Perhaps more than any other possession, jewelry – particularly diamond jewelry – has both material and emotional value. Whether it’s your grandmother’s engagement ring, an heirloom that’s been handed down for generations, or a precious piece that was a gift from your spouse, it’s never an easy decision to contemplate selling jewelry.
Though MJ Gabel can’t make your decisions for you, we can make them a little easier with this guide for helping you plan how to make the most of both your estate and your fine diamond jewelry.
How should you prepare to handle your heirloom and fine jewelry in terms of your estate? The process may seem daunting, but there are three distinct steps – and important guidelines for each step – that will help you make informed, financially sound decisions.
- Decide what to keep and what to sell. Before you move on to determining the value of your jewelry, understanding which pieces generally have the highest potential resale value can help you sort through your treasured heirlooms. In terms of simple metal weight, gold and platinum are the most valuable. In terms of gemstones, diamonds are the tops, though exceedingly high quality sapphires, emeralds, and rubies may be worth considering in terms of resale value. In short: Sort through your jewelry. Plan to keep jewelry with higher sentimental value than monetary value.
- Determine the value of the pieces you’re considering selling. This is perhaps the most critical step in the process, because you must find someone you can trust to value your fine jewelry. You should only work with jewelers whose appraisers are certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and who have excellent independent reviews on sites like Angie’s List. You’re also wise to check with the Better Business Bureau to make sure any company you consider is highly rated, with no complaints. Properly assigning a value to diamonds is a complicated matter, and you owe it to yourself to find a reputable, ethical appraiser. In short: Get an accurate appraisal for your valuable jewelry.
- Select a reputable buyer. You may walk by pawn shops with signs proclaiming their interest in buying your gold and diamonds, or you might see ads on the internet promising the highest prices for your heirlooms. But unless you’re working with an experienced, honest diamond buyer, you run the risk of being grossly underpaid for your fine jewelry. Shopping mall jewelry stores aren’t prepared to effectively handle vintage jewelry purchases, and gold buyers are primarily concerned with the weight of the metal in your pieces. You must work with an established company who eats, sleeps, breathes, and buys fine estate jewelry. In short: When you’re ready to sell, work with a reputable buyer who specializes in purchasing fine diamond jewelry.
MJ Gabel provides a decade of experience in helping thousands of people ascertain the value of their fine jewelry, understand their options, and sell jewelry for the highest possible value when it’s time. We encourage you to look at the scores of independent reviews from our satisfied customers. Look us up on Angie’s List. Check us out with the Better Business Bureau.
We employ graduates from GIA to accurately and fairly assess the value of your pieces, and we’re happy to sit down with you and explain your options. We may advise you that some pieces are more valuable as keepsakes, and we may make an offer for other pieces. But even if you don’t ever choose to sell a single piece of your diamond jewelry, you will know for sure that you understand the value of your fine jewelry.
Let MJ Gabel help you make the most of your estate jewelry. You’ll appreciate our honesty, personal touch, and absolute integrity.
