Sell Your Jewelry, Wedding & Engagement Rings

Maximizing your Return On Investment For Jewelry

Are you thinking about selling some jewelry that you no longer wear or need? Here is some knowledge that can take the frustration out of selling your jewelry and help you through the process. The most important question is will you receive a fair price for your jewelry? Or did you originally pay too much?

Do not worry you do not need to become a gemologist just to sell your jewelry, you simply need to find yourself a gemologist that is honest and trustworthy.

Estate is a general term used to describe previously owned. Preowned jewelry is NOT as valuable as new. New jewelry that is being sold by jewelers will have huge markup percentages attached to it so the business owner and sales person are making profit.

Jewelry is a style driven industry. Some styles are classic and stay around for decades, others last just a few months. What is popular 20 years ago such as Marquise diamonds are today not as popular as round brilliant cut diamonds within a Halo setting.

Always be realistic and realize that estate jewelry that is out of style can’t command premium price nor the price you originally paid. In fact some styles are so out of style that the jewelry’s only value is its precious metals worth.

Is your jewelry Antique? Antique jewelry is highly collectible and requires a special trained jeweler to distinguish. Knowing if your jewelry is just old and out of style or an antique can mean the difference of hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Jewelry looks it’s best when cleaned. Properly clean your jewelry before showing it around. If you do not know the correct way to clean your jewelry let a professional jeweler clean it for you, most will do it for free. Here are some cleaning tips. Never clean gold and gems in chlorine. Ammonia based cleaning products are used throughout the jewelry industry, but they can damage some gems. Try and avoid them if you can and know for certain if they well not hurt the gems in your jewelry. Use a mild soap with warm water and a soft toothbrush, then rinse thoroughly for most jewelry. A hard toothbrush and toothpaste will scratch gold and hurt some gems. The best cleaning tip is to take your jewelry to a jewelry store for cleaning! We are trained professionals who take responsibility for cleaning your jewelry, if we ruin it we are responsible!

Interested in knowing how to calculate the value of your jewelry by its weight in gold? The formula used to calculate the price is the metal price (the daily spot price) multiplied by purity(the true precious metal content) times weight(usually in grams). The purity is the karat of gold or percentage of precious metal (gold, platinum, silver). 24 karat is pure. 10 karat is 10/24 or .410 gold and the balance of weight is the alloys. 14 karat is 14/24 or .583 gold and 18 karat is 18/24 or .750 gold. Platinum most of the time is 90% pure and 10% alloy. Silver jewelry is usually sterling, which is .925 pure. The three units of weight used with precious metals are troy ounces, pennyweights, and grams. The troy ounce is equal to 20 pennyweights (DWT) or 31.15 grams. So here is an example; say the spot price of gold is $300 and a 14K ring weighing 10 grams would work out like this. $300 (spot price) X .583 (the fineness of gold) equals $174.90 per ounce divided by 31.15 (troy ounce to gram) equals $5.63 per gram times our ring of 10 grams equals $56.30.

Gems are an important part of jewelry. The two critical factors are the gem itself and the condition. Some gems have a higher value then others. A natural Sapphire is worth many times more then a synthetic Sapphire. Knowing your gem’s grade and rarity will help with understanding its value. The condition of the gem is critical to the value. Some chips and abrasions can justify the re-cutting and re-polishing cost. But in most cases chips and scratches will render the gem unappealing and valueless.

Remember you don’t get paid for the jewelry in relation to what you paid but the condition and demand when you sell. Clean jewelry shows the item at its best and helps in evaluating the design and gems.

What’s the best way to get the most return on your jewelry?

Selling estate jewelry is the art of compromise. There is a balance between dollar paid and quickness of payment and ease of transaction. If you want the high price, fast and easy, it will take patience. The higher the price gained from the sale of estate jewelry, the longer the time and more difficult the transaction. Finding another consumer to buy your jewelry is the most profitable but the most difficult, time consuming and problematic. Walking into a dealer’s shop is the easiest and fastest way to sell but you are selling at wholesale. Finding the balance is a personal judgement call.

Becareful of selling your Jewelry at auctions such as eBay. Auctions can be very risky, because the end price is unknown. Always keep in mind the auctions selling fee, eBay is typically 13 to 15 percent for the fine jewelry section.

Consignment Store Options

Consignment offers the incentive of a higher price when sold but with the drawback of time. No one knows how long it will take or even if it will sell. I have heard stories of customers jewelry waiting years at consignment stores to sell. In our opinion stay away from consignment stores and choose a buyer that will pay you cash immediately for your jewelry. Allow the business owner to worry about reselling your jewelry and not yourself.

Common Mistakes Jewelry Sellers Can Make

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, and NEVER meet an unknown buyer in your house. Personal safety and protection against robbery should be your first priority. Cash is the best transaction, checks of all kinds (personal, cashier’s, etc.) can be faked. Also be aware of switching of jewelry; con-men are on the lookout for unsuspecting people. Always resell your jewelry to a jewelry store, it is safer.

Visit us Today if you would like to sell your jewelry. We will provide you with a no hassle quote and pay you in cash. 

Classic Jewelers

5753 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road

Anaheim Hills CA 92807