When you purchase jewelry or watches you may never think that one day you might want to sell it and get something new. But when that day arrives you start thinking, where am I going to sell?

Well you have several options. You can go to a jewelry retail store, a pawn shop, sell online on eBay or Craigslist, or go to Circa (a known buyer of jewelry).

There is a 60% spread that exists in the jewelry industry from when you sell your piece to when a consumer purchases that piece. By the time the consumer purchases, your piece has touched at least 2 to 3 hands.

We sent our undercover team out to see what you might receive trying to sell two diamond rings.

Meet Pam (true name kept undisclosed). Pam bought two diamond rings for a total of $2,700. She brought both rings to an appraiser that gave her a price of $1,750 wholesale with a retail value of $4,320. She now wants to sell her two diamonds rings so she visited with several places. Let’s see what she received.

Pam didn’t want to sell on eBay as it required too much work and she didn’t want to have to wait a while before it actually sold. 
Pam knows that receiving an amount back that is at least wholesale would be fair. All of her options gave Pam up to 70% less. She paid $2700 and the most she was getting back was $1250!

Our suggestion is to negotiate and not take the first offer you receive. We understand that the process can be grueling, especially when you are selling something you cherish. Go to a trusted and reputable source that knows the real value of your jewelry and watches so that you get the fair value back for your items that you deserve.

For any tips on selling back jewelry or watches, contact us anytime at support@TrueFacet.com

You spent your entire salary and most of your savings on that one expensive piece of jewelry. But no worries, you think. When the time comes and you’re short on money, you can always sell it. So it’s really an investment. And its that belief that you hold on to that helps you sleep easier. Until you go to a store and the storekeeper tells you and he’ll only give you a tiny fraction of the amount you had hoped for because actually your jewelry is not as authentic as you thought it to be.

That’s what happened to John Mayer, celebrated musician. He recently sued watch dealer Bob Maron for $650,000 claiming that several vintage Rolex watches he purchased were not authentic because some of the parts being used in them were manufactured elsewhere, tainting the value and authenticity of the entire piece. After spending approximately $5 million on his watch collection over the years, you can imagine his concern.

Purchasing vintage watches and jewelry can be tricky. In this situation, it is often important to ask as many questions as possible and get as many opinions too. Go to a reputable or trusted dealer. Talk to them, ask them questions.

Only make the purchase if you think the dealer knows his stuff because a certain level of skill and proficiency is needed when assessing vintage pieces. If the dealer sounds less than knowledgeable, he could have been fooled when acquiring the piece too.

In addition, find out how the dealer sourced the piece and authenticated it. Make sure that he did. Ask for any sort of certification or proof. All pieces sold by TrueFacet come TF Verified. Ask the dealer if the piece comes with any return offers or warranties. Hire an independent appraiser that is an expert in the piece. Make sure that you have another verified opinion since certain parts and pieces may be swapped.

Buying vintage jewelry and watches can be a daunting process. Don’t take it lightly, because it really can happen to anyone. If you have any further questions or need help in locating the right appraiser or expert, contact us at support@truefacet.com

While everyone else was busy critiquing the dresses, we were too distracted by the bling on the Oscars Red Carpet. Here are our nominations for this year’s Best Jewels…

Angelina Jolie’s 42 carat flawless diamond earrings accompanied by Brad Pitt’s black sapphire men’s ring were simple, but one of a kind.

Truly beautiful in every aspect, we loved the gold and diamond headband, rose-cut crescent earrings and Fred Leighton gold and diamond snake bracelet that Lupita Nyong’o had on.

Jennifer Lawrence was on fire in her $2 million 100 carat necklace.

And last but not least, the woman of the night, Cate Blanchett, looked every bit a winner in white gold Chopard opal drop earrings.