Understanding the Worth of Your Pre-Owned Jewelry

If you’re considering selling your jewelry, you may have wondered: “what is my jewelry worth?” There are numerous factors that can affect the value of pre-owned jewelry. But if you’re thinking of selling your jewelry, it’s paramount that you gain an understanding of these factors, and therefore your jewelry’s worth, before you visit a buyer. Learning more about your jewelry’s value will help ensure that you receive its full second-hand value when you decide to sell. 

To help you educate yourself before you visit a jewelry buyer, we’ve written this guide to understanding the worth of pre-owned jewelry. Read on to learn everything you need to know about retail vs. resale value, the factors that impact the value of pre-owned jewelry, and the best place to sell fine jewelry. 

If it’s your first time reselling luxury jewelry, this price range may come as a surprise. There are two primary reasons resale and retail jewelry have such different prices: retail price markups and second-hand market values. When luxury retail stores sell fine jewelry, they must mark up the prices to make a profit, as all businesses do. The markup for new luxury jewelry is, on average, around 250% to 300%. Notably, this markup percentage is sometimes even higher for engagement rings. So, the price paid for new luxury jewelry tends to be significantly higher than the jewelry’s actual value. Then, second-hand jewelry is simply considered less valuable than new jewelry in the eyes of buyers. Much like when you purchase a new car, the value of jewelry drops the moment you step out of the store. 

While the 20% to 50% range is fairly standard for pre-owned jewelry prices, there is, of course, much variation within this range. In the next section, we’ll talk about the factors that impact where your jewelry may fall within this range.

There are numerous factors that can affect the purchase price you’ll receive for your pre-owned jewelry. Below, we’ll go over each of them. When assessing your jewelry, consider how all of these factors combined may impact the value of your unique pieces. 

There are certain luxury brands that tend to hold their value better on the second-hand market. Some fine jewelry brands that tend to fetch a higher resale price include Cartier, Chanel, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels. For example, a solitaire diamond engagement ring from Tiffany & Co. will generally have a higher resale price than an unsigned solitaire diamond engagement ring with the same qualities.

Then, additionally, certain collections from luxury designers may also hold their value better due to their high desirability. For example, pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels’ Alhambra collection tend to have a higher resale value, as this collection is consistently in demand. 

Whether a piece of jewelry is from a well-known brand or is unsigned, it’s salability in the current market has an enormous impact on its resale price. Simply put, if an item is currently considered more desirable in the eyes of consumers (due to its design, materials, or brand), it will have a higher resale value. 

An item’s raw materials will always impact its resale value. An appraiser will assess a piece’s precious metals and gemstones (including assessing the carat weight and qualities of the gemstones) while determining their buying offer. The quality and carat weight of the stones in gemstone and diamond jewelry can dramatically affect a piece’s value. 

If a piece of jewelry has been well cared for and is in good or excellent condition, this has a positive impact on its resale value. On the other hand, if a piece of jewelry is in poor condition and may require repairs, this has a negative impact on its resale value. For example, if you have a piece of gold jewelry, like a gold and diamond ring, that is covered in scratches or has structural damage, it will fetch a lower price than that same piece would if it were in pristine condition. 

Designer jewelry comes with a box and papers from the designer brand. Collectors often consider a designer piece’s box and papers valuable, so having these items can increase the price you get for your pre-owned jewelry. This is especially true for luxury watches. Generally, a luxury watch that comes with its original box and papers will sell for a much higher price than it would without its box and papers. 

After you have assessed your jewelry and gotten an idea of its potential resale value, you will be armed with the knowledge you need to sell your jewelry for a fair price. The only thing left to do is to choose who you will sell to and take it to your chosen appraiser. 

There are numerous luxury jewelry selling options available to you. However, we would argue that selling your fine jewelry to a local jewelry specialist buyer in person is by far the easiest and safest way to sell your fine jewelry for the best price. Selling to a jewelry specialist buyer can help you get a better price for your jewelry because a buyer that specializes in purchasing fine jewelry will understand its true market value, and can therefore offer a fair market price that reflects that value. Selling to a local jeweler is also quite convenient, since you can simply visit the buyer at their jewelry store, have your jewelry appraised, and decide whether or not you would like to sell to them, all in one short session. Furthermore, selling to a local jeweler in your community is quite safe, since you can easily check whether or not they have a good reputation within your community by checking online reviews or asking friends and family about their experience with the buyer. 

If you are looking for the best place to sell your jewelry in Miami, we would encourage you to visit Jackie Abraham Jewelers, a local jewelry store that specializes in buying and selling fine jewelry. We’re proud to have an excellent reputation within our community, as well as an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Whether you visit Jackie Abraham Jewelers to buy or sell jewelry, know that we are committed to providing our customers with an exceptional experience each time they step foot into our store.

Selling your jewelry to Jackie Abraham Jewelers is a simple, quick process. Simply come in for a selling appointment, have your jewelry appraised by our in-house gemologist, decide whether or not you will accept our buying offer, and receive immediate payment should you choose to accept an offer. Please note that at every selling appointment our gemologist will provide a detailed analysis of your jewelry and explain every factor that determines our buying offer. Additionally, note that while we specialize in buying and selling estate jewelry and antique jewelry, we consider purchasing all types of fine jewelry. We buy diamond rings, gold jewelry, vintage jewelry, wedding rings, luxury watches, GIA certified loose diamonds, and much more. 

To learn more about our simple selling process, click here. To learn more about how we appraise jewelry, visit our appraisal page. Or, to make a selling appointment, contact us at 305-868-4336 or reach out through our online contact form.