4 things to consider when buying secondhand jewellery
We get it—buying brand new diamond wedding bands isn’t one of your options. You’re here because you want to save cash by opting for a secondhand piece. But the thing is, you’re not sure where to start.
Buying secondhand jewellery means obtaining a beautiful piece for a much lower price. However, it also means bearing heaps of things in mind—from what kind of piece suits your style and its availability on the market; to the genuineness of the item and the trustworthiness of the seller.
The biggest problem here is that we sometimes don’t get the real value of what we paid for. There have been a lot of cases where people transacted with someone who sells fake jewellery but markets them as genuine. There have also been instances where they go home disappointed with the piece they bought because realisation only hit them after closing the deal.
We brought together some noteworthy things to help you make the right decisions when buying secondhand jewellery. Following these tips can keep the wrong choices from being made and unreliable sellers at bay.
Perform a magnet test on gold jewellery
The magnet test is one way that determines the genuineness of gold.
It’s simple. You just hold the magnet up to the piece. Since gold doesn’t belong to the magnetic metal family, it should not react to the magnet at all.
But remember that just because it doesn’t pull towards or stick to the magnet doesn’t mean it’s genuine—some use non-magnetic metals to create fake pieces too. The surest way to determine the authenticity of gold is to take it to a certified jeweller.
Inspect for stamps
Usually, there are numbers embedded into the metal to indicate its carat rating. For white gold and yellow gold, you’ll see the following numbers depending on the carat: 375 (9ct), 585 (14ct), 750 (18ct) and 916 (22ct). For silver jewellery, the standard is 925.
Look for documents
It’s totally fine to ask the seller for a certificate of authenticity from GIA, IGI or WGI. But it isn’t guaranteed they’ll be able to present one.
In the event documents are presented, you must inspect them for spelling mistakes, printing issues and poor grammar to ensure you don’t fall for forged papers.
Investigate the seller
To find out if a company or a person who sells pre-owned jewellery is reliable, look for online feedback.
It’s also important to ask questions before buying a piece. You can ask where the salesperson got the ring from and interrogate them about how the payment process works.
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Buying jewellery that is ‘secondhand’ isn’t all negative. Plus, old pieces don’t lose their magic—they become more beautiful with the adventures of its wearers.
