Selling Unwanted Gold Jewelry in Roca Baton
We live in a time when many are only interested in helping themselves, or in using others to get what they want. When you have no way of knowing the true value of what you own, it is easy for dishonest individuals to take what is yours by trickery and deception. Understanding the value of jewelry is especially difficult for the average person, someone who has no idea about how to identify real gold, how to appraise jewels, or how to date a ring or necklace. The old, inherited, or broken gold jewelry that you think is worthless could in fact be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. For residents of Boca Raton, knowing that there is a jeweler they can trust to appraise and buy their items is not only reassuring, but could also be the difference between being able to make a car or house payment, or not.
Gold Diamond Bangle
We see sensationalist news headlines seemingly every day; only a week ago a five year old boy found thousands of dollars worth of jewelry resting at the bottom of a swamp. In 2013 a man in Norway discovered that a painting from his attic was in fact a lost Van Gogh worth millions. These are real events, experienced by ordinary, average people with jobs and families. While the old, broken, or inherited gold jewelry that you have lying around your house may not be worth thousands, or millions, it could be worth more than you realize!
The most experienced appraisers in the world, such as americangemsociety.org, has several basic tips and rules to adhere to when searching for a jewelry appraiser that is going to be fair, and will give you what you deserve.
- Look for an appraiser that charges a flat fee for their services, not one who calculates their appraisal fee based off of the final value of your jewelry.
- Do not go an appraiser that also owns, or is closely affiliated with, a retail jewelry store. A retail jewelry store’s number one incentive is to make money, so they will appraise your jewelry at a lower value, in hopes that you will sell it to them and they can turn around and resell it for a profit.
- Request an official report that summarizes as many facts as the appraiser was able to amass about your items.
- Ask your appraiser for a description of their appraising system, in language that is clear and understandable to you.
- Request a final appraisal value in writing that is stamped with a seal or watermark, so it cannot be altered.
- Only enter into an appraisal agreement with an appraiser that is respectful, and willing to explain in detail their findings.
- Make sure you explain to your appraiser your needs and desires, as jewelry values will vary depending on the purpose of your appraisal. For example, a personal appraisal will yield a different outcome than an appraisal requested by an insurance company.
Of course, the first step to getting your unwanted jewelry appraised is deciding if it is worthy of being taken to a licensed jeweler. Appraisals are not free, so there is a very good chance that you will end up paying more for an appraisal than your jewelry is really worth. There are several ways to test if your gold jewelry is worthy of getting appraised; the most basic is to do some at home tests to see if the jewelry that you have is real gold. A reputable buyer should not charge you an appraisal fee before making an offer.
- Look for a stamp somewhere on the inside of the jewelry; modern pieces of gold jewelry will have a stamp that indicates either fineness (1-999 or .1 to .999) or karat (10k, 14k, 18k, 22k, or 24k). Some older pieces may not have these markings, and there is the possibility of forgery on a fake gold piece.
- Look for wearing around the edges of the jewelry, the part that comes into the most contact with other objects (like your clothes) on a daily basis. Often times, wear will reveal a different metal underneath, indicating that your piece is only gold plated.
- A ceramic test can be done at home, although there is a small danger of scratching your jewelry. Purchase or find an unglazed ceramic dish, drag your piece of jewelry across the dish. If it leaves a black streak, it is not gold, if it leaves a gold streak however, there is a very good chance that it is gold.
A piece of jewelry that is sterling silver will be stamped somewhere with a “925”.
Testing for the difference between a genuine gemstone and a glass or crystal gem is much harder, and appraisers are often trained to spot gems, and grade their value, mainly by looking at them. For someone that has no knowledge of concepts like clarity and hue, gem appraisals are best left to professionals.
In today’s economy, there is always a need for extra income; money to make a house payment, to catch up on a car loan, to save for retirement, or simply to be able to afford the vacation you’ve always dreamed of. Whatever your reasons are, selling unwanted gold jewelry is always a great way to clear up clutter and save a few extra bucks.
While it may seem quick and easy to simply sell your jewelry online, on websites like Amazon or Ebay, hoping for the price to be driven up by excited buyers, selling gold online is also an easy way for people who are experienced in gold buying to get your gold jewelry at a low price, then resell it, or to use buyer loopholes to con you out of your items. The best way to get the most for your old, broken, or inherited gold jewelry is to find an experienced appraiser using the guidelines listed above, then find a buyer who is willing to give you close to the appraised price for your items. Get the most for what is yours, and be wary of jewelers and buyers who are more than happy to relieve you of your unwanted gold jewelry for much less than it’s really worth.
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