Home » Best Places to Buy » 7 Best Places to Sell Your Diamond / Engagement Ring Jewelry
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Most people tend to sell their diamond jewelry at a time of transition or upheaval – after a divorce, a breakup, a death, when we’re strapped for cash, when we just want a change, or to simply upgrade an engagement ring. Regardless of the reason, the last thing you need is for your valuable jewelry to be undervalued.
Traditionally, pawn shops were the place to go to, but they tend to undervalue jewelry and will often give you a bad deal. Which brings us to online businesses that buy jewelry. Today there are several excellent online stores which provide this much-needed service, offering to purchase your diamond jewelry. But this still raises the question of whether or not you’ll get the optimal price.
In this article, we’ll take a look at seven of the best places to sell your diamond jewelry online, taking into account their purchase process, the value they offer, ease of use, and customer service.
1. Worthy
If you’ve already started doing some research on online jewelry buyers, you’ve probably heard of Worthy. What sets Worthy apart from many of the other stores on this list is that Worthy is an online jewelry auction and not a direct buyer. This is important as it leads to a few differences:
- You can reach multiple buyers simultaneously, which can drive up the price of your piece of jewelry.
- As an online auction and not a direct buyer, Worthy takes a commission for each sale.
- They appraise each diamond ring they receive, obtaining a GIA or IGI certificate free of charge to you if you don’t already have one.
- Selling your jewelry piece can take some time.
- In some cases, you can sell your piece either for well above or below its expected market value depending on how the auction goes. Fortunately, Worthy sets minimal thresholds for most sales depending on the piece’s value.
This may sound overly complicated but online auctions, and Worthy in particular, offer several benefits. For one, the company has the necessary expertise to find the best buyer. Also, since the auction is selling to buyers directly and not to jewelry vendors, you may get a higher price which offsets Worthy’s commission.
Worthy also mails you a free shipping label and provides free shipping insurance for up to $100,000. Your jewelry is also certified by reputable third-party gemologists. Worthy than arranges the sale in the best possible way using this third-party report, professional photos, a detailed and captivating description, as well as utilizing its many connections with potential buyers.
All in all, Worthy offers a different way of selling your diamond jewelry online.
2. Abe Mor
Abe Mor is an excellent company, and one of the best options to sell your diamond jewelry. The company is named after its founder, an Israeli American with decades of experience in the diamond industry.
The company offers some of the best prices for used jewelry out there. They don’t auction or list your jewelry for sale but instead prefer to buy it directly, making the whole process convenient and quick. This business model works because they are also a jewelry wholesaler, selling used jewelry and offering tempting trade-ins.
As a wholesaler, Abe Mor may not offer many perks for the jewelry they sell (i.e., warranty, free maintenance, and so on) but the quality and value-for-money are still very much there. As a buyer, however, they are even more of a joy to work with – they happily pay for both the shipping and shipping insurance of your jewelry pieces, their value assessments are fair and competitive, and their professionalism and experiences also guarantee satisfaction.
It’s still worth it to get a third-party assessment beforehand, of course – it always is – but, from everything we’ve seen, Abe Mor consistently offers more for a direct purchase than most of their competition.
3. Louped
The business model of Louped is a bit different from what we’ve talked about above. They are neither an online auction nor a direct buyer – they are both.
What this means is that you have two options with this company – either create a listing for your jewelry piece to be auctioned to the public or sell it to Louped directly. As with other auction vs. direct sale comparisons, choosing to auction your piece will likely net you a higher price but takes longer.
Louped will take a commission off the price of your piece as payment for facilitating the sale – the commission is steeper than some other online jewelry auction platforms, but on the flip side, Louped accepts lower-priced items, starting from as low as $500. In comparison, most online diamond jewelry purchasing sites have a higher price point for the jewelry they accept.
One hiccup some customers have is that Louped offers authentication only once the sale has been completed. However, at that stage, if the buyer has any issues, the sale can be renegotiated or cancelled.
If you insist on having your item pre-authenticated, the commission of Louped jumps up to 25% whereas if you don’t it remains in the 10% to 20% range, based on the price of the jewelry pieces.
4. The RealReal
This is another interesting option if you want to auction your diamond jewelry rather than sell it directly. The RealReal works as an online auction for used jewelry with the key difference being that they accept jewelry pieces of any monetary value – even under $100!
This is great if you want to sell off low-cost jewelry quickly and easily. The process is the same as with other online auctions – you fill out a form, The RealReal sends you a free shipping label (or you can also opt to hand the piece personally if you live in Chicago, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco, NYC, LA, or Washington DC). They will then assess the exact value of the jewelry piece.
After this step, the company will inform you of their suggested listing price and if you agree with it, they’ll put the piece up for sale. Once it’s purchased, The RealReal will pay you via Direct Deposit or by check.
The only catch in the whole process is that The RealReal’s commissions are considerable, especially for low end items. While most auction sites don’t go over 25%, The RealReal can take up to 60% of your jewelry piece’s value. The reasoning behind this is that they accept jewelry pieces of any price range, including ones as low as two digits. So, for the whole process to be worth it for The RealReal, they have to charge more.
If your jewelry is worth more than $1,000, however, The RealReal’s commission drops to 30% – which is still considerable.
5. Circa
Circa – previously known as Mondiamo – is a direct online buyer of loose diamonds. They make it easy to conveniently and easily sell your diamond jewelry while still getting a fair price for it.
Their process works like this:
First, you send them information about your diamond or diamond jewelry piece and Circa commits to a price range based on your description. If you find the price agreeable, you send your piece to Circa for free via their shipping process. They authenticate the piece and give you an exact quote – you can either accept it and get paid or refuse and get your jewelry back free of charge.
The payment is completed either by a bank transfer or via check. There are also wire transfers for international customers. You can also get paid with a gift card for Circa as well as for Blue Nile, one of the largest online jewelry vendors we often talk about here. Choosing this payment model is completely optional but usually bumps up the price you’re getting up to 110% or 120%.
It’s also worth noting that Circa’s prices can either include the value of your jewelry’s metal or just the diamond – as you prefer. If you want, you can just sell the diamond and then Circa will return the metal of the jewelry piece.
6. Cash For Gold USA & Cash for Diamonds USA
Cash For Gold USA is one of the biggest and most well-known buyers of used gold jewelry in the US. The company has built a solid reputation over its years of operation and is one of largest online gold buyers. They purchase gold in pretty much any form:
- Old or broken jewelry of all types, such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and so on.
- Gold nuggets
- Scrap gold
- Golden dental crowns
The company purchases almost all types of gold between 8K to 24K. All you need to do is fill out a form on the company’s website and request a shipment via USPS or FedEx. Then, Cash for Gold will give you an approximate price and send you a shipping package for your jewelry piece.
They will then assess the piece’s value, give you a quote, and you can decide wether to go ahead with the sale or to back out. The company will return the jewelry piece if you decide not to go ahead and will even return your jewelry free of charge.
For the diamond jewelry, we’d recommend looking into their sister site Cash for Diamonds USA – they follow the same process as Cash for Gold USA. Cash for Diamonds accepts stones of various cuts and quality categories and offers good prices. Customers tend to praise both companies transparent purchasing and price breakdown – and many have stated that the valuation they received was higher than expected.
You might want to receive a third-party assessment ahead of time for comparison purposes. Even so, we recommend both Cash for Gold and Cash for Diamonds as they are highly trusted and reputable vendors.
7. The Diamond Valet
The Diamond Valet buys and sells diamonds, operating on the principle that customer satisfaction is key. Their service is free, and gives you the option of proceeding or backing out after receiving an appraisal.
Similar to Cash for Gold/Diamonds, the Diamond Valet works by first asking you to fill out a form describing your jewelry. They will then send you an approximate quote and, if you find the price range acceptable, they’ll send you a free shipping label.
Once you’ve sent your piece to them free of charge via Ups, the USPS, or FedEx, Diamond Valet’s jewelry experts will examine the jewelry piece and will you a quote, that you can either accept or reject. If you decide to proceed, Diamond Valet will send you a cashier’s check or a company check. If not, they’ll return the piece free of charge. There’s really not much to lose in the process.
Diamond Valet work with used diamond stud earrings, diamond engagement and wedding rings, tennis bracelets, as well as watches. However, the company only accepts diamonds that are larger than .75 carats, so look elsewhere if you have smaller diamonds.
Selling Your Jewelry Online – Safe and Worth It?
The idea of selling jewelry online tend to make people feel uneasy. However, it can be an excellent option to get a good deal conveniently and easily on your diamond jewelry.
To put it simply – selling jewelry online can be both worth it and perfectly safe if you’ve found the right platform or buyer. If not, then, yes – you may get scammed. The above vendors are known for their solid track records and great customer service. However, we recommend doing your own research to find which of these vendors is the best option for you.
FAQs
How do I sell my diamond to get the best price? ›
- Pawnshop. Selling your diamond to a pawnshop is one of the easiest and fastest ways to make money, but not the most lucrative. ...
- eBay. ...
- Craigslist. ...
- Consignment with a local jeweler or auction house. ...
- Sell to a Diamond Buyer.
We recommend Gemological Institute of America Inc. and American Gem Society (AGS). Before submitting your diamonds to a laboratory, give us a call and we will help you determine whether it is worth the additional expense in doing so.
How much will jewelers pay for diamonds? ›In most cases, a diamond engagement ring or other diamond jewelry will have a resale value of between 20 and 60% of the amount it cost when it was new.
How much is a 1 carat diamond worth resale? ›On average, the retail price for one carat diamonds can be anywhere between $2,000 to $16,000, and between $8,000 to $72,000 for two carat diamonds .
How do I get the most value on my diamond ring? ›Swap out side-stones.
Large stones are more expensive on a per-carat basis than small stones. This means that adding significant side stones to a ring will increase the price more than using smaller stones for embellishment. Try going with mele bands or a halos around the main stone to create impact.
Diamond Prices
For example, the cost of a one carat diamond can range from just $1,500 to more than $16,000 for an extremely well-cut, high-quality diamond, while a two carat diamond could cost as little as $6,000 or as much as $80,000 based on its shape, cut, clarity and color grades.
| Carat Weight | Diamond Price Per Carat | Recommended Price |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 carat | $800 - $4,000 | $300 - $450 |
| 0.50 carat | $1,000 - $8,000 | $1,000 - $1,500 |
| 0.75 carat | $1,300 - $9,000 | $2,000 - $3,000 |
| 1.0 carat | $2,000 - $16,000 | $4,500 - $6,000 |
Many jewelry stores have a jewelry appraiser on their staff. You can often contact the jewelry store ahead of time to schedule an appointment to have your jewelry appraised in front of you. Another option is to go to an independent diamond jewelry appraiser.
Are diamonds worth the money they are sold for? ›The price of diamonds fluctuates in the economy just like any other high-end good. Sometimes diamonds increase in value, while other times they decrease. Regardless, pre-owned diamonds sell for slightly less than their original prices. In most cases, a diamond has a resale value of 20-60% of the original price paid.
What is the best way to sell jewelry with diamonds? ›Your choices are a jewelry store, a pawn shop or a “We Buy Gold” dealer. In most cases all three will offer you “scrap value,” that is, the value of the metal, diamonds and gems. Of the three, you'll usually get the most money from a jeweler. Please note that Fox Fine Jewelry buys jewelry in-person only.
Are old diamonds more valuable? ›
As diamonds age from 100 years to 120 years old and we move further away from the 20th century, these old cuts will not only become more scarce but also more valuable. As an example, jewelry from the 17th century and older is extremely valuable and rare.
How much can you sell a 2 carat diamond for? ›2 carat diamond prices
Bear in mind that a round cut diamond can be worth more than an emerald cut diamond, even if they have the same color grade or the same clarity. A very fine 2 carat diamond can reach record sums up to $80,000 and higher, having the best clarity and color grade.
For pricing and appraisals, selling to jewelry stores is better than pawn shops. Pawn shops have high overhead costs and typically resell items at a lower price. Jewelry stores have in-house master jewelers who can provide accurate appraisals and higher prices for your jewelry.
Are diamonds easy to resell? ›As a consumer, diamonds do not have good resale value and you can expect to take a big loss in the event you need to sell your diamond ring. That's because when you buy a diamond ring at retail prices, you are going to be paying a hefty margin that goes into the jeweler's profit.
How much is a .75 carat diamond worth? ›| Diamond Carat Weight | Price Per Carat | Total Price |
|---|---|---|
| 0.50 Carat | $1,100 - $7,690 | $550 - $3,845 |
| 0.75 Carat | $1,810 - $8,800 | $1,360 - $6,600 |
| 1.00 Carat | $1,910 - $15,650 | $1,910 - $15,650 |
| 1.50 Carat | $2,985 - $22,330 | $4,480 - $33,500 |
In the USA, Valentine's Day, Christmas Day, and Mother's Day are the most popular times to sell diamond jewelry. If you want to sell directly to someone else, you want to wait for this time.
What diamond holds the most value? ›Since a round diamond is thought to hold the most value when compared to the other shapes, it will almost always be given a higher price than any other shape with similar clarity, color, and carat weight.
What increases the value of a diamond? ›Maximizing the rarity, a flawless, perfectly cut, colorless large diamond will always be in demand and fetch a higher price in the market. The rarity of perfect stones allows the diamond to increase in value more rapidly–both because of inflation and because of the high demand and limited supply of perfect stones.
How much is 1 diamond worth? ›The average price of a 1 carat diamond is currently $4,960 (see price chart below). 1 carat diamonds can cost anywhere from $1,638 - $11,605 depending on the diamond's shape, color, clarity, and other factors. To see specific details on diamond pricing by shape see our 1 carat diamond prices table below.
Do diamonds still hold value? ›Diamonds generally retain a market value that either increases or remains consistent over time. This is essentially because there is a finite supply. The fundamental laws of supply and demand dictate that as demand goes up, value follows in the same direction.
How much is $100 dollars worth of diamonds? ›
How much is 100 US Dollar in Diamond? 100 US Dollar is 24.073016 Diamond.
What size diamond can you get for $2000? ›With a total budget of $2,000, you'll be able to afford a good quality round diamond in the 0.65 to 0.75 carat range, provided you're willing to opt for a solitaire setting.
How much would 1 carat diamond be? ›Based on analyzing market prices, a 1 carat diamond costs between $1,800 and $12,000 (depending on the current market situation). The price depends on factors such as the cut quality, clarity, color and shape of the diamond. Cut quality is the aspect that most greatly impacts a 1 carat diamond's price and its beauty.
How much is 2 carat diamond in dollars? ›The average price of a 2 carat diamond is currently $19,641 (see price chart below). 2 carat diamonds can cost anywhere from $6,746 - $45,432 depending on the diamond's shape, color, clarity, and other factors.
Why is my ring appraised for more than I paid? ›Often times engagement ring appraisals or other types of diamond appraisals reflect a value that is inflated – sometimes as much as double the retail purchase price - which allows insurance companies to increase the premium you pay to have your ring covered.
Is there an app to value jewelry? ›Diamond Valuer was created to explain the process of valuing a diamond ring to you and give you an estimated value of your ring based on that information.
Why are diamonds worthless after you buy them? ›Engagement Rings Are a Depreciating Asset
Like a car, a diamond is a depreciating asset since it loses a large portion of its value the second you buy it. Think about gold and silver. The market for them is very liquid and fungible since you can store coins, sell them at any time or even trade them later on.
The resale value of a diamond is the price you may expect to receive if you decide to sell it. The resale value is often far lower than what you spent because of the retail markup and the drop in diamond prices. The resale value of diamond jewellery is often between 25% and 50% of the original purchase price.
Which Jewellery has best resale value? ›- Cartier. Founded in 1847, Cartier is one of the most well-known names in fine jewelry. ...
- Van Cleef & Arpels. ...
- Tiffany & Co. ...
- David Yurman. ...
- Harry Winston.
Why You Should Get An Appraisal Every Couple of Years. Depending on how long it has been between the original purchase and when you resell the item, you may want to have your jewelry reappraised. It's typically a good idea to have your jewelry reappraised every 5-10 years to keep up with market value.
How can I sell my jewelry without getting ripped off? ›
- Know the Realities of Selling Gold. Realize that even though gold prices are above $1,800 an ounce, you aren't going to get that. ...
- Shop Around. Take your gold to two or three independent appraisers. ...
- Keep the Gems Separate. ...
- Be Careful of Mail-In Gold Sales.
- Friend. Do you have a friend that has always said she wants that ring if you ever decide to get rid of it? ...
- Pawn Shop. Pro: It's quick cash. ...
- Ebay. Pro: Huge international audience. ...
- Craigslist. ...
- Mail Your Gold In Places (like Cash-4-Gold.com) ...
- Local Jeweler.
A 5-carat diamond is worth anywhere from $50,000 to $1 million - however, the value of a 5-carat diamond depends on its quality, cut, clarity, and colour. A 5 carat diamond is a very rare gemstone. Only a few hundred 5 carat diamonds are mined each year.
What is considered a vintage diamond? ›Antique diamonds need to be at least 100 years old. And vintage diamonds usually date from the early 20th century to the 1960s. Almost all antique and most vintage diamonds were cut by hand. The cut makes a diamond vintage because these techniques were only used in the eras that have passed.
How much is the cheapest 2 carat diamond? ›The price range of a GIA certified round 2 carat diamond is from $6,000 to $60,000. At the lower end, the starting cost of a round GIA certified 2 carat diamond with M color and si2 clarity is $6,000-$8,000.
How much can you pawn a 2 carat diamond ring for? ›Pawnbrokers will typically offer no more than 75% of a diamond ring's resale value, which may be as low as 30% of the original retail piece. So, for example, a $10,000 retail price diamond ring sold in a new jewelry store has about a $3,000 resale price, and if you pawn it, you'll likely only get $2,250 at most.
How much is a .03 carat diamond worth? ›The average price of a 0.3 carat diamond is currently $629 (see price chart below). 0.3 carat diamonds can cost anywhere from $254 - $1,379 depending on the diamond's shape, color, clarity, and other factors.
What do pawn stores pay the most for? ›Pawn stores usually pay the most for jewelry like diamonds and gold, timepieces, coins, vintage sneakers, designer purses, and handbags. However, every pawn shop can buy high-ticket items, including vehicles, real estate, and jewelry.
What type of jewelry sells best at pawn shops? ›Precious metals are a fantastic item to pawn in any form. Gold, silver, and platinum are always in high demand and can snag you a hefty payout, especially if you decide to pawn or sell at Precious Metals Refinery. Like precious metals, diamonds are one item that seems to never go out of fashion or drop in desirability.
How much do jewelers buy jewelry for? ›Generally, when you sell pre-owned fine jewelry, you can expect to get around 20 to 50% of the original purchase price. There are a few exceptions to this range. For example, very rare and highly desirable pieces may fetch a higher price.
How much is a .70 carat diamond worth? ›
The average price of a 0.7 carat diamond is currently $2,203 (see price chart below). 0.7 carat diamonds can cost anywhere from $852 - $4,906 depending on the diamond's shape, color, clarity, and other factors.
How big is a $5000 diamond? ›What size diamond engagement ring can I get for $5,000? For $5,000, you can get a high-quality 1 carat diamond and a beautiful solitaire, pavé, halo, or side-stone engagement ring.
How much is 100 carat diamond in dollars? ›| CARAT | $ US Dollar |
|---|---|
| 100.00 | 97.15 |
| 250.00 | 242.89 |
| 500.00 | 485.77 |
| 1,000.00 | 971.54 |
Diamond Procurement
The typical loss on reselling a diamond is between 25% and 50% of its original purchase price. Like the price of gold, diamonds' resale value can rise and fall depending on some circumstances. You can anticipate getting 25-50% less when you resell your diamond than you paid.
That's because the retail price would include brand premiums and business overheads. And when you sell a diamond ring, most buyers don't care about the cost of manufacturing, air-conditioning, salary, insurance or shipping expenses that go into operating a business.
How do I find out how much my jewelry is worth? ›We recommend taking the piece to a jeweler to be tested. They will have professional tests that will determine whether your jewelry is real as well as the purity of the metal itself. A certified appraiser will be able to provide the value of the piece as well.
How much is half a carat diamond worth? ›The average price of a 0.5 carat diamond is currently $1,296 (see price chart below). 0.5 carat diamonds can cost anywhere from $636 - $2,616 depending on the diamond's shape, color, clarity, and other factors.
How large is a one carat diamond? ›Notice that a 0.60 carat round diamond is approximately 5.35mm in diameter, while a 1 carat diamond is 6.4mm in diameter.
Why are diamonds so hard to sell? ›Diamonds were formed billions of years ago and are extremely rare because so few are able to survive the difficult journey from the pits of the earth to reach the earth's surface. From the diamonds that are being mined today, only about 50 percent are thought to be high enough quality to be sold on the diamond market.
Are diamond prices dropping? ›Prices will dip to start the year, then stabilize.
Last year ended with diamond prices in a slump, and the first quarter of 2023 will continue downward. This will present a buying opportunity for those coping with stubbornly high inflation in other areas.
What affects diamond prices the most? ›
The weight of a diamond has the most significant impact on its price. Since the larger a stone is, the rarer it is, one 2 carat diamond will be more expensive than the total cost of two 1 carat diamonds of the same quality.