How to Get the Most Value for Your Old Unworn Jewelry

What Should I Do With Jewelry I No Longer Wear?

How Do I Get The Most Value if I Want to Sell it?

 Whether it is a gift from a past relationship or an inheritance from a lost loved one, most of us have jewelry that we keep tucked away but don’t wear for one reason or another. It seems such a waste when jewelry can no longer be enjoyed…but what to do with it?

To begin with, ask yourself these questions:

• Would I rather get rid of it (and the bad mojo that came with it)?
• Would I wear this jewelry if it was in a style I love?

If you just want to get rid of it (and the memories that go with it), you want to find out who will give you the most money for what you have. You have two great options: 

1. If it is still in style and would be a great piece for someone else to wear, posting your jewelry on a site like Craig’s List, Ebay, or like-site might be your best option. Here are some tips for success:

• Make sure to post great pictures! Bring your jewelry to Thollot to be cleaned at no charge. Find a white background for your images. Use filters on your phone or camera to increase the exposure to capture the sparkle of your jewelry.
• Post all corresponding documents (receipts, appraisals, certifications).
• Begin by listing your jewelry for about 60% of the original purchase price. Most people who are looking to buy previously owned jewelry expect a significant savings.
• Remove your post and repost it every day so that it stays at the top of the list. Be willing to reduce the price every few days until you get responses from buyers. (Once you know this price, you can also compare it to offers from retailers-See #2 for more information on that!)
• Use wording like “Local only, Cash only…meet me at my local jeweler” in order to avoid scams and stay safe. Thollot provides you with a safe place to meet a potential buyer. Just plan to meet at our store and let us know your plans when you arrive. If you arrive early, we will clean your piece and have it looking as sparkly as possible when you buyer arrives. Thollot does not charge for this service. We simply want to provide a safe and secure place for your meeting.

2. If your jewelry is not in wearable condition, or completely out of style, it is unlikely that you will find a buyer through a classified site. Keeping in mind that we are describing jewelry you do not want to keep, you will have the most success selling it to a jewelry store like Thollot that has an account with a refinery. The retail jeweler will pay your for your precious metal and then sell it to their refinery. The refinery will then remove all of the alloy, bringing it down to the original pure metal (24k gold or platinum) and sell it again. This process involves costs, so the refinery bases their buy price on these expenses. This price is called “Scrap price” and will be based on the total weight of the precious metal in your collection and the daily metal price. If you sell your precious metals for scrap price, this is what you should expect:

• Thollot will sort through and test your pieces, categorizing them by metal (ex: 10k gold, 14k gold, platinum, and/or silver).
• Your metal will be weighed and a price for each category will be determined and added together.
• If your jewelry includes beautiful quality diamonds that are at least ¼ ct in size, Thollot will make an additional offer for that value. If you have certified diamonds, bring the certifications with you!
• If you choose to sell your metal but want to keep your diamonds and gems, Thollot will pull them and return them to you.
• Thollot will price your metal using the day’s metal pricing to give you an exact offer. If you choose to sell it, Thollot will write you a check.
• If you choose to use it as a trade toward jewelry, Thollot will give you 10% more value.
• There is no charge for Thollot experts to analyze your jewelry. If you choose to sell, be prepared to show your driver’s license and give your phone number and signature in order to comply with federal regulations.

3. If your jewelry is not your style, but very sentimental and special to you, you should consider combining the some of the diamonds or gems from all of the pieces into one very special piece that you absolutely love and can enjoy every day. Thollot designers specialize in creating custom jewelry at affordable prices. This is what that process looks like:

• Start by using Thollot’s custom gallery as inspiration. Many design elements are described and shown in the gallery with hundreds of images to inspire you! You can use our website to share images with our designers. Start browsing here on our website!

• Bring your jewelry to Thollot for a consultation with one of our designers. We love helping you figure out what type of design will connect with you and work with your diamonds and gems.
• Thollot will create a CAD design. We will email you an image and work with you to refine it until it is exactly what you want. A 3D model will be printed for you to try on before making your final decision. All this at No Charge to you!
• No payment is required until you are in love with the design and ready to go into production…meaning you can walk away at any point…but our designers are so amazing that you won’t want to!
• All of your precious metal can be traded toward the price of your design. If your metal value exceeds the price of your custom, we write you a check for the balance!

With all these options, you are sure to find a perfect plan to get the most from your unworn jewelry! Thollot staff is available to help you with metal evaluations at any time. When selling diamonds, please call 303-280-3374 to make an appointment.