Category Archives: Jewellery

Feb 17 2017

Tips For Selling Your Gold Jewellery For Spot Cash

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If you need cash quickly and you have one or more pieces of gold jewellery you no longer need, you could make a tidy sum by selling it. While you may not get the full market value, you may still get enough to help out of a tight spot, or even treat yourself to something special. Before you scramble about in your jewellery box though, there are some things to be aware of.

Gold

What You Will Get for Your Gold Jewellery

When it comes to selling gold jewellery in any state, you will get a portion of the scrap value. Buyers usually melt down the gold, so they are not going to pay anything for the style of the jewellery or artisanship, unless you approach a pawnshop where you may get a better price. It is also worth noting that gold dealers have to pay a smelter to melt the gold and these are often paid a percentage of the value of the item. Of course, you’ll also need to factor in the buyer who will want to make a profit.

It is also worth remembering that some gold items are more valuable and purer than others. Pure gold is referred to as 24 karat. Think of it like a pie with 24 slices – each slice is equal to a single karat. So, if you have a necklace with an ounce of 10k gold, it actually has less than half the gold of a necklace that has an ounce of 24k gold. With false karat stamps on your jewellery, the only real way of knowing how pure your item is, is to take it to a professional, or dig out a authentication certificate. I’d advise to always get a second opinion is you are unsure.

Armed with the above knowledge, you are better positioned to haggle for top price for your gold jewellery.

Manage Your Expectations When Selling Your Gold Jewellery

Before you get too excited about raking in large amounts of spot cash, you should really ground your expectations and think realistically. While you may be sitting with an heirloom diamond ring that belonged to your beloved great grandmother, to anyone you try to sell the ring to, it is just a ring – and the diamond may not even be that valuable, or even real. You will have to be aware that it is exceptionally rare to sell a pre-owned item of gold jewellery for anything even near to its original purchasing price.

We should also mention that a piece of jewellery is not going to sell for anything near its appraised value. The appraised values for insurance purposes are usually based on the retail cost of having to replace the item and the price includes profit for the retailer, wholesaler, and manufacturer. The actual amount you will fetch for your items depends on a variety of variables, including:

  • Rarity
  • Beauty
  • Where it was originally purchased
  • The materials that make up the piece of jewellery

A Word of Caution

No matter how desperately you may need quick cash, you should never sell an item of gold jewellery that you really like. Sentimental or familial jewellery cannot be replaced so if you have any doubts whatsoever, hold onto it.

While most people who buy gold jewellery are looking to make a profit themselves, a reputable gold dealer is more likely to give you a fair offer for your items, so be sure to do your homework beforehand, and remember, that haggling is often expected!

 

Mar 1 2016

Why Choose Fairtrade Jewellery?

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Fairtrade

Over the last quarter of a century, around 2000-2500 tons of gold has been mined every year. More than half of that gold goes towards the production of jewellery. It stands to reason that the jewellery industry is huge and a great deal of money changes hands between those sourcing and purchasing raw materials.

So where does this gold come from, and why exactly should we consider Fairtrade purchases?

The Sources of Gold

While you can find gold just about anywhere on the planet, some countries have far more resources than others. Among the top ten gold producing countries are China, Australia, Russia and the United States, yet there are also a number of developing countries on the list - South Africa, Uzbekistan, Mexico and Ghana among them.

Most of the gold that is mined every year is done so by massive corporations, but there are smaller independent miners that exist all over the globe. Just like with any industry, competing with the bigger firms can be tough. The Fairtrade movement was created to help those producers, on a global level - for a plethora of different products. It supports those all entities in developing countries who mine, procure and create product from highly competitive raw materials.

What Exactly Is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade a social movement whose aim is to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainability. The whole idea is that the small producers receive a fair price for the products they produce, as opposed to being priced out of the market by larger corporations. This extends beyond gold to a whole host of products produced by smaller independent sources such as bananas, tea, coffee and cocoa (click here for more info on Fairtrade rings).

Why should I care?

Yes, we’re all out for a bargain, paticularly given the tough economic climate we find ourselves in. Yet however tough things are for us, there are always people suffering beyond that we’ll ever have to endure. This is even more galling if we consider that some of these people are striving hard to better themselves, yet being exploited by Big Industry.

In reality, many of those who mine for gold are living in poverty. This dire situation is only worsened when we consider that mining can be dangerous. Often the demand for gold by large corporations will result in locals setting up new mines (for gold or diamonds) that are extremely unsafe. Whilst workers perish under extreme working conditions, resources are also depleted - with the revenue earned not being appropriately filtered back into the local economy. .

The sustainability aspect of Fairtrade precludes that producers of goods own 50% of the global Fairtrade system. This financially incentivises producers both large and small to pay workers a higher wage. This, in turn, renders higher productivity and money being pumped back into the economy where it is needed most: right at grass roots level.

Fairtrade jewellery

Why choose it? As much as you’d like to help, it’s more expensive, right?

Well, no.

The cost of adding diamonds to a wedding ring can be pricy, but you needn’t expect to pay more for Fairtrade stones. Yet when you buy from a Fairtrade supplier, you help to sustain a local economy where workers will receive a fair wage for the work they do.

By purchasing a Fairtrade engagement ring you are are helping others; not just those less fortunate than yourself, but those risking their lives to produce the same product. Not only this, but your ring is very likely to be a limited edition piece. Name a girl who won’t be bowled over by that sentiment.

 

 

Feb 24 2016

Why choose a vintage engagement ring?

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Engagement Image by Adrienne via Flickr

It’s notoriously hard for a man to choose an engagement ring. As much as we’ll inevitably coo over his pick, much like a wedding dress, we always have an image in our head that is rarely met in reality. There is in fact, a vast array of engagement ring shapes and cuts out there. Yet, most high street jewelers favour the “classic” solitaire rings so these are the ones most of us will end up sporting on our engagement fingers. My advice to men? Before choosing, familiarize yourself with the different types and styles available - after all, this is a ring you hope she’ll wear for the rest of her life.

The beauty of vintage rings

Depending on whose definition you choose to adhere, an antique ring is either older than 100 years or “just” older than 50 years old. Many jewellers use the term antique and vintage interchangeably, and if you want to be sure you’re choosing a ring of a specific era, just enquire from the online jewellery store in Australia or a local jeweler you trust.

Although they exist, you’re not likely to find a Georgian or Regency era engagement ring, as they’re very rare – in those days, people didn’t become engaged or betrothed in the tradition with which they are now. When searching for engagement rings, the oldest rings will be from the mid 1830s and go through the turn of the century Victorian era. The following twenty years refer to the Edwardian era and the beginning of the popularity of the metal platinum – these rings can be identified by a lacy or filigree pattern. The Art Deco period covers the next decade (1920 to 1930) – these rings are modern, streamlined and geometric. Often, colourful contrasting gemstones are placed next to brilliant diamonds.

Speaking of diamonds, while diamonds are the current standard for engagement rings, antique rings often feature softer stones (opals, pearls, emeralds), which have a higher likelihood of cracks. Rings that have survived through the ages will therefore likely have imperfections that make them truly unique.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that machinery and technology are far more advanced, an Edwardian ring has the kind of qualities found, for example, in authentic Craftsman homes – they’re beautifully designed and built, and cannot be replicated, unless you’re willing to spend way more money than the original.

If you are interested in an antique ring or a vintage ring and one of the finest quality but at a reasonable rate, you should definitely check out Kalmar Antiques - dealer of the finest antique engagement rings because, not only is their website beautiful, you have hundreds of one-of-a-kind choices – you’ll find a variety of engagement rings, with diamonds, with a single diamond, or with a combination of diamonds, with sapphires, rubies and emeralds. If you are doing a spot of research, this is an excellent place to start in terms of inspiration.

It’s an astonishingly comprehensive website, very accessibly laid out. Searches are easy on the site, and there are high res pictures that make it easier to imagine the rings on your partner’s finger. Make sure you search beyond your original parameters, check out different stones, settings and metals. If you want to know the history of a ring, ask. Reputable jewelers will not only know their stuff, it’s their passion and a subject they love to talk about. Your mission is to find the perfect engagement ring for your partner, not settle for something safe.

If you know that you want to find an antique or vintage engagement ring, there will be several avenues to explore, but do consider starting your search at Kalmar Antiques as it will certainly get you thinking beyond the box.

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