Selling Diamonds in Denver – What Do I Do With Them? The Cleaning And Sorting

This blog is the second in a series on what I do with the jewelry I buy. Since starting in March, I have been fortunate to buy a good amount of diamond jewelry. As a dealer with inside knowledge of the jewelry business, one of the most important and difficult part of my job is deciding what to do with the jewelry I buy.

First Sort

After buying your jewelry, a big sort occurs. I survey all the pieces and evaluate them much closer than I do while I am meeting with you. When buying, I try to be quick and fair. My first sort revolves around answering the question “is there any chance I can resell this piece or are there precious gemstones in it?”. If the answer is “yes” to either of those questions, the jewelry immediately gets professionally cleaned. Seldom, the answer is “no”, in which case the piece, assuming it is gold or platinum, joins other pieces awaiting to get refined.

Cleaning

Most often, pieces get cleaned. Evaluating and appraising jewelry is difficult even for someone with a trained eye. When buying, I am quicker in my evaluations. After a long cleaning which usually occurs the following morning and takes about 4 hours, I began a close evaluation. I look closely at the piece: inspect the craftsmanship, era in which was made, quality of diamonds and gemstones, and overall condition the piece is in. I check closely for broken side diamonds, designer markings, and gauge my knowledge of current styles to see if I have any chance of reselling it. After this close inspection, most the jewelry I buy I find difficult to resell in which case Marsha or I will begin the process of breaking it down.

Second Sort and Refurbishing

The select few pieces that make it through this evaluation are then inspected again. In order for me to sell a piece of antique or estate jewelry, it needs to be in a new condition. Most jewelry I buy that can be resold will need to be restored first. Before restoring the piece, we check the inside integrity of the jewelry. This inside check verifies the porosity and our ability to work on it. This check is labor intensive but really gives us an idea about how much work will be necessary to restore the piece of jewelry. If it passes these stages, Marsha and I begin the refurbishing process. We check and refinish the prongs, channels, engraving, milgrain, and filigree. We may also replace a broken diamond or gemstone. Normally, this process will involve resizing the ring to a standard size too.

This attention to detail is important to us. It ensures when we resell the piece we can also stand behind it. Most jewelers do not check the porosity or refurbish to same degree we do; however, these checks are standard on any new piece we sell. Not to mention, they make the product that much more special and appealing.