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How to Sell Jewelry on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace

How to stay safe and get the most of your jewelry

Selling jewelry on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other online local classified sites is a great way to get cash for your jewelry, but there are some things that you should consider before you take the plunge.

Safeguards are critical when selling jewelry in person

  • First NEVER, NEVER, and NEVER meet an unknown buyer at your house. Personal safety and protection against robbery should be your first priority.
  • Meet the buyer in a public place like a restaurant or shopping mall.
  • If you don’t have a way to meet the potential buyer at a public place, then do not sell your jewelry through the Craigslist or Marketplace.
  • The buyer’s bank is a good public location because if they wish to buy the jewelry they can go and get the cash now to finish the transaction. In addition, the bank should have some security in case something goes bad.
  • Some other safeguards are notifying someone you can trust of the time and place of your meeting. Check in with that person after the meeting.
  • Always have your cell phone with you.
  • If you decide to give a phone number in the ad, use your cell number and not a home phone number. That way, when someone calls you, you get a call back number, and they can’t find your home address.
  • It is also a good idea to go with someone else. I have met people who had another person standing in the background just watching. Sometimes con-men work in teams. If you bring someone along to look at the whole situation, they may be able to pick that up in time to help you not get ripped off.

Fraud should be next on your mind when selling jewelry through online classifieds

  • Cash is usually the best payment method. Checks of all kinds (personal, cashiers checks, money orders, etc.) can be fakes.
  • If you are on Facebook Marketplace, check the profile of the potential buyer. Is it a brand new profile with an obviously generic or fake image? How many friends do they have? These can be useful indicators of a potential scam.
  • Be aware of switching of jewelry. Con-men are good at this and they use Craigslist very effectively.
  • Know your jewelry. Recheck it when they hand it back.
  • Don’t take risks just to make a little more on the sale of your estate jewelry.
  • Trust your instincts.
  • Keep diligent and alert.
  • I’d like to make one final point. Most of the world is filled with wonderful people and every thing should go just fine. Trust your gut feeling, and stay alert.

Tips on getting more cash for your jewelry

  • Clean your jewelry, or have it professionally cleaned by a jeweler (we can help with this).
  • Have any paper work handy.
  • Make your listing a good value because Craigslist and Marketplace shoppers are the most price knowledgeable and concerned buyers. It has to be the lowest price or they won’t buy.
  • Take a few good quality pictures of your jewelry from different angles and include them in your ad.
  • If possible, have a professional ready to verify the jewelry’s value.

If selling jewelry on Craigslist or Marketplace isn’t something you want to do, come by Arden Jewelers for a free value appraisal of your jewelry. If you like our offer, you can get cash on the spot for your gold and jewelry. Our gemologist buyers are friendly and professional, and our 20+ year track record in Sacramento means you know you’re getting a great deal from a safe and reputable jeweler.

What people are saying

  1. Ron Coscia says:

    Do you have any other locations? Or can you recommend a reputable jeweler in the Brentwood/Antioch area?

    • Hi Ron, thanks for reaching out. At this time we only have the one store in Sacramento. However, if you can take some good pictures of the front and back on a white background and email or text them to us we can generally give you a good ballpark value and buy them through the mail. That said, you’re not too far from here, so if you like our offer you can always make the drive up to beautiful Sacramento. 🙂

  2. Anthony says:

    Hello, my name is Anthony. I must say, it was quite a relief to come across your website. There are surprisingly few places that buy gemstones other than the most common ones. In fact, I couldn’t find a single place that would buy them anywhere near where I live! So, first of all, thank you for providing that service.

    Also, I have a large assortment of loose gemstones of all shapes and sizes. I’m not familiar with the current values or prices for any of them, so I would like to get a rough estimate of how much I could potentially sell them for, as I am looking to sell the whole lot. But, there’s a small amount of the stones that are not labeled, so my question is would there be any way for your gemologists to identify them if they are not already labeled? And is an appointment necessary to come in and have them looked at? I’d greatly appreciate any insight you could offer, thanks!

  3. Debra says:

    Hi, your site has been very knowledgeable, I to have several rings with gold that I am interested in selling all different gems: opals, rubies, emeralds, diamonds, pearls, sapphires, and more like kunzite, fire opals, morginite, blue topaz, citrines, perido’s etc. Should I try to sell the tray or individual? Also have trays of several different gemstones that I have collected over the years. How would I go about selling these? Thank you! PS I also have some gold bracelets and necklaces.

    • Hi Debra, thanks for commenting. We may be interested in your jewelry. Feel free to email us some pictures and details. If you want to go retail though, you will probably be able to make the most by selling the gems individually.

      That said, it will be significantly more work, so my advice would be to check the current market on Craigslist and eBay for the gems your are selling first. If gems like yours are selling at prices where it seems worth your effort to photograph and describe them and manage the online sales, go for it. Otherwise, you can try selling them wholesale by the tray.

  4. AR says:

    Hi, all the information on your website is very helpful! And of course I have questions–I have written appraisals for fine jewelry that was appraised in 1999. I have no idea how the 1999 value would translate into today’s resale market–could I email you copies of the appraisals for your opinion? I’m nowhere near Sacramento, otherwise would love to stop by in person.

    • Hi there, thanks for the kind words, and I’m glad to hear the website has been helpful. Feel free to email us a copy of your appraisal, and we’ll take a look at it. As you know, it would be ideal if we could see the piece in person, but we should be able to give you a rough idea over email.

  5. Kevin says:

    Hi, I have an amazing 18k gold Tiffany bracelet that weighs 71 grams. It’s 8 inches long and just over a half inch wide. I’m trying to find out when it was made as well. I’d like to sell it but I’m not sure what it’s even worth. Any advice would be appreciated.

    • Hi Kevin, that sounds like an impressive Tiffany and Co bracelet. Without seeing it, I can’t say for sure. But, based on the current gold market, I would give a rough estimate that it’s worth $2,000 minimum. But, if it’s in excellent condition and its authenticity can be easily verified, then its cash wholesale value can be more. Hopefully that helps, and feel free to stop by the shop anytime if you are in the Sacramento area.

  6. rww says:

    Appreciated your recommendation on meeting jewelry buyers at their own bank. I could initially confirm the buyer is known.

  7. Diane Sileo says:

    Hi! I’ve gotten into a difficult circumstance and I want to sell my over one carat (1.03) diamond ring with 20 smaller diamonds in a platinum setting, custom made by Princess Jewelers located at two locations in Rockville, MD and also in Vienna, VA. I took the ring to them first, however, they said they do not buy back their jewelry. That being said, I do need to sell it. It has been appraised by Princess Jewelers for about 11,500.00. Of course, I realize that is not going to be the price I get for it. The big diamond is an SI1 with a D color (I can send you the paperwork for it via scan so you can see better what it is) and also send you pictures of the ring. Do you have any idea how I would go about the best way to sell this set? I don’t want to do Craigslist or anything like that. I would rather go through a jewelry house such as yours who know what they are doing. Could you provide me any direction to go in? Thanks so much!

    Regards,

    Diane Sileo

    • Hi Diane, I’m sorry to hear about your difficult circumstances. I would be happy to look at the paperwork to see if I can give you a better estimate of the cash wholesale value. But, I can’t make you an offer until I see the jewelry in person. So, feel free to email a picture of the ring and the paperwork to service@mygemologist.com, and we can go from there.

  8. Kathryn Barr says:

    I had a custom made wedding ring made by a jeweler. Years later I had some difficult circumstances and took the ring back to the same jeweler to sell it for the gold. He paid me the going price for the gold but also kept the .64 carat diamond along with 12 other smaller diamonds. Is this legal and ethical? What can I do, if anything?

    • Hi Kathryn, I’m so sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, it’s a fairly common story. We’ve written on our blog about another company that has a similar practice.

      We’re not lawyers, so we can’t say if it’s legal or not, but we definitely feel it’s unethical. Our policy is to always pay for the entire piece (diamonds and gemstones included), and to inform the client of their value. In some cases, smaller diamonds may have very little value, but a 0.64 carat diamond should have made a definite impact on the price. As far as what you can do is concerned, that will depend on how long ago this happened. In California, we are required by law to hold jewelry we buy for 30 days before we resell or refine it. So, if your jeweler still has the piece, you might consider asking to “undo” the transaction and get your jewelry back. Then, you can shop around for a better price. Try jewelers that have gemologist jewelry buyers that can accurately evaluate the diamonds in addition to the gold.

      Hopefully that helps. It is always sad to hear stories like yours, but by sharing it you are helping people become more informed which can hopefully make this situation less common in the future. Thank you for that, and good luck.

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