Generally, you can find a buyer for your antique jewelry by going to various jewelry stores. However, knowing how to get the best price is another story altogether. A good place to start is to have a little knowledge about vintage jewelry and know its value. The other important factor is knowing exactly where to sell the jewelry, so that you can make the most of it.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Set the Price
Step 1. Objectively analyze the aesthetics of the jewel
Ask yourself if someone you don't know might really be interested in buying. Browse fashion magazines; many feature exclusive and trendy antique jewelry. In this way you will get an idea and you will understand if the jewels you own are fashionable; if they are, selling them will be much easier. Keep in mind that, if a piece of jewelry has sentimental value to you, the monetary value you attach to it may not be objective and you may have difficulty considering the impartial value that others may give it. Although the antique style is in fashion, it is up to a point: if the pieces you want to sell are not in vogue, perhaps you better sell them for their metal or stones.
Step 2. Consider the condition of your jewelry
Jewelry that has been worn less can be sold more easily than jewelry that has been worn often or is damaged. Damaged pieces can be restored, thus increasing the chances of sale, but the restoration of important parts can cost more than the money that can be obtained from the sale, once the piece is repaired. Also, true collectors do not like restored pieces, therefore restoration often decreases the value of the piece. If you only need to replace missing stones, repair is advisable, as long as the stones of the time are easy to find and easy to replace. Fortunately, if the job has been done well, it is quite difficult to tell if a stone has been replaced.
Step 3.
If you know that the piece you intend to sell is of value, based on research done and your family history, you may want to have it appraised.
Estimates, especially those written and released by organizations such as the GIA (The Gemological Institute of America, founded in 1931), or even by local jewelers, are never free and can cost up to a tenth of the value of the jewel. Furthermore, a valuation for insurance purposes is always higher than the value of the jewel on the market. When you sell the jewel, expect the valuation to be less than half the replacement cost; it is quite close to a tenth of the insurance value. Finally, remember that when an item is of value, people are rarely willing to pay what it is worth. Older ratings can be used to find out which stones are in the setting, the gold, platinum or silver content, design and age, but not the current value. It is always a good idea to keep all the valuations of a piece of jewelry with you to show how much its value has increased. In principle, its value doubles every seven years based on the development of the precious metals market.
Step 4. Thoroughly clean the jewelry
Unless an antique collector or appraiser says otherwise, jewelry should be cleaned to make it more beautiful. However, if you don't know how to clean a piece of jewelry properly, you could damage it. Taking the piece to a jeweler or professional is the best choice if you are not sure you can clean it without damaging it. However, be wary of trusting a jeweler: if any additions have been made to the stone, cleaning with an ultrasonic machine or steam can shatter the stone, especially a diamond.
- The safest way to clean most jewelry is to gently scrub it with a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water. Toothpaste works for hard stones, but it can scratch gold and soft stones like opal. Even a toothbrush can scratch soft jewelry with high gold content and soft stones.
- Never use bleach to clean gold or gemstones. Ammonia can be used on hard stones, but it is too abrasive for most precious stones. If you are unsure of which stones the jewel is made of, since many look alike (such as aquamarine and topaz, for example), it is best to use a soft cloth and dish soap with warm - not hot - water. Rinse well. The absolute safest way to clean antique jewelry is to use a microfiber cloth without adding any liquid.
Step 5.
Measure the value of gold by checking the karat on the stamp, but be careful, as stamps can be purchased and incorrectly attached to jewelry.
The carat stamp reveals the purity of the gold. A piece of 24-karat gold is pure gold and will be valued approximately at the current price for gold per gram (at the selling price, not the buying price, which is always higher). Most jewels, especially antique ones, are only 9 carat, or 37.5 percent purity; for these pieces you can receive a maximum of one third of the price of the gold used. Other pieces may be 23 carats, so malleable to the touch that they can be engraved on them. Finding 23-karat gold is quite unusual in the United States and Europe, while it is much more common in Asia and India. 23-karat gold has a more reddish color, when compared to the yellow gold usually found in the West.
Some pieces of old gold do not have a karat stamp, so you may want to test it to make sure it is real gold. Often, when a piece is cut or worn, the karat stamp can be cut off or worn and it can become impossible to determine the purity of the gold. Furthermore, given the tendency of many jewelers to incorrectly label pieces, it can always be useful to do a chemical test to determine their purity. Another quick way to test jewelry is to expose it to a magnet: if it sticks, it means that it is not real gold. This test does not work on all metals, including platinum, which may or may not have a recognizable stamp
Step 6. Review the value of the gems
Knowing how much some gems are worth can give you an idea of the value of your jewelry. Of course, without an official certification, you have no way of knowing exactly how much a gem is worth, whether it is of high quality or whether it is genuine - and this is where a jeweler comes in. Jewelers can tell you which stones are in your jewelry and if they are real. Even if you don't get an actual valuation, you can get an idea of the value of your jewelry based on the stones. The type of stones used in the jewelry can often also help you date the pieces so that you have more information to give to buyers.
Method 2 of 2: Deciding Where to Sell the Jewelry
Step 1. Sell the jewelry to a jewelry store
Virtually any jewelry store that purchases jewelry will be willing to buy yours, as long as they are in good condition. A jeweler will be willing to pay up to 40% of the current value for the gold used, and if the piece is signed by designers such as Tiffany, they can pay more for the jewelry itself than for the metal and gems. However, it is a good idea to talk to several jewelers before finalizing the sale to ensure that you get the best deal. Be careful, because most jewelers buy jewelry based on the second hand value, not the selling price of the gold, so you can probably get 1/10 to 1/7 of the piece's selling value. Unless it's of exceptional provenance or value, don't expect a big return from selling vintage jewelry.
Step 2. List your jewelry online
List your jewelry on an auction site, on a free classifieds site, or on a site that specializes in selling antique or vintage items. Be sure to include several photographs and mention each of the jewelry's certifications. Also be sure to sell the piece at a cost comparable to other similar pieces sold on the same site.
Create your own shop if you have a lot of jewelry to sell. You can easily make your own webpage and this may be the best option if you have a large supply of jewelry that you intend to sell for a long time
Step 3. Sell your jewelry in parts
If you can't find a buyer interested in your jewelry as a wearable accessory, you may want to consider selling it as used gold. Online you can find sites that specialize in buying and selling gold that allow you to send it and receive a check in exchange. While they are affordable, they don't pay very well, so keep them as a last resort. Many "Buy Gold" stores buy gold jewelry if it is pure enough and usually pay a higher price.
If the condition of your jewelry is not good, but the gems are in good condition, you may find a jeweler willing to purchase the piece to remove the gems and reuse them in another piece of jewelry, although this is not a very common practice
Step 4. Take the jewelry to the pawnshop
The pawnshop will test the jewelry to confirm that the metal and gems are real, and if everything is of value, they will likely be willing to buy the piece for a small fraction of its value. Pawn shops, in fact, make a profit by buying jewelry at the lowest possible price. It can be a quick way to get some cash, and as an added bonus, if you change your mind within a few days, you can go back to the pawnshop and buy back your jewelry (with interest).
Advice
- Before proceeding, make sure you are serious about selling your antique jewelry. Most of the time, sales are final and you won't be able to get your jewelry back if you regret it after selling it.
- Never sell to appraisers - they have a vested interest in valuing your jewelry at a lower value in the hope that you will sell it to them.
