First, learn the approximate value. Then expect to get less. Try a neighborhood jewelry store.

I'm on track! Good to know. Thanks Maddielee ❤️

edited to add: this my local jeweler. Well, there is a walk-in location I can visit.

https://www.diamondbanc.com/

Should I be scared of them?

I agree with Maddie, Get them appraised. I would look for jewelry stores that sell pre owned.

I've never heard of someone selling wedding rings to their grandmother. Normally assets flow in the other direction.

The site you linked to is a pawn shop. Not a retail jeweler. Expect an offer well below market.

Diamond jewelry is generally worth a lot more than just the gold weight. Dover Jewelry is a great option. 877-777-6111 Link

I recently sold a good size diamond from my g-grandmother through a local quality jeweler, not a chain. An appraisal will let you know what you might insure it for to buy a replacement. Say $20,000 for granny's 2-1/2 stone. Reality says you can sell it for $6000 or $7000. My neighbor had a long relationship with a very reputable local jeweler, and he took it to sell with a 10% fee. Be realistic, unless it's an enormous stone, you won't get a life-changing amount.

I also took in all the dregs of old gold stuff, even old earring posts. He could sort out by karat/weight, and I got an extra $500.

Rob, I inherited several things from my mother 18 months ago. She had worked in a jewelry store if that tips you to part of this story, and that we had very different taste tells the rest :) If I suggested something for me that wasn't to her liking, it was no fun for her to help me acquire it - and she very much disliked baguettes, white gold or platinum.

I gave the better pieces to my sister who needed some fun in her life after a year of illness. The pieces with more important stones, most value. We are blessed she's well again. Then I distributed pieces to other women in the family.

Just this week I took the remainder to a jeweler I know and trust and received a store credit. A store credit was a better value than cash in hand which he would have been happy to do too.

So one thing you should know, if there is something you might enjoy even if you would like to help your child with a new beginning, your pieces will be worth more as credit not cash. It still will not be close to full retail, the markup on jewelry is very very high in stores.

It would have to be something very special indeed to make an auction pay off if you were thinking Ebay or one those avenues, and not many would bid highly if you did not have the reputation of an experienced seller of jewelry.

I was quite content with my credit and chose two pairs diamond earrings and a Bulova watch (no Rolex forthcoming ;)) with a face large enough to read that were all things I'll wear and love. Thank you, mother.

Is there anything at all you might use for yourself or would your child benefit from something from a jewelry store even a great watch?

I don't mean to discourage you but the market can be hard for a newcomer with no reputation. A cash exchange could leave you well below appraisal.

Take your pieces to a major jeweler in you nearby big city-not a chain but some old long lived place. You are more likely to get an honest assessment . Dont expect to get some inflation adjusted value for what was paid. Sapphires, rubies and some emeralds will sell for enhanced value depending on where they are from. It is usually the stones and not the piece that has the value unless it is old and remarkable. Diamonds are seldom of any enhanced value unless the stone is large and has desirable qualities like unusual clarity or color. They go for about a quarter of what was paid for them figured for inflation. Remarkable stones go for more. A diamond engagement ring is typically like a car. It does not appreciate. Good luck.

Diamonds are such a rip-off. My only advice is prepare to be disappointed but don’t be disappointed. You’ve got it in hand after already having sold it at full appraised value - you’re already worlds ahead of the game. Good luck!

All the hype about 'investment pieces' and this thread tells the truth of it. Every time I hear a diamond/jewelry advertisement I just roll my eyes. So the giver of the ring isn't your sons father? Seems like he might have use of it eventually. Otherwise I would say hand it down.

Years ago I was selling my gold jewelery. I prefer silver or white gold. Every so often a company comes in for a weekend at a Holiday Inn and buys jewelery. We went and saw people walking out with cheques.

I didn't like what they offered, at all, so I took them back and went to an independent jeweler. He offered 4x the price. He asked if I wanted the diamonds back and I did.

I just recently got them set into a princess cut ring.

We have a stand alone store that buys collectible cards, jewelery, silverware etc. I too more things in a year ago and told them about the weekend scam artists.

One fellow took some baseball cards in and got some money, then took more in to this store. They gave him 10x as what he got at the other.

I would get a few offers from different places before I made any decision.

No. My child already has the ring their father gave me. Kiddo is in their twenties.

I appreciate all the answers!

Except the snide comment about the way my grandmother wanted to help me in the way she chose. She got something from the large amount of money she gave to me, sparkly diamonds.

nicole -- Well, there went some of my precious time, just looking at your link! Gosh, people sure have different tastes. When I think about all the work that went into making many of those busy pieces...and in 14k.

It was my reaction to what you said, not a snide comment.

One should not say everything that's on their mind, if they have any decency. Just because YOU had the thought, doesn't mean it was kind or edifying in any way. That particular rude thought, spoken aloud, was completely unnecessary. You didn't further my knowledge in any way, just offered your unsolicited assessment of something you've never set foot in, my life and family.

I agree it probably is just a "pawn shop", but you should see this pawn shop in person. It is in the most affluent neighborhood in Nashville, which is not Atlanta or New York, but it also isn't a small burg. They deal in high end jewelry. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but something is better than nothing. So I made settle. Or not.

If you have a better way for me to sell the jewelry, I'll take that advice. I'm at a loss how to sell it individually.

" Snide is what you do. I recall whiplash Snide is what you do. I recall whiplash"

After choosing an internet name for my favorite cartoon character, I ran into people like you who couldn't resist childish name calling. Did you make fun of people's names when you were a kid, or do you do it now? Or maybe how they look, or how they dress?

I changed my screen name to a different character for that reason, though I shouldn't have had to. I think you can figure out on your own how to respectfully deal with whatever screen names people choose to use.

" You didn't further my knowledge in any way "

Sure I did.

What you described it as your "local jeweler" is in fact a pawnshop. That's something you didn't know. Its business is very clear to grasp from the info on the website you linked to. Jewelers do not make "loans" on such items, that's the euphimism pawnshops use. The word pawn is even used on its website.

Good luck.

Now you know what I think and don't think? Rrriiiggghhhhtttt

You didn't further my knowledge. I'm not sure you really ever have? I knew exactly what they were when I saw it.

So feel free to stop trying to educate me on anything and everything. You don't speak my language and I don't appreciate what you have to say. I've tried long enough to know that we're never going to have a meeting of the minds.

P.S. it was a coincidence that I used the word snide, but next time I will be sure to use something other than that even though what you do is very rude (which equates to snide).

P.P.S. you also attacked the relationship between me and my grandmother. So make no mistake I was talking about how you're being snide towards her. And now you have learned something from me. I didn't have to learn what you thought, you put it out there, even though it didn't need to be.

When I was a child, the term "ass" wasn't in my vocabulary.

No. I don't want ANY of your "advice".

Which it never is. It's always some rude uninformed slam.

And I'm not the only one who has this view of your contributions. So maybe you should find another forum. Regardless, please refrain from teaching me anything else. Or attack my family. You can apologize, but that won't happen. If it isn't an apology, go away.

I thought if anyone could give advice it would be Antique Road show and they said simply, get multiple valuations-at least two- and do not sell out right to the place that values your jewel. You can say thanks and maybe come back but never just sell to them because there is greed in the business. I can remember hearing in the past that you should not let them take away a piece with a large probably valuable stone because they can replace the stone with something inferior but I only heard that. We had jewelry in the family and I have a rather nice ruby. Rubies have increased in value over the years but I have never been tempted to find out what it is worth.

That's what I felt would be right, and what I aim for patricia. Yesterday, I picked a local, local place to find out the cost for appraisal, and just for grins asked what they thought about buying. I'm sure I'll go multiple places, and really take my time 😉

What everybody else said about finding an independent jewelry store. Maybe even with the elderly much-experienced owner on-site. Get his/her assessment and go from there. Don’t expect the same assessment that your grandmother got way-back-when. I have no way of knowing, but it COULD HAVE been her way of passing a generous amount of cash to you. But again, I have no way of knowing that.

We have a jeweler not far from us that does a good business in re-sale pieces, in addition to selling new merchandise. They call it Estate Jewelry.

An appraisal value is not what you get if you sell the diamond. Appraisal is what you would pay to replace it. Sales value, cash in your pocket, will be about 1/3 that much.

I had the ring appraised. That was back in 93, and the paperwork is long gone. I don't expect to get the appraisal value but it doesn't give me an idea. I hope!

I'll keep trying. I may end up keeping them, they're pretty stones.

If it's a vingage/antique set, there could be value in the age. If it is a hallmarked set, there could be value in the hallmark. Like a ring with Tiffany in it will be worth more than a similar ring without that hallmark. Beyond that, if it's a more modern or standard made... it may be worth resale to a jewler for a bit more, but might also just be worth the pawn shop. If you like the stones, you could have them reset into something else. Depending on the stones that could be other ring(s), earrings, a pendant, ect. Then you could sell the ring findings for their weight. Or if you engage an artist that forges, they might reuse the metal for new findings or accept keeping the findings as part of payment for the work and they reuse the metal later of their own.

It's been a while since I had a piece of good jewelry professionally appraised, and at that time there was a fee for the service.

I, too, was confused about you selling the jewelry to your grandmother. It sounds like she was a smart woman to hold the items as collateral for a loan (gift?).

If you had an appraisal do you remember the basic info? Like carot weight, cut, clarity and color? This chart may help.

https://www.diamonds.pro/education/1-carat-diamond-ring/

My only tip (and possibly it's been mentioned before) is to make sure the appraiser knows beforehand that he won't be the one buying it.

I'm just browsing along here, as I have not idea about selling jewelry. I did bring in a baggy full of broken jewelry including one of earrings etc once, but just based on weight.

I thought it was interesting that according to Maddie's link, round still carries the most price. I always preferred round, and that's what I have, but I thought preferences had changed.

salonva, in my recent shopping trip, a nice long established store not a 'mall jeweler' - the emerald cut diamonds were the more expensive cut. Baguettes not as much and they told me they sell so few baguettes as they must be cleaned more often and its incredibly difficult for them to order a pair like for earrings and have them perfectly matched. He said they might send them back twice to get it right a third time.

I have a weakness for baguettes but was shopping for every day and how I dress - pretty casually.

Actually.... I'm a certified gemologist.

Yes, I remember the carats, size, clarity, etc. I'm really not sure on any course of action, but if I do want to sell it, I must have a current appraisal (any would've helped, but alas no one kept the paperwork). Yesterday's jeweler wanted $125 for the appraisal. I'm still shopping for both. Appraisal and selling value. All I know is, I sure as heck ain't wearing them as is, not passing them along as is.

Just doesn't feel right.

@rob333 (zone 7b) check your messages

Answered ☺️