How to sell your ring? Is it convenient to take apart a ring to sell gold and diamonds separately? ♦ ︎
There are so many ways to sell a ring. You can sell it whole, or decide to separate the precious stones, usually a diamond, from the gold circle that holds the stone. There are, in fact, even those who are interested in investing in diamonds, although it is good to remember that the revaluation is by no means automatic. In short, what if you want to sell the diamonds set in your jewels? But does separating gold and diamonds to sell a ring better allows you to get a higher price? Are you sure? Before you separate a diamond from your ring and rush to sell it, read this article.
How to sell your ring?
The most common idea is to go to a jeweler. However, the interest in buying the ring depends on many factors, such as the value of the stone mounted on the jewel, the shape and the brand of the jewelery company that made it. These three factors can be evaluated separately. If, for example, the ring has a precious stone, but in an uninteresting setting, the jeweler may be interested in buying the ring and then disassembling it and reusing its components. If the ring is of a well-known brand, the prevailing interest will be to resell the jewel, after having polished it again. A gold-only wedding ring will instead be valued simply by weight. If the ring has a certain value, it may be worth proposing it to an auction house. However, bear in mind that in any case the price that will be offered to you will be much lower than what you hoped for.
Evaluate a price first
Before taking your ring to the jeweler or an auction house, though, it would be good to have an idea of what your ring might be worth on the market. There are two ways to understand this at least approximately. If your ring is of a well-known brand, you can start doing a search on the sites of the major auction houses, which publish the result of the sales on their website. It is probable that if you want to sell a ring by Buccellati, Damiani or Bulgari, just to mention three names, you could find something that looks like the jewel you are holding. This way you will at least get an idea. Keep in mind that the valuation determined in an auction must then discount the auction fees, i.e. the fee for the company that organized the sale. And they are not few: they can reach almost 30%. If, on the other hand, the ring is very plain, it is likely to be valued simply by its weight of gold. If there is also a diamond, but a very small one, don’t count too much on it. For example, a medium quality 0.3 carat diamond will be valued at something like 200 dollars or euros, approximately, if it doesn’t have a more than good color, maybe even less. Therefore, before selling your ring, set a value below which you are not willing to sell: you will need it for any negotiation with the buyer.
Is it a good idea to separate the diamonds from the gold of an earrings, ring or necklace?
Depends. It is never a good idea if the jewelry is from a well-known brand. If your jewel has the recognizable brand of a famous Maison it is better to sell the jewel in its entirety: it will certainly get a higher evaluation. If, on the other hand, your jewelry does not have a particularly recognizable design, separating gold and diamonds could be a good idea. But be careful: you must be sure that the gold has a good carat. An 18-karat gold ring, for example, contains only 75% pure metal. Therefore the evaluation of the buyer will take into consideration only that part of gold. And even less, of course, for 14-karat or 9-karat gold. Furthermore, you must be sure that the diamond is of good quality, perhaps accompanied by a certificate issued by a gemological institute.
How to remove diamonds from a jewel?
Diamonds are the hardest natural element that exists. But this does not mean that they are indestructible: diamonds can hardly break, but they can get scratched. If you have tweezers thin enough to move the claw of a ring that contains a diamond you can try (at your own risk) for yourself. If not, it’s best to turn to a jeweler. Even more difficult, for those who are not in the trade, is to remove a diamond from a setting, that is, in a jewel that blocks the stone with a metal band.
How to evaluate diamonds?
Only a professional can assign a credible value to diamonds. The value, in fact, depends on the weight and quality of the diamonds (the famous four C’s). Everything is easier, of course, if your jewelry is accompanied by a diamond appraisal certificate, as long as the stone has been certified by an accredited body. Also keep in mind that whoever buys a used diamond will not value it at the market price, but only at a cheaper price. The discount could be up to 50% of the value of a new diamond with similar characteristics.
Who can buy diamonds?
Once the diamonds have been removed from the jewel and evaluated, there are three possibilities. Bring diamonds to a diamond dealer, a jeweler, or sell them at auction. The most likely hypothesis is the second: a jeweler who creates jewels himself might find it advantageous to buy a diamond at a lower price than the market price, provided of course that the stone is authentic, certified, and in good condition.
Is it worth taking diamonds to a gemstone dealer?
If the diamond has a certain weight and good quality, selling the stones to a wholesale trader may be a solution, but it is not easy: the trader usually obtains supplies from international markets and buys many diamonds at a time, and then resells them. In any case, make no mistake: as we mentioned, the value that will be offered to you will probably be less than 50% of the retail price. Obvious: a diamond trader sells the stones to jewelry makers and keeps a profit for himself.
Is it better to auction diamonds?
It is also possible to sell a diamond at auction, as long as it has a carat weight to make it interesting (a valuation that depends on the company organizing the auction). In large cities there are auction houses that periodically also sell jewels and stones. And today there are also online auctions. But, be careful, if it is not a diamond of a certain size and of good quality, it can hardly be considered for an auction. In this case, it is better to try to sell the whole jewel.
