Deciding the best time to sell jewelry, especially diamond jewelry, can be a tricky business. Not only do you want to make sure you’re emotionally ready to part with the piece, but you also want to ensure that you get the most money possible for your valuable item.

If you want to maximize the chances of getting the best possible price for your diamond vintage estate jewelry, make sure that you keep the four following factors in mind before searching for the best place to sell gold and jewelry in Orange, CA.

Assessing your diamond’s value

Before you visit places to sell jewelry and receive an estimate for your diamond, you should have a general idea of what it’s worth. This will prevent you from accepting ridiculously low prices from untrustworthy buyers who are only aiming to clear the largest profit margin possible.

Diamonds are appraised based on four main factors: cut, color, clarity and carat. The cut of the diamond refers to its shape. More specifically, it refers to the way that the stone reflects the light. Examples of common cuts are round, oval, princess, and pear. The cut plays a part in determining the value of the stone because some cuts are rarer and more desirable than others.

The diamond’s color is also assessed, and the appraiser will assign it a letter on the GIA color scale, with D being the most colorless and Z being the most color tinted. Color is the second biggest determination of a stone’s value after its cut, and the less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is.

The clarity of a diamond refers to the diamond’s lack of imperfections or inclusions. The fewer imperfections or inclusions a diamond has, the more valuable it is. Diamond clarity is graded on a 6-point scale ranging from Flawless (FL) to Included (I).

Carat refers to the weight of the diamond — and often, as a result, the size of the diamond. The more a diamond weighs, the more expensive it is. Carat is one of the most common terms surrounding diamond value, but it’s only one of several factors necessary for determining its value.

Secondhand diamond value

Whatever your diamond’s appraised value is, its secondhand resale value is, unfortunately, almost guaranteed to be less. This is because diamonds are similar to cars in that their value drops as soon as they’re purchased. In fact, most pre-owned diamonds will be worth approximately 33 percent of their original price. 

The main exception is if the diamond is part of vintage estate jewelry purchased many decades ago. In this case, it’s possible that the rise in diamond value over time may offset the depreciation and result in the piece being worth more than its original retail cost.

Seasonality and diamond resale value

Seasonality is an important component of the diamond retail industry since there are several times throughout the year when consumers are more likely to be looking to buy diamond jewelry. The three largest diamond-buying occasions are Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas.

If you’re looking to sell jewelry this year, it may be beneficial to wait until several weeks before these holidays, when diamond buyers are looking to increase their stock levels of diamond jewelry. However, keep in mind that most consumers will purchase their diamonds from a retail store, not a secondhand jewelry buyer, and so the value for secondhand diamond jewelry will not be as greatly affected.

Diamond value market trends

Apart from the popular diamond buying seasons each year, there are also general trends for diamonds that cause the market value to fluctuate over the years. Since these can’t always be predicted, it’s advisable that you keep track of the market price of diamonds to spot the best time to sell.

In general, try not to sell during a price drop, and sell right away if you notice the market peaking. The long-term price trend for diamonds is positive, so the longer you hold onto your diamond, the more you’ll generally be able to get for it. However, if you need to sell soon, keep your eye on short-term market trends to maximize your cash.

Deciding the best time to sell your diamond jewelry can be a strategic and emotional matter. When it comes to sentimental vintage estate jewelry, only you know when it’s the right time to let it go. If you’re not yet ready to part with your diamond jewelry forever, consider a collateral loan from Watch & Wares. You can get the cash you need same-day while still retaining your diamond jewelry in the long-term with repayment of the loan.

If you’re ready to sell your diamond jewelry altogether, we can help with that too. We have 30 years of jewelry lending, buying and selling experience, and our staff is comprised of some of the most experienced professionals in the industry. Our team has worked for prestige names like Tiffany & Co., and we guarantee a luxury diamond selling experience with each visit. To receive an estimate for your diamond’s value, give Watch & Wares a call at (714) 633-2030 or fill out our online contact form today. You can also stop by our Orange, CA location Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We look forward to working with you!

Do you have a ring that’s too tight? A necklace with a broken clasp? Maybe the strap has broken on your Rolex watch. Whatever the case, jewelry repair is an inevitable part of life, so it’s best to have an expert jewelry repair store that you can trust with all your valuable pieces.

Jewelry and watches are often more than just monetarily valuable; they hold great sentimental value that makes them devastating to break or lose. When it comes to such beloved items, you need and deserve a jewelry repair store that you can unwaveringly trust with high-quality and speedy repairs. Here are four tips for choosing the best jewelry repair store for your luxury goods.

1. Get a Free and Detailed Appraisal

Any trustworthy jewelry repair store will provide a free, no-obligation estimate for all repairs. You should never pay for a jewelry repair estimate, so if your local jeweler won’t offer you an appraisal for free, cross them off the list.

In addition to the estimate being free, it should also be detailed. More than just the final price, your free estimate should include a list of all the repairs they intend to make. This will allow you to envision the final result and ensure it’s the same as what you have in mind. 

You should feel completely comfortable throughout the estimate process, and any trustworthy jewelry repair store should aid this in every way possible.

2. Don’t Just Choose the Lowest Price

It’s always worth getting more than one estimate on jewelry repair to compare and ensure that you’re receiving the best combination of value and quality. While you want to remain within your budget and get a fair price for the repair work, you also don’t want to simply choose the cheapest price.

Dirt cheap estimates are often so much cheaper for a reason — the quality of the work is sub-par. When it comes to sentimental pieces like estate jewelry or valuable pieces like a Rolex watch, you want peace of mind that your goods are being repaired properly and will hold up over time. When you choose cheap estimates, you run the risk of choosing a jewelry repair store that’s cutting corners, potentially costing you more in the long run.

Choose an estimate that is a fair value, but make sure that the price also reflects the quality of the work you’re receiving. Choose a jewelry repair store with expert knowledge, state-of-the-art tools, and verified 5-star customer service.

3. Ensure a Reasonable Timeframe

When collecting estimates, you should receive an estimated timeframe for the repairs as well. Ensure that the work will be completed promptly and choose the jewelry repair store offering a reasonable timeframe and fair value.

Some repairs can be done on the spot as you wait, while others can take several weeks. There are very few, if any, repairs that take months, so be wary of any estimates that have an extremely long repair time. Collecting more than one estimate can also be beneficial for comparing timeframes and assessing what the average expected completion time should be for your item.

4. Don’t Allow Items to Be Shipped Back

There are many online jewelry repair companies that ask you to ship your valuables to them for repair. They then ship the item back to you once the repair has been completed. While this can be convenient, the risk isn’t worth the reward. 

Shipping any item, especially valuable jewelry, puts it at risk for damage or loss in transit. Only choose jewelry repair stores that will hand-deliver all repairs in-store. You should be able to pick up your gold jewelry and assess the repairs in person to ensure that they’re up to your standards.

If you want the best jewelry repair that Orange County has to offer, Watch & Wares is the premier choice. Our decades of experience make us the jeweler that other jewelers turn to when they need help. Our master jeweler boasts over 35 years of experience in the field of jewelry repair, and we use state-of-the-art tools to repair and restore jewelry pieces to their original state. Some of our customers have said that once we’re finished, their jewelry looks even better than new. 

To experience the Watch & Wares difference for yourself, give us a call at (714) 633-2030 or fill out our online contact form today and get started with a free repair estimate. You can also stop by our Orange, CA location Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We look forward to working with you!

Whether you have estate jewelry for sale or want to buy estate jewelry engagement rings, the price of the item is undeniably the biggest factor for our clients. Appraisal value and being confident that the value is fair are crucial for a confident transaction, so we always strive to be transparent in our appraisal process. Whether you want to be confident in your sale price or set a budget for buying an engagement ring, here is how we determine the value of estate jewelry engagement rings.

1. Cut

Before you start looking up where to sell gold jewelry for cash, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the cut of your ring’s precious stone. The cut of your diamond is one of the most significant determining factors of your estate jewelry engagement ring’s value. The cut refers to the shape of the stone — round, oval, princess, pear and more.

The cut is such an important factor because it affects other aspects of the ring’s appearance, such as brilliance and symmetry. Shapes such as round brilliant are highly valuable because of their flawless 360º appearance. Cuts are graded as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor, with the grading reflecting directly on the sale price.

2. Color

The stone’s color, or lack thereof, is another crucial factor in pricing your estate jewelry engagement ring. Diamonds can be graded as brown, yellow or colorless, with less color correlating to higher prices.

Diamonds are graded with a letter ranging from D to Z, with the most valuable — and colorless — diamonds receiving a D. Since people want the clearest, most brilliant stones possible, less tinted diamonds receive the highest valuations.

 

3. Clarity

Similarly, the clarity of your diamond affects its appraisal value. Even the most translucent diamonds can include imperfections that make them less valuable.

Imperfections or inclusions are created when crystals fall into the stone while it’s being formed, affecting the structure of the diamond. Diamond clarity is graded on a 6-point scale ranging from Flawless (FL) to Included (I), with the former being the most valuable.

4. Carat

Carat is one of the most recognizable terms related to diamond pricing. However, many people think that the carat refers to the size of the diamond, when in fact, it refers to the weight of the stone.

Two diamonds of the same carat can appear to be different sizes based on how they’re cut, so it’s important to take this into consideration when browsing estate jewelry engagement rings. It’s also why weight and cut must both be taken into careful consideration during an appraisal.

Here at Watch & Wares, we have curated a team of expert jewelry appraisers and gemologists with decades of experience working with some of the biggest names in the diamond jewelry industry. With over 30 years of business under our belts, Watch & Wares is a name you can trust for estate jewelry engagement ring appraisals.

 

To find out more about our diamond and jewelry buying services or to receive a free estate jewelry engagement ring estimate, give us a call at (714) 633-2030 or fill out our online contact form today. You can also stop by our Orange, CA location Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We look forward to working with you!

In this day and age, it’s generally believed that it’s most convenient to do things online. Whether purchasing something, selling something, or communicating with someone, doing all things via the Internet provides a level of ease and convenience never experienced before. However, this isn’t true for everything. 

If you want to sell jewelry you’ve inherited or simply don’t use anymore, your first instinct may be to find online gold and jewelry buyers. However, selling such valuable items online comes with a host of issues that can be easily avoided if you instead use local gold and jewelry buyers in Orange, CA. Here are just a few reasons why using a local cash jewelry and loan service is better than selling your diamond jewelry online.

1. It’s More Convenient

Since you don’t need to leave your home to sell things online, digital platforms have gained a reputation for being more convenient. However, this often isn’t the truth. 

In reality, managing your own online sale is more hassle than it’s worth — you need to create the listing, take photos, communicate back and forth with potential buyers, and organize the shipment of the item. You’ll also have to haggle with everyone who messages you and can even get stood up at the last second. Not to mention, there are scammers everywhere online with sophisticated methods for conning you out of your items.

If you want a secure and convenient solution, take your diamond jewelry to your local gold and jewelry buyer. You simply walk in with your item, wait 10-20 minutes for an appraisal, and leave same-day with cash.

2. It’s Faster

If you want to get your diamond jewelry sold sooner rather than later, finding the best places to sell gold jewelry near you is the way to go. When you try to sell online, you’ll wait days or weeks to get your money. You have to wait for a buyer to find your listing, you’ll need to negotiate the price, and some buyers may even stand you up. Even if you sell online to a gold and jewelry buyer, you’ll have to wait for the item to reach them in the mail before you can receive your payment.

Instead of following lead after lead and waiting an excruciating few weeks for a payoff, use local gold and jewelry buyers. You’ll receive cash the same day you sell your item, so you can enjoy an instant turnaround and spend less time worrying about when you’ll finally see your money.

 

3. You Receive a Higher Value

One of the biggest reasons people sell their diamond jewelry online is that they believe they’ll receive more money than if they visit a local cash jewelry & loan shop. However, this is rarely the case.

Although there is the potential to earn more money from a private sale, you’d have to spend weeks finding the perfect buyer, and most people won’t see the full value of your item. You would also then have to consider any listing fees, processing fees, and shipping costs.

At Watch & Wares, you’ll receive a competitive value that’s often the highest in the Orange, CA area. We have a team of in-house experts who will appraise your item for free and can discern the fairest price possible for gold jewelry — no fees attached.

4. You Have More Options

Once you sell your valuable items online, they’re gone forever. No matter how sentimental or rare your gold jewelry is, the chances of getting it back if you have any regrets are close to zero. 

By working with a cash jewelry & loan shop like Watch & Wares, you have more options for receiving the cash you need without sacrificing your valuable goods. You can use your diamond and gold jewelry or other luxury items as collateral for a four-month loan with no credit check required. 

If you repay the loan in time, you’ll receive your gold and jewelry back. If not, we’ll keep your item as repayment, with no effect on your credit score. If you’re having trouble paying back the loan on time but don’t want to lose your item, you can renew the loan for another four months by repaying the interest owed.

 

Here at Watch & Wares, we have curated a team of expert jewelry appraisers and gemologists with decades of experience working with some of the biggest names in the gold and jewelry industry. With over 30 years of business under our belts, Watch & Wares has proven to be one of the best places to sell gold and jewelry in Orange, CA. To find out more about our diamond and jewelry buying services or to receive a free estimate, give us a call at (714) 633-2030 or fill out our online contact form today. You can also stop by our Orange, CA location Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We look forward to working with you!

Whether you want to sell jewelry with embedded diamonds or you have loose diamonds you want to make money from, you’re sure to want the highest price possible for your items. Diamonds can be an excellent investment for Orange, CA residents, and many people expect to sell their stones for a profit — and, more often than not, you can. 

 

However, to get the best price possible for your diamonds, you should know these four basic tips, including the best places to sell jewelry for cash.

1. Know What Your Diamond is Worth

If you want to get the best price for your diamonds, you should know what your diamonds are worth before you speak to a diamond buyer. After all, loose diamonds have a general market value, so you can estimate their worth with some accuracy on your own. 

 

Do some independent research online and back this up with an appraisal from an objective third party. Some diamond jewelry buyers may try to offer you a much lower value than your diamonds are truly worth. If you receive an appraisal from a third-party expert appraiser, you can be more confident that you’re receiving a fair value from your gold and diamond jewelry buyer when the time comes.

2. Understand the Four C’s

The value of a diamond is determined by four C’s: cut, color, carat and clarity. If you know these four things about your diamond, you can much more accurately assess its worth. 

 

The cut refers to the shape of the diamond: round, radiant, princess, marquise, heart, oval, pear, cushion or emerald. Certain shapes are worth more than others, so the cut can affect the price of your diamond. 

 

Color is another factor; the less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is. The GIA grading scale from D to G evaluates the amount of color a diamond possesses, with D representing colorless diamonds and G representing yellow, brown, and other uniquely colored diamonds.

 

Carat refers to the weight of the diamond (and often, as a result, the size of the diamond). The more a diamond weighs, the more expensive it is.

 

Clarity refers to the diamond’s lack of imperfections or inclusions. Inclusions are created when crystals fall into the stone while it’s being formed, affecting the structure of the diamond. The fewer imperfections or inclusions a diamond has, the more valuable it is. 

 

Knowing these things about your diamond, or having your diamond buyer walk you through these areas during their appraisal, will help you feel confident that you are receiving the best price possible for your diamonds.

3. Bring Documentation

High-quality loose diamonds are almost always sold with a certification card from the GIA (Gem Institute of America) or similar organizations. This certificate should include information about your diamond, including the four C’s. 

 

If you have this certificate, bring it with you when selling or appraising your diamond. It will help the appraiser assess the value of your gems more fairly and accurately.

4. Research Your Diamond Buyer

Of course, you should always research your diamond buyer before committing to a sale. This means more than Googling “jewelry and gold buyers near me.” This can be a starting point, but verify that any diamond buyer you consider has a verifiable history in Orange, CA or your local area and has numerous 5-star online reviews from third-party websites. 

 

Search for reviews on Yelp or Google, check their rating with the Better Business Bureau, and ensure that they are licensed and insured. A good diamond buyer will also have certified gemologists on staff to appraise diamonds and other gems.

Here at Watch & Wares, we have curated a team of expert jewelry appraisers and gemologists with decades of experience working with some of the biggest names in the diamond jewelry industry. With over 30 years of business under our belts, Watch & Wares is a name you can trust. To find out more about our diamond and jewelry buying services or to receive a free diamond jewelry estimate, give us a call at (714) 633-2030 or fill out our online contact form today. You can also stop by our Orange, CA location Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We look forward to working with you!