General Chat

I would be very grateful if I could have your opinion please. The cost of fine jewellery is going through the roof. With this in mind do you, or would consider buying pre-owned silver, gold, paladium, platinum or other valuable metal jewellery for yourself or for somebody else? If yes, what would you expect and be important to you when buying pre-owned jewellery?

Low price, comparible to new, high street prices?

Well presented and boxed?

Is the quality of the presentation box important, and do you think it reflects the quality of the product?

Good quality and polished etc items?

Unusual items?

Full refund policy?

What type of jewellery would you consider buying?

Would you have any preference to the type of metal?

Thank you

I have bought pre-owned jewellery before. rings, and a ring/chain&pendant set. gold bracelet. some from antiques fairs and rings from a jewellers shop.

Reasonable price (value for money) but that is difficult to quantify really as it is personal choice. i.e. what you like, what is available elsewhere etc. I don't think you can always compare with new high street prices as some people prefer old (antique) or unusual to new.

Presentation box is only important if buying as a present for somebody and you'd have to know someone pretty well to buy them second hand jewellery.

A good refund policy is good.

Normally for pre-owned (second hand) I would go for gold.

I would consider, bracelets/bangles, rings and chains/pendants, very occasionally broaches but never earrings. :-) :-)

Sounds as it you think you have a niche in the market, Martin.

If it was made in recent years, then yes, I would expect it to cheaper than new. However, older, near antique, items might carry a premium.

I'd certainly expect it to be cleaned and in good if not perfect condition.

Although I'd consider purchasing pre-owned items for myself, I wouldn't purchase them for other people. However, I wouldn't reject them if they were purchased by my OH. I'd prefer pre-owned old items, rather than those only a few years old.

Original boxes for older pieces do help prove the provenance, and possibly add value to both seller and buyer.
Newer items, it originally from a High Street outlet, may benefit from new boxes if the original was a bit battered.

If I was paying say, £100 for a ring, I'd hope for a padded box.

I'd expect my rights to be protected under the existing legislation, depending on whether it was mail order or over the counter sales. Although to be honest, I wouldn't buy by mail order.

What type of Jewelery would I consider purchasing? If funds were no object,
Silver or gold chains, possibly with a pendent or locket
Rings with gems

I'd be looking to buy to wear, rather than as an investment.

Well - that's my opinion anyway

:D

Hi Martin,

I have heard people refer to it as Heartbreak or Bad Luck jewellery as often it’s from a broken relationship or sold when someone has fallen on hard times.

I’m not really a jewellery sort of person, but if I was buying I might consider something truly antique, as it could be a unique item that had been treasured in the past and simply survived it’s owner, but never recent items.

In principle of course it might represent better value than new, I guess it’s all about personal choice really.

Best wishes,
Mayfield.

Does second hand jewellery have to have VAT added?

Ann - I believe not - that was what I have been told. I too have bought secondhand jewellry but never, never earrings. Even have a pair owned by g.aunt and recently gave to gdau - never wore - told gdau to get new gold spikes on them.

I have been thinking of selling some of mine, not worn for a long time as all yellow gold and both daug and g.dau prefer plat., white gold or silver although gdau is quite happy when the time comes to wear a unusually shaped diamond and sapphire ring of mine!

Chris, one of my favourite buys was a set, both in their original boxes, a heart pendant, gold sort of filigree with a small amathyst stone and a gold ring, gold fashioned rose with a matching amathyst stone and two really tiny amathyst stones and about 4 tiny diamond 'chips'. Both very attracive. I bought it at an antique fair in your village about 15 years ago. I think there was a story behind the sale as the stallholder said she just wanted to get rid of them. Can't remember what I paid but it was a good price. Both are in the original boxes from a jeweller by the name of Brooks and Bentley. I have not heard of them. I'd love to know their story.

I HUNT THROUGH CHARITY SHOPS I LOVE THE COSTUME JEWLERY FROM THE 50'S BEAUTIFULL BROACHES,
IHAVE A FEW MORNING PINS ALSO.
I BUY FROM EBAY MOSTLY SILVER
BUT ONLY WHEN IN HAVE SOME CASH.

Don't know if this is helping Martin because he hasn't come back to the thread. Must be busy I suppose.

Not entirely relevant to Martin's question but I couldn't resist googling Brooks & Bentley as their name seemed familiar. I still can't say why it seemed familiar, either I've heard of a company with a similar name or I've read about them somewhere.

http://www.brooksandbentley.co.uk/about-brooks-bentley

About Brooks & Bentley

Brooks & Bentley has been trading successfully for 20 years, promoting unusual products of great beauty that represent outstanding value for money. Originally founded as part of the Lenox Group (the US equivalent of Wedgwood), Brooks & Bentley is now an independent brand but retains the desire and inspiration in providing its many thousands of customers with distinctive giftware for all occasions, original jewellery that’s designed to be shown off, prestigious collectables and magnificent treasures that will enhance any home.

Not only are our products either exclusive to us or almost impossible to find anywhere else, we offer most of our products on approval followed by easy pay interest free instalments, so you risk nothing by asking to view what catches your eye in your own home before you decide whether to keep it or not. Not only does this make our products great value, it shows the confidence we have in both the quality of what we offer and the trust we have in our customers.

So browse this secure web site whenever it suits you (we never close!) and see what you think. You may also want to sign up to receive our latest offers by e-mail or order one of our regular printed catalogues, both of which you can do from our Home Page.

Everything we do is covered by our Customer Service Guarantee. If you need any assistance, call our dedicated Customer Services Team on 0871 855 6060 (we are open for advice Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except bank holidays but you can order at any time you like: calls cost 10p per minute from a BT landline but may cost more from mobiles or other networks).

If you want to find truly unusual jewellery, keepsakes, collectables or beautiful ornaments for your home, Brooks & Bentley is the brand for you, and remember, you order at no risk with our home approval plan and you can spread the payment load through our interest free instalments. Happy browsing and shopping!

Well as a buyer and seller of jewellery, its not just the metal on important pieces thats at the fore.

you can have a fab looking item and the stone and setting is less than perfect,,gem set stuff needs to be looked at through a loope to check for any damage to gems and 4cs ....run of the mill items made outside the UK are often lacking in gold content,also be aware of created gem set items,,,it takes a good few years to know if a natural stone is used,,,,,,,and the gold beaten that thin it often is less than a gram!!!

pre 1940s english hallmarked carry a better asking price,,,a seller is asking aroung 2/3 more than he paid.!!!

I have bought a few second hand rings... which now hang my my ring tree.lol

I've always wanted a Welsh 'Clogau Gold Tree of Life ring, which I now have, it's rose gold ,which I love.

I don't like wearing many rings... just wedding and engagement rings on my left hand and either my Clogau ring or one of my nan's rose gold ring on my right hand. Not fussed on yellow gold. Doesn't suit my skin tone.

Thanks for that ChAoTic, interesting.

Must have missed that sale Ann - sounds very pretty. Did buy gdau an antique ring for her 18th - her birthstone is a blue topaz and it has never been off her middle finger since.

I have my mother's 22ct ring from 1931 and her engagement ring from 1929 - thought of selling them and buying gdau something else.

I recently sold some rings received from my ex husband. I did not want to pass them on to my daughters. However I have some antique pieces with no sad hisotry, one is a bar brooch which has a beautiful diamond in it, promised to my son, should he ever decide to have a diamond ring available for a proposal. Have some sad brooches, the edges lined with hair from my gtgtgrandmothers deceased children, a photo in the centre of her husband. Would I sell it? Probably not. Would be fascinating though to have the dna results from the hair of four children, sibs of my gtgrandmother. I am sure there is significant value in the gold of the large brooch, but sentimental value is greater.
I have no hesitation in buying second hand antique pieces if I had the money - so beautiful and unique. I am leery of buying from a pawn shop as i also feel the weight of failed or sad relationships, but once antique, somehow it is more relative to consider it's beauty and $$ value.
Mary

I treasure my mums engagement ring , she always said I could have it.
My sister has her wedding ring. Dad was so distraught when she died he nearly put her wedding ring out with the veg peelings.
I'd had to come home to to pick up the children from school, he phoned me and said he'd lost it.. her wedding ring.
Her engagement ring was safely on my hand.
I went straight back down to his, and found it , thankfully.
Bless ..he was so distraught he didn't know what he was doing.
He wore it around his neck, until he gave it to my sister, when she came over from SA for mum's funeral.

My engagement ring is second hand, and I have other rings has well I think you get better value for your money, and I love my engagement ring

lynn

Good on you Linda :)

Pleased you love your engagement ring.

I always wore silver or white gold years ago, never been fussed on yellow gold.
Now wear Clogau Welsh rose gold rings.

Sandie.x

My Gladdagh is Rose Gold and second hand, It is beautiful and I am never without it.
Most of my jewlery is in fact second hand and rose gold form matching sets of necklace, bracelet, broches etc to beautiful one of peices. It started with my first Cladagh and the rest is either as above or inherited. I love the warmth of the couour but I never bye without paperwork to prove it is what it is being claimed to be.
My most succesful peice which has been verified is the only peice I bought in a welknown outlet across the UK and was in the second hand section. I barted for the price won and war oit a great deal. One day I noticed that one ott=f the lieces which held it in the shaope and design was borken. I took it to a jewler in Bath Avon and asked if it was worth repairing. One hour latter and confident that I had boufgt it as said, (he comtacted the shop in Clacton on sea. I was told that there were only 5 of this bracelet ever produced and they all went to well known Roiyel ladies in the early 1900s. So how did mu=ine get into that shop..it was never reported as stolen or lost so it is now back with me with a higher value than I ever imagined...yes i do still wearr it

Martin, where are you? Have you read all these messages?

10.24 hrs Spain