When was the last time you went through your jewelry box? Chances are good that you’ve got some old gold jewelry lying around that hasn’t seen the light of day in….who knows how long? From tangled gold chains and broken necklaces to outdated rings and single, “orphaned” earrings, your unwanted and damaged gold jewelry is doing little more than taking up space. So what if we told you that your old gold jewelry — yes, even the broken stuff — may actually be worth a surprising amount of money?
Interested in discovering the value of your unwanted gold jewelry? Here’s what you need to know.
What Makes My Old Gold Jewelry Valuable?
Gold jewelry is valued on the secondary market for one of two reasons. The majority of old gold jewelry is simply worth its weight in the current price of gold. “Melt-grade” gold jewelry includes:
- Outdated gold jewelry
- Broken gold jewelry
- Incomplete gold jewelry sets, such as single earrings
- Class rings
- “Ex”-Jewelry
These items are ultimately melted down and reused to form something new.
On the other hand, certain gold jewelry items have what is called “intrinsic value.” These items fetch higher prices than “melt-grade” jewelry because they can be sold in their current form. Gold jewelry that has intrinsic value is usually either:
- Well-preserved vintage gold jewelry, including Victorian and Art Deco pieces
- Unique statement pieces, especially those containing diamonds and other semi-precious gems
- Custom-made pieces featuring exceptional craftsmanship
- Gold jewelry from an exclusive set of luxury brands, including:
- Tiffany
- David Yurmin
- Cartier
- Van Cleef & Arpels
- Buccellati
- David Webb
- Bvlgari
Why JewelRecycle Pays More For Your Gold Jewelry
Many people are unclear about where to sell gold jewelry. At JewelRecycle, we buy the full range of gold jewelry, from broken gold chains and single gold earrings to diamond engagement rings and fine gold jewelry from luxury brands. (We also buy platinum and palladium jewelry, as well as silver jewelry — paying especially well for Native American jewelry and luxury brands such as those listed above.)
There are many gold buyers out there. But JewelRecycle’s unique, high-tech process enables us to consistently make higher, more accurate offers on your old gold jewelry.
Why is that?
The first reason has to do with our expertise. The entire JewelRecycle staff is highly trained, with many of us coming from a fine jewelry background. We are experts at identifying which jewelry items can be resold and which are “melt grade.”
The second reason we pay more than our competitors is our high-tech process. Unlike most other gold buyers, we use X-Ray fluorescence technology to calculate the exact composition of your items in order to make you a transparent, no-pressure offer. In comparison, the average gold buyer uses a scratch stone and acid — a far less accurate way to determine your gold jewelry’s composition.
So how does this impact the offers you might get when you sell your gold jewelry? Consider this: 14k gold jewelry made before the 1980s is technically supposed to contain 58.3% gold. In reality, though, it may contain anywhere from 53-58.3% gold. The average gold buyer can’t ascertain the exact composition of your items. They may be about 90% accurate in their assessments. In order to buffer for that uncertainty, they assume all pre-1980s 14k gold has an average gold composition, typically around 55%. Which means that if your gold item actually contains 58.3%, you get shorted.
Our nondestructive X-Ray fluorescence technology allows us to be much more accurate, typically between 99% and 100%. Which means that you get paid the full value of your gold jewelry’s worth — every time.
Ready to Sell Your Old Gold Jewelry? Here’s What to Do Next
If you’re ready to sell your old gold jewelry, simply bring it into one of our four storefronts located conveniently throughout North Carolina.
You don’t need to go to the trouble of repairing, untangling, or cleaning your gold jewelry before you bring it in (even if it’s a Tiffany) — you can leave that to us.
Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will assess your items right in front of you and explain what they are doing each step of the way. If your gold jewelry contains diamonds, we’ll assess the value of your diamonds and calculate a separate offer). Whether your item has intrinsic value or melt value, we will make you a real-time, pressure-free offer. If you decide to sell your items to JewelRecycle, we’ll pay you on the spot. Note that we are taking special precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read up on our current process here.
Come find out what so many of our customers already know: your old gold jewelry is likely worth more than you think.
