How to sell your necklace online, and questions to ask to get the most cash
Thinking of selling your necklace online? Thankfully, there are safe, reputable sites that will help you sell a necklace and other fine jewelry — including gold, platinum, gemstone, pearl, diamond, engagement and bridal, and designer jewelry, fast, safely and for the highest price.
My best recommendation is to sell jewelry using Worthy.
The reason for selling may be financial (you need money, quick! to pay the rent, mortgage, fix the car, pay for daycare, or any other good reason that is none of anyone's business.
Reasons for selling may also be emotional.
Whether you choose to admit it or not, jewelry often carries a strong emotional bond with it – for better or for worse.
A piece of jewelry that you know has value, but you no longer like — or perhaps it was an heirloom or antique that you don’t mind parting with. (I write about making that decision to sell estate jewelry here.)
Whatever the reason, there is a very good chance that extra cash will serve you better than stale memories.
In other words: It’s time to sell your jewelry.
Worthy and CashforGoldUSA are reputable, trustworthy online services that will not only help you get the highest price on the market, but will also make it very easy for you.
After all, unless you are a jeweler, it can be hard to know whether you are getting the best price for your jewelry. That is why the industry can have a not-so-good reputation.
Here is what you need to know to sell your necklace online:
- Why you should sell your necklace
- How much is a gold necklace worth?
- Where to sell necklaces
- How to sell your necklace online
- How do you know that the price is fair?
- More ways to sell diamond and other valuable jewelry
Why you should sell your necklace
For starters, no matter how pretty, or how sentimental, or how valuable, jewelry sitting in a jewelry box, back of the closet, or in a safe is wasted.
Further, no else can enjoy it, either — except maybe the dust mites that call that forgotten corner of your jewelry box home. If you’re not feeling it, why keep it around?
If you have a gold necklace, now is an excellent time to sell, as gold prices have been at record highs. Read more about selling gold for the most cash.
It’s taking up space that could be used for a piece you like better, and it’s just a wasted opportunity to pay off debt, go on vacation, start investing, renovate the bathroom — whatever.
Plus, if the necklace carries emotional baggage, selling it is a good way to swap bad vibes for a little something extra in the bank.
Which, of course, is always, always GOOD vibes!
Maybe you feel bad about parting ways with the item, especially if the necklace was a gift. But keep in mind: The necklace might not work for you, but that doesn’t mean it’s not perfect for someone else.
You might just make someone’s day — and get some cash back in the process.
Spread the love!
And like any spring cleaning, this is a good chance to go through the rest of your jewelry, too.
Are there other pieces that just don’t make the cut?
Plus, selling gold jewelry online is easy, fast and safe.
How much is a gold necklace worth?
The value of your gold necklace depends on many factors. These include the materials used (quality of gold, silver and/or platinum), the quality of any gemstones or semi-precious stones, if it is has a designer luxury mark, and the market value of your necklace.
The best way to determine the value of your gold necklace is through a formal appraisal at a local jeweler near you, which I recommend for items valued at less than $1,000.
You can get a quick gold estimate with CashforGoldUSA's online gold calculator.
Gold prices per ounce have been at record highs in recent months, and nearly three times their price in 2000. In other words: It's a great time to sell gold jewelry, gold scrap and gold coins.
CashforGoldUSA focuses on gold jewelry and coins, as well as lower-end diamonds. The family-owned company has been in business in Massachusetts for more than 30 years, and a Fox News report found that they pay three-times their competitors for gold jewelry mailed in. CashforGoldUSA pays within 24 hours, has a BBB rating of A+, free door-to-door FedEx shipping, and guaranteed highest price paid.
They also pay a 10% bonus if you send in your item within 7 days. Learn more about CashforGoldUSA for selling your necklace >>
If you expect the necklace to be worth more than $1,000, get a GIA or IGI certificate, which will cost $100 or more. If you chose to go through Worthy.com (which only accepts items for its online auction of at least $1,000), then they pay for a GIA or IGI lab report and certificate, 100% free.
How much is a gold necklace worth?
The higher the karat amount in gold, the more valuable it is. Again, this depends on the factors mentioned above. A simple, thin chain necklace without gemstones, will typically be worth between $100 and $200 in scrap prices.
Meanwhile, Worthy sells many necklaces for thousands of dollars. Examples include a 35-gram 14k gold and diamond necklace for $1,858, and a 15-gram 18k gold and diamond necklace for $4,050. A recent Worthy necklace sale:
At the time of publication, these are the scrap market prices for a 5 gram chain gold necklace, according to CashforGoldUSA, which is a good option for lower-priced gold necklaces, silver necklaces, and smaller diamonds — whether they are loose or set in jewelry.
10k gold necklace is worth: $87
14k gold necklace is worth: $122
18k gold necklace is worth: $157
Where to sell necklaces
For lower-end gold and silver chain necklaces that are not branded, as well as those with small diamonds, a local jeweler, pawn shop, or a reputable online buyer like CashforGoldUSA are a good option.
However, for larger necklaces, especially those with gemstones, or those branded by a known jeweler like Tiffany, Cartier, Graf
You can actually sell your jewelry without leaving the house.
That means not dealing with downtown parking for a high-end jeweler, not having to squeeze a trip to the mall into your busy schedule, and, frankly, not having to deal with the hassle of figuring it all out in the first place.
You can sit back and sip coffee while easily researching jewelry that you might want to sell.
Online research gives you a starting point and a rough idea of what you’re working with. But instead of a face-to-face appraisal with a jeweler who, in the best scenario, is honest but is just one, single source of information and a price quote, and in other scenarios, is shady. and leaving things in their hands, you can actually take control.
Worthy is an online jewelry buying site that helps you sell your jewelry.
You can sell loose, used estate and antique jewelry, watches, bracelets, earrings and loose gemstones and diamonds on Worthy, too.
The site will walk you through a quick appraisal process, which involves you providing a few details about the piece of jewelry you want to sell and snapping a photo.
Worthy’s experts provide you with a trending market price and send you an insured FedEx shipping label.
This is especially helpful for selling diamond jewelry.
Basically, you can relax once you put your necklace in the box and wave goodbye.
The folks at Worthy will have the jewelry authenticated and provide a professional photo and report to help it sell online.
In fact, the process seems too easy to be true!
I've sold jewelry through Worthy and really appreciate that they help you understand how much your jewelry is worth, provide a GIA certified report on the item, and offer excellent, patient customer service throughout.
Plus, they have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, or BBB, which is important to me.
How to sell your necklace online using Worthy.com:
- Go to Worthy.com
- Enter your name and email, along with basic information (color, carat weight, clarity, etc.) about your jewelry, including size and grade of your jewelry or stone.
- Receive an estimated market value for your piece right then and there. This process takes about 2 minutes.
- A very nice customer service representative calls to answer all your questions and tells you what will happen next.
- Ship your item. If that price suits you, Worthy will send a FedEx delivery person to your house the next business day (or sometimes the same day!), in which you send the jewelry, diamond or watch to them — Worthy pays for all shipping and insures the item for up to $1 million (yes, really!).
- Agree on a “reserve price,” or the lowest price you are willing to accept.
- Your item is auctioned. Worthy will put your jewelry in front of at least 100 potential buyers worldwide, who can then bid on your item.
- Receive an offer within 7 days of Worthy receiving your item.
- Get paid. After you confirm the sale, you’ll receive payment within 24 hours, including through PayPal or your bank account. Cha-ching!
I even filmed a video about my own experience selling jewelry on Worthy:
How to sell your necklace online using CashforGoldUSA.com:
If your jewelry is modest, and you expect less than $1,000, there are other options.
In my jewelry box were a couple of modest gold and diamond rings that a relative had given me when I married. Bye!
I did some research and decided to try to sell the rings at CashforGoldUSA and CashforDiamondsUSA (they have the same parent company), one of those places that advertise on TV.
Those sites always seemed super-cheesy. But I researched this one.
The parent company, CJ Environmental, has a BBB rating of B+. From past research I’ve done as a business journalist on selling gold jewelry (including dental fillings. I’m not even kidding), I know mail-in services like this can be a good deal, as can your local pawn shop. Just research them first.
Whether you are selling a wedding ring, necklace or bracelet, the process is simple. I sold a 12-carat gold ring with small diamonds to CashforGoldUSA.com a few years ago. The process was easy.
- Go to CashforGoldUSA.com and request a free mailer or FedEx label, which arrive in a few days.
- Receive by email or phone (your choice) an appraisal for your jewelry or gold. A tracking number and insurance keeps your item secure.
- Accept or reject the quote. If you reject the appraisal price, your item will be returned to you, free.
- If you accept the quote (as I did) you receive a Paypal payment within 24 hours. Bank deposits and paper checks also available.
Wealthysinglemommy.com founder Emma Johnson is an award-winning business journalist, activist and author. A former Associated Press reporter and MSN Money columnist, Emma has appeared on CNBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, TIME, The Doctors, MONEY, O, The Oprah Magazine. Winner of Parents magazine’s “Best of the Web” and a New York Observer “Most Eligible New Yorker,” her #1 bestseller, The Kickass Single Mom (Penguin), was a New York Post Must Read. A popular speaker, Emma presented at the United Nations Summit for Gender Equality. Emma's Top Single Mom Resources.
