes inside the Louvre.

Nuñez did not disclose details about video surveillance cameras that may have filmed the thieves around and in the museum pending a police investigation.

“There are cameras all around the Louvre,” he said.

Sunday’s theft focused on the gilded Apollo Gallery, where the Crown Diamonds are displayed.

Alarms brought Louvre agents to the room, forcing the intruders to bolt, but the robbery was already over.

Eight objects were taken, according to officials: a sapphire diadem, necklace and single earring from a matching set linked to 19th-century French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense; an emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set of Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife; a reliquary brooch; and Empress Eugénie’s diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch, a prized 19th-century imperial ensemble.

Exclusive: A Melbourne artist says she risks losing the use of her arm completely if she doesn't scrape together enough money to pay for a rare surgery.

Dayna Lynch, 26, suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a group of widely misunderstood connective tissue disorders, that has progressively worsened over the past few years.

Lynch told 9news.com.au her arm began showing signs of weakening when she could no longer comfortably hold a pen or click her computer mouse at work.

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"It started happening about two months ago. The pain before that had started getting really bad where I needed to take more breaks," Lynch said.

"But then I was just in the middle of working and I just realised that I actually couldn't use my hand on the mouse.

"My arm is my whole career, essentially. My hands, the graphic work that I do, the websites that I make…"

Lynch has since started a crowdfunding page online to reach her $20,000 goal.

According to the National Library of Medicine, EDS is an umbrella term for a group of hereditary connective tissue disorders and it can result in sharp stabbing, tingling, burning, bone-crushing, shooting or aching pains.

Globally, EDS is thought to occur in around 120 per 100,000 people – meaning there may be around 31,000 people in Australia living with a type of EDS, the majority of which are female.

Lynch has now stepped back from her work at a construction firm and is slowly losing the ability to take care of herself.

She said it is getting to the point where she can't brush her own teeth or get dressed.

"I just can't keep living like this because it's just… it's too painful," she said.

READ MORE: Micki thought he'd lost $150,000. Then an email landed in his inbox

Do you have a story? Contact reporter April Glover at Google Play.

The British royal family is once again under intense scrutiny as a memoir by Virginia Giuffre, one of the most outspoken accusers of Prince Andrew and Jeffery Epstein, hits bookstores.

Nobody's Girl is being published posthumously six months after Giuffre died by suicide in April and was released on Tuesday.

Giuffre had for years accused Andrew of sexually abusing her on multiple occasions when she was under 18 years old and a victim of sexual trafficking by convicted sex offender Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

READ MORE: Shock sight as whole wing of the White House left in pieces

While her book didn't break new ground, it has thrown fuel on a series of new accusations against Andrew, who is trying to control the damage to the monarchy from the long-running scandal over his friendship with Epstein.

The 65-year-old prince said last week that he will stop using his titles, including Duke of York, but reiterated that he "vigorously" denies Giuffre's claims.

In her book – which leapt to No. 1 on Amazon's bestseller list on Monday before its publication – Giuffre recounts details of how she first met Andrew in March 2001, and says the royal's staff tried to hire "internet trolls" to hassle her when she sued him years later.

Accounts of three interactions with Andrew

Giuffre long alleged that she was recruited at age 16 by Epstein and Maxwell, who introduced her to Andrew in London in March 2001 when she was 17. She said she was forced to have sex with the royal on three separate occasions.

She wrote that on the day she first met Andrew, Maxwell woke her up and told her it was going to be a special day and that "just like Cinderella" she will meet "a handsome prince."

READ MORE: Met Police probes claim Prince Andrew sought info on accuser Virginia Giuffre

She said when they met, the prince told her that "my daughters are just a little younger than you." She said Maxwell instructed her to "do for him what you do for Jeffrey," adding: "I knew better than to question her orders." She said that Epstein gave her $US15,000 ($23,000) soon after for having sex with Andrew.

Giuffre wrote that she had sex with the royal a second time at Epstein's house in New York about a month later, and a third time on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean along with about eight other girls who she said all appeared to be under 18.

2022 lawsuit settlement

Giuffre previously detailed how Epstein, Maxwell and Andrew allegedly forced her to have sex with the prince against her will in a lawsuit that she filed New York in 2021.

Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum. While he didn't admit wrongdoing, Andrew did acknowledge Giuffre's suffering as a victim of sex trafficking and agreed to make a donation to her charity.

Of that settlement, Giuffre wrote: "After casting doubt on my credibility for so long – Prince Andrew's team had even gone so far as to try to hire internet trolls to hassle me – the Duke of York owed me a meaningful apology as well."

"We would never get a confession, of course. That's what settlements are designed to avoid," she added.

"But we were trying for the next best thing: a general acknowledgment of what I'd been through."

New allegations

Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, had already stepped down from all of his public duties and charity roles in 2019, after an attempt to dispel reports about his friendship with Epstein backfired badly.

The prince was widely criticised for the BBC interview, in which he offered unbelievable explanations for his continued relationship with the disgraced financier. He also denied that he had ever had sexual contact with Giuffre, that he had "no recollection" of meeting her and "absolutely no memory" of a now infamous photograph showing him with his arm around her waist in 2001.

Andrew also said in the same interview that he had cut off contact with Epstein in December 2010.

Last week, British newspapers published an email that purportedly showed that the royal had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he had admitted. In the note, reportedly from February 28, 2011, Andrew said they were "in this together" and would "have to rise above it."

Separately, London's Metropolitan Police force said that it was looking into a report in the Mail on Sunday that Andrew in 2011 asked one of his police bodyguards to find out if Giuffre had a criminal record.

Buckingham Palace and the UK government are under pressure to formally strip Andrew of his dukedom and princely title, and kick him out the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle where he lives.

Ghostwriter Amy Wallace, who co-wrote the memoir, said that Andrew also should agree to testify in the US about what he knew of Epstein's crimes.

Wallace told the BBC that Giuffre "deserves all credit for whatever role she played in forcing Prince Andrew to relinquish a few more of his titles. But she deserves all credit even more than that for being brave enough to stand up to say, 'This isn't right.'"

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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An American Airlines flight, operated by SkyWest Airlines, made an emergency landing on Monday night in Nebraska, after the pilots could not reach the flight attendants and heard someone outside the cockpit door, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Flight 6469 took off from Omaha's Eppley Airfield at 6.41pm local time (10.41 am Tuesday AEDT) headed to Los Angeles but almost immediately turned around, landing just 18 minutes later, according to the tracking site FlightAware.

Henry Gruver was seated in the front row of the main cabin, travelling to Japan with his wife and seven-year-old daughter.

"All of a sudden, we started banking around the city of Omaha. And, you know, you're tilting the wings and everything," Gruver told CNN.

"My wife noticed that the stewardess was kind of banging on the cockpit door, like, OK, what's going on?"

"I'm starting to pray, and I'm thinking, you know, first thing comes to mind: is the pilots going crazy and kind of take the plane down?" he said.

Passengers were not told anything about what was happening until police boarded the plane after landing.

"Everybody was really calm. I guess nobody knew what was happening, so it was probably a good thing," Gruver said.

The Embraer ERJ 175 regional jet parked away from the terminal with two firetrucks surrounding it, a photo showed.

"After landing, it was determined there was a problem with the inter-phone system and the flight crew was knocking on the cockpit door," the FAA said in a statement.

SkyWest confirmed a problem with "a flight crew mic" on Tuesday, adding "we apologise for the inconvenience."

The flight finally took back off for Los Angeles nearly five hours late, according to FlightAware. The Gruver family missed their connection to Japan and waited overnight in the airport for the next flight.

Skywest and American Airlines have not contacted them since the incident, they said.

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As gold prices continue to surge to record highs, Australians are starting to cash in, selling old jewellery to make quick money.

However, with such expensive valuables, experts warn it's important to know who you're trading with.

Loralie Bodle brought a box of unwanted valuables to her local jeweller, hoping to be sitting on a gold mine.

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"I was thinking maybe it's time to go in and find out what it's worth," she said.

The 143 grams of gold Loralie brought in were valued at $10,000 on the spot. 

"I really didn't think that it was going to be that much," she said.

The value of gold has doubled since 2023, causing a gold rush as customers bring their old rings, bracelets and watches into jewellers to find out if they're worth anything.

"It can be broken, knotted, tangled. It can be in any kind of condition,"  Imperial Jewellery valuer Judi Hening said.

"We have even had people's teeth."

Specialist gold buyers have outlets nationwide, mostly with no appointments needed, with cash or bank transfers done in minutes.

READ MORE: Millions set to swelter as spring scorcher looms

"It's had an extraordinary rise in 2025, really building on strength that we saw coming out of the pandemic," ABC Bullion general manager Jordan Eliseo said.

Customers are always advised to compare offers before settling on a deal. 

"Making sure you're dealing with a reputable, trustworthy company that has hopefully been in business for many years," Eliseo said.

Professional companies rely on tools such as X-ray machines or acid testing to determine the carats of the gold. 

"Everything goes under the microscope to make sure it is what it looks like," Henning said.

Jewellers also advise people to ensure they're checking with family members before selling items that could potentially hold sentimental value. 

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