How do I Sell My Diamond Ring And Other Diamond Jewellery

Most advertising campaigns by De Beers feature their famous slogan “A Diamond is Forever.” Consequently, women rarely sell a diamond and often feel uncomfortable buying diamonds previously owned by other women. There is a sentimental aspect to diamonds that is the very opposite from other tangible assets like boats, houses or cars. However, there are times when people need to sell their diamonds and, unlike the used car market, there is not a well-developed method for consumers to sell their diamonds.

As a consumer, you face some difficult challenges maybe not faced before when trying to get the best price for your diamond in a safe and comfortable manner. The starting point is to know exactly what you are selling. This is much easier if the diamond has a grading certificate from a major laboratory like the GIA, HRD or EGL. You have a better opportunity if there is a formal grading report. In the instance you don’t have one, you should find an independent evaluator who can determine the diamond and assess its quality and possible value.

Once you know your diamond’s specifications, you can find the up to date retail asking price by ascertaining with online retailers to see what similar diamonds are selling for in today’s retail market. It is unlikely you will be able to get the going retail price for your diamond. Selling your diamond at 80% to 90% of that amount would make it sell faster. Be realistic and honest about your expectations. The lowest cost online retailers, not the expensive jewellery shops with double the price, set the value of your diamond.

You now know your target price and simply have to decide how to find the correct buyer for your diamond. There are several possibilities available to sell your diamond and you need to decide which is best for maximising your money and safety while minimizing your time and effort.

Your first idea might be to travel to the nearest jewellery shop or pawnshop and sell them the diamond. The key to remember here is that they do not need your diamond. They can get all the diamonds they want at wholesale prices from their suppliers. The only reason they will buy your diamond is if the price is a fraction of the wholesale price. They hope you need the money desperately enough to take 25%-50% of what you could be getting for your diamond elsewhere. They might offer you a little more if you “upgrade” to something they have in their stock. However, this often results in you paying more for the new diamond and receiving less for your diamond than if you sold it elsewhere.

Several online brokers specialize in buying diamonds and estate jewellery from consumers. They typically have you ship the diamond to them so they can determine the amount they will pay you. Pretty much like the cash for gold scandal. All too often, this amount is much less than their preliminary estimate so you must either pay the return postage, or accept their price. If your main priority is getting money fast, this is a valid option. If your main priority is getting top dollar for your diamond, there are better selling methods available to you.

Auctions like eBay are very common for selling jewellery items but there is so much low quality jewellery listed, it is hard for potential buyer to find your quality diamond. You are competing with jewellery retailers whose entire business is selling on eBay so they are experts at writing the descriptions (often with exaggerated quality), taking impressive pictures and shipping their items. Even if a bidder does find your item, the odds of getting your target price are slim to nil because other retailers are advertising items with similar descriptions for about half the amount you want. Notice I did not say they are advertising similar quality, just similar descriptions. Do a search for diamond rings with GIA grading reports and you will see the vast majority of diamond rings have paperwork from sources you have never heard of before.

Other effective ways to find a buyer are classified ads in local newspapers and bulletin boards at church or work. The challenge is reaching enough people to find at least one buyer willing to pay your price. You have to be careful when doing this kind of transaction, especially if selling to a stranger. Do the transaction in a safe place and be sure you have a valid form of payment. You do not want to hand over your diamond and end up with a phoney cheque or counterfeit pound notes.

Some jewellery shops and online retailers will sell your diamond on consignment. Online retailers with a local presence have an advantage in that they have large numbers of diamond shoppers on their website plus walk in traffic that can see your diamond in person. They also have lower overhead and prices so you can get a bigger share of the selling price. With jewellery shops often marking up prices over 100%, your share is likely to be less than half of the selling price.

Be sure to get a written description of the item you are giving on consignment and the minimum amount you will accept for your diamond. All too often sellers are not being able to get their jewellery items back from a store or only receive a fraction of the amount they expected from the sale. However, if you have patience and a low priced, trustworthy retailer to broker your diamond, you have an excellent chance of getting an excellent price for your diamond without the hassle and safety issues of selling it yourself.

If you do have any diamonds or other jewellery to sell, then please do call us for a free consultation in our central London office and we would be glad to try and help you. Our details are on the main page of he Joseph Sterling website.

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being a famous jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. He is a member of the London Diamond Bourse (LDB). You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

The remaking of a family heirloom diamond ring.

Time for a case study.

I thought it would be nice to see how a ring is remodelled, after a client ask for her grandmothers engagement ring to be re-made into a more classical and updated version, so she can wear it as her current engagement ring. 

In the first image we can see the original with the centre stone and one other already taken out. If you look closely you will notice there is no metal between each of the outside diamonds to hold them together, to keep them evenly spaced. 

This images shows a side angle of the original ring. If we look at the shank we can see it’s made from wire and doubled up at the back to give it a thicker feel. As a result of this, it makes the framework quite insecure and gives a higher chance of distortion and damage, should it take a whack!

Once all the diamonds are out and measurements have been taken, it’s time to make the new look ring. From a plate of 18ct gold sheet, the stones are marked, metal drilled, and a shape filed with wires added for the claws. On the shank, it’s thicker than previous and the wires are added to form the gallery of the ring. After the two pieces are made, all the wires are married up and soldered together. 

Excuse the slightly misty picture. In this shot we can see the ring made and assembled. All the wires matched up and have been soldered, joins were filed up and sandpapered, the ring has been pre-polished and ready to be set. 

And here’s the finished piece all polished up. A beautiful modern twist on a classical timeless piece ready to be handed down another generation or two, just as these diamonds were handed down two generations. After all, we never really own a diamond, we merely look after it for the next generation. And this proves it. 

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being a famous jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. He is a member of the London Diamond Bourse (LDB). You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

www.joseph-sterling.com | lewis@Joseph-sterling.com