How Much is Your Jewelry Worth?
Looking to sell your jewelry? Or are you just curious about what your collection is worth?
When it comes to precious stones and metals, prices are constantly changing. We’re not talking changing every day either; we mean every minute. It’s impossible for us to put an exact price on your jewelry in this blog, but we can walk you through the process behind valuing your jewelry.
In every instance, the value of your gold, silver, precious and semi-precious gemstones rely on these things: weight, purity, and carats. The more pure the metal or gemstone, the more valuable it will be, same with the weight and the carat size.
How to Value Gold
The price of gold is constantly in flux. We base on the “spot price” which is the price of gold on the spot — meaning it’s the value (per troy ounce) that the world’s gold market is operating at. That’s why it’s always in flux — the entire world is operating on the same value.
What is a Troy ounce? A Troy ounce is a type of measurement only used in precious metals. It’s a bit heavier than a standard ounce. Troy ounces are equal to about 31 grams, while a standard ounce is equivalent to about 28 grams.
We hear you — so how does anyone know what my gold jewelry or coins are worth? We can help you with this. Gold is marked by its purity — you’ve probably heard of 24k gold. 24k gold is 100% gold. It is not an impure mixture of other metals.
If 24k is pure, then 18k gold is 75% gold and 25% is other metal, and 14k gold is 58.3% gold. A professional appraiser or your local jeweler will help you find out what your gold really is, as well as put a value on it.
At Stewart Kuper Jewelers, we evaluate your gold pieces and pay up to 80% of the spot gold market that day. Bring in all of your unused and unloved gold jewelry for a free evaluation.
You will be happily surprised by how much your gold jewelry is worth. Bring your items in today to find out!
How to Value Silver Jewelry
Silver is not gold. It is less expensive and more common. It’s used for many things, including coins, jewelry, and cutlery. Why is that? Well, silver comes in various alloys that are great for different uses. This is because silver is a very soft metal and scratches easily. By mixing silver with some other metal, usually copper, the piece is harder and more durable for everyday wear and tear.
Pure silver is marked with a “999” to indicate that the piece contains 99.9% silver.
Generally, jewelry is made of sterling silver. Sterling silver contains 92.5% silver and is typically marked “925” somewhere on the piece.
Other markings include “800” for 80% silver and “500” for 50% silver. Look for these markings somewhere on the piece to ensure that you’re selling real silver jewelry and not costume jewelry.
How to Value A Diamond
Many jewelry pieces consist of diamonds and other gemstones.This is where valuing jewelry gets a little more complex.
Valuing a piece of jewelry with a diamond has a lot of different variables, outside of just the metal.
When a certified gemologist or jeweler appraises a diamond to find its value, they have to look at a number of different things, including the diamond’s:
- Clarity
- Carat
- Color
- Cut
- Certification
- Shape
- Fluorescence
- Polish
- Treatments
For an in-depth look at how to value a diamond, see our previous blog.
To summarize, each diamond is unique and will require a professional evaluation to know its value.
How to Value Gemstones
It depends on what gemstone is in the piece of jewelry.
By modern standards, there are only four precious stones: diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald. The reason these are ‘precious,’ or as the dictionary says, is ‘of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly’ is because these four stones were historically much rarer than other gemstones.
There are semi-precious stones as well, that are often more affordable and are more common. They are: agate, amber, amethyst, aventurine, chalcedony, citrine, garnet, hematite, jasper, jet, kunzite, lapis lazuli, malachite, moonstone, obsidian, onyx, peridot, rhodonite, sunstone, tiger’s eye, topaz, turquoise, tourmaline and many more!
Generally speaking, the more affordable semi-precious stones are tiger’s eye, rose quartz, amethyst, agate, and citrine, all because of their availability.
All of their value comes from their size, cut, clarity, and purity as well.
Where to Sell Your Jewelry and Gold
Nearly every day, we handle appraisal evaluations for unique jewelry pieces. We take pride in accuracy and customer satisfaction. As we mentioned above, we offer you up to 80% of gold’s spot price that day.
If you are in the Tucson area, we will be happy to help you get the most out of your unloved jewelry! Whether it’s selling, or trading it in for something more fitting – we will work with you to make sure you are happy with the experience. Your satisfaction is our number one priority! That’s why we moved into an appointment only business model. Schedule your appointment and find out how Stewart Kuper Jewelers can help you today.
