Who’s the Best San Diego Diamond Buyer to Sell Diamonds to?

If you plan to sell diamonds in San Diego, this useful guide will help you choose the best place to get the highest price. The first thing you want to do is run a background check on the diamond buyer. This is done by first going to the website of San Diego’s Better Business Bureau. Check to see that the buyer has either an A or A+ rating. The higher the grade, the better.

Then go to independent review websites like Google Reviews, Yelp, and Yahoo Local to see what customers are saying about the diamond buyer you are considering. Beware of illegitimate reviews: both positive and negative ones. Unscrupulous competitors sometimes post attack reviews of other diamond buyers, but these are usually easy to spot. They generally appear out of place when looked at within the context of other reviews, and they also are often challenged by the business owner as being a fake review.

Meanwhile illegitimate positive reviews can often be identified when you see a bunch posted around the same day, or when the review is quite vague but filled with superlatives (like great, fantastic, the best, etc.). Legitimate reviews of San Diego diamond buyers tend to include specific details of the sellers’ experiences and they are spaced out over weeks and months.

One important thing to remember when selling a loose diamond or diamond ring is that a diamond that is equal to (or greater than) 1 carat will bring a much higher buying offer than one which is just below 1 carat in weight. The higher price is because diamonds over one carat are rarer and more sough-after. Also keep in mind that the very small diamonds that you sometimes find in diamond jewelry often are worth nothing or very little when selling used diamond jewelry.

You are in luck if the diamond that you are trying to sell to a San Diego diamond buyer is a branded one which is in demand, such as Hearts on Fire. These branded diamonds bring a premium price on the re-sale market, so don’t be fooled by a diamond buyer who tells you that a branded diamond means nothing. In certain cases, it can mean a lot of extra cash in your pocket if your branded diamond is popular and highly sought after.

It’s not only branded pre-owned diamonds that can bring a premium price, colored diamonds can also bring higher purchase offers. For example, you will get more cash for a high quality used diamond that has a pinkish or bluish hue than you would for a clear diamond of similar quality. Sellers of these types of rare diamonds should be sure to go to a diamond buyer who has a provable track record of dealing in such unique precious stones.

Whatever kind of used diamond you are selling, keep in mind that Clarity and Color are critical factors when evaluating the worth of your diamond. To get the best diamond price the quality must be high for both of these attributes. Your San Diego diamond buyer should appraise all of your diamond’s important attributes: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight (known as the 4 Cs), free of charge.

Owners of large diamonds often have a diamond grading report, which was issued to them when they bought the diamond. This can make the process of selling your used diamond much easier. That is, if the grading report comes from an internationally respected gemstone lab like the Gemological Institute of America. Here is an excellent overview of how to read one: reading a diamond grading report.

So how much money are you going to get by selling your precious gemstone to a San Diego diamond buyer? Well, the bad news for most people is that you are not going to get close to what you paid retail for it. Retail jewelers sell diamond jewelry at very high markups. So, if you bought your loose diamond or diamond jewelry from a San Diego storefront jeweler, you are likely to receive an offer that is 20-40% of what you paid.

To get a better idea of what a San Diego diamond buyer might pay you for a diamond, go to BlueNile.com and a couple other big online discount jewelry sellers. Price a GIA certified one carat ideal cut diamond that has F color and VVS1 clarity. Compare prices and take the lowest one. Then subtract 60% from that price. The remaining dollar amount is what you are likely to be paid if you sell that diamond to a California buyer.

Lastly, when selling your diamond, it pays to stay local. You are likely to get pain more from a local dedicated San Diego diamond buyer with a track record of honest offers and ethical business practices than a nationally run operation with high overheads.

Selling Your Diamond Engagement Ring

San Diego Jewelry Buyers has updated its Knowledge section for sellers of fine jewelry, gold, diamonds, and watches with advice for consumers looking to sell their diamond engagement ring. “It is always a difficult and emotional situation when someone is thinking about selling an engagement ring or bridal jewelry,” says Alan Blyler, a spokesperson for San Diego Jewelry Buyers, “so we wanted to lay down some practical and personal things to think about before making a decision.”

On the personal side, San Diego Jewelry Buyers recommends that women who are in the process of getting a divorce should wait until the papers are signed before selling their engagement ring and other bridal related jewelry. Feelings among married couples often change at the last minute, and the prospect of losing an engagement ring and wedding band forever should the couple reconcile is something to remember. Customers in need of money immediately are advised to sell less sentimental diamond jewelry, or use it as collateral for a loan.

On the practical side, San Diego Jewelry Buyers informs potential sellers of diamond engagement rings that bridal jewelry which was appraised in the past for insurance purposes was valued at the estimated retail price. This price is much higher than what a customer can expect on the second-hand (used) jewelry market. Consumers who decide to get their engagement ring appraised before they resell it are advised to tell the appraiser that they would like a resell price estimate.

To read the rest of San Diego Jewelry Buyers’ tips for sellers of diamond engagement rings and bridal jewelry (as well as other timely advice on how to sell your gold, watches, and diamonds) please visit the Knowledge section of their website at:

http://www.sandiegojewelrybuyers.com/knowledge/jewelry/51-sell-your-diamond-engagement-ring.html

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Did you know that Mahama Ghandi had a favorite watch that he carried with him? It was a Zenith pocketwatch, and you can read about it at: Ghandi’s Watch Sold at Auction.

Look for Colored Diamonds at San Diego Pawn Shops

According to a recent article in Forbes, the poor economic outlook is causing many people to invest in tangible goods like jewelry and diamonds. They cite a recent auction conducted by Chicago auctioneers Leslie Hindman, which attracted buyers from around the world and sparked bidding wars on several items that ended up being sold for around $100,000. Also mentioned was Sotheby’s recent September jewelry auction which broke all expectations—and included items from Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston which sold for more than double their pre-sale valuations.

According to the article, what really is becoming popular are colored diamonds. These diamonds are much more rare that colorless diamonds. How rare? Well the ratio of one carat colored diamonds to one carat colorless diamonds is 1 in 100,000. It is because of this rarity that high quality colored diamonds are said to double in value around every 4 years! Thus it is no surprise why diamond buyers seek them out.

That’s something to keep in mind if you come across some fine quality jewelry set with colored diamonds at an area San Diego pawn shop. After all, if you have money to invest, why not put it into something that you can wear and enjoy every day?

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Of course, diamonds and diamond jewelry are not the only things to be looking for in San Diego pawn shops. Gold coins and gold bars are also items to keep an eye out for. Read more: Buying and Selling Gold Bullion Coins at Pawn Shops.

7 Tips For Selling Diamonds & Diamond Rings in San Diego

Walking into a San Diego pawn shop or jewelery buyer’s office can be an intimidating experience if you have a diamond ring, earring, necklace, or bracelet that your looking to get a cash loan on or sell outright. You might be shocked by the amount of cash that is offered you. Before you walk through those doors, here are some things to keep in mind:

1) Understand that the price a San Diego buyer offers you will be substantially less than the retail price, because the buyer has to assume a great deal of added risk in buying your diamond or diamond ring. In other words, buyers have no assurance of the money they will receive when they try to resell your item, or how long they will have to hold onto your item before selling it at an acceptable profit.

2) The shape of your diamond will affect the price. For example, a round Brilliant cut diamond is often much easier to sell than a fancy shaped diamond like a Marquise, Heart, Trilliant, or Victorian cut. The more confident the buyer is that they have a ready buyer for your diamond the easier it is for them to assess the price. If there isn’t sufficient demand for the shape of your diamond in the current market that will lower their buying offer.

3) When a diamond is accompanied by certification this assists the buyer in pricing that item because this eliminates the need for them to grade the diamond themselves, the results of which may or may not perfectly match the findings on the certificate.

4) Keep in mind that the appraisal value of your diamond is the retail replacement cost. This figure has no bearing on the price which you will be offered should you decide to sell a diamond ring.

5) San Diego Pawn shops in general operate a business that requires greater liquidity. That is, they often need to turn around items much quicker than an established jewelry or diamond buyer. Thus the offer you might receive for a loan on a diamond at a pawn shop is likely to be lower than if you were to sell the item outright to a jewelry or diamond buyer.

6) Be wary of those San Diego diamond buyers who say that it is only the diamond that holds high value and that they just sell the ring for the scrap value of the precious metal. While mass market rings are valued at scrap value, branded fine jewelry that bears handcraftsmanship often holds substantial value and should not be chopped apart and melted down.

7) If possible, look for opportunities to sell your diamonds or diamond ring to a relative, friend, or friend of a friend in San Diego, as you may receive a higher price for your item by selling it privately in this manner.

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San Diego jewelry lovers probably know that Burma rubies are among the most coveted gemstones around. These gems now will become even more rare in the States with the start of the: Burma Ruby Ban.

Lesotho Unearths 478 Carat Diamond

Gem Diamonds said yesterday that it had recovered a 478-carat diamond from its mine in Lesotho – the 20th-largest rough diamond yet found. The gem had the potential to become one of the largest round-cut diamonds in the world.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the gem was discovered on September 8 at the Letseng mine in Lesotho, a small kingdom inside South Africa. The mine, which was owned by De Beers for many years, has already produced three of the world’s biggest diamonds. These are the 603-carat Lesotho Promise, the 493-carat Leteng Legacy and the 601-carat Lesotho Brown.

Clifford Elphick, Gem Diamonds’ chief executive, said: “Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record-breaking polished stone of the very best colour and clarity.” The diamond, which has not yet been named, has the potential to yield a 150-carat polished stone. That would dwarf the 105-carat round-cut Koh-i-Noor diamond seized by Britain from India in the 19th century and now part of the Crown Jewels. It would still only be a fraction of the size, however, of the Cullinan diamond, which was discovered in 1905.

This huge gemstone was 3,106 carats when recovered and yielded a teardrop-shaped diamond of 530 carats – the Great Star of Africa. The Letseng mine is owned by a mining company that is 70pc-owned by Gem Diamonds, with the remaining 30pc held by the Lesotho government. Mr Elphick added: “Letseng continues to reward its shareholders with the production of these significant diamonds and to confirm its position as one of the great mines in the diamond industry.

“With a further 45 years of life remaining, we expect Letseng to make history for many years to come.”

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We at the San Diego Luxury Pawn Shop Report have a special affection and respect for fine mechanical watches, seeing them as a perfect blend of beauty and precision. Thus we were happy to read the following news: New Auction House to Sell Masterpiece Watches.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels Auction Expects $64 M

Rapaport reports that Sotheby’s Hong Kong will conduct its Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite 2008 Autumn Sale at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 7, 2008. Some 320 lots will be offered with an estimated total value of HKD500 million ($64 million.)

The highlight of the sale is a fancy vivid yellow diamond necklace with an estimated value of $7.4 million to $9.5 million, featuring a 102.56-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond (pictured.) It has a flower pendant that can be detached from the necklace and worn as a brooch.

Quek Chin Yeow, deputy chairman and head of jewelry at Sotheby’s Asia, said, “The diamond is the largest fancy vivid yellow diamond ever to be offered at auction anywhere in the world; this extraordinary diamond, with its impressive size and auspicious golden yellow color, will be a major attraction.”

Another highlight of the sale will be a colored diamond butterfly brooch by Carvin French. The center of the brooch is set with one fancy vivid blue diamond and two fancy intense blue diamonds, weighing 5.53 carats in total. Complementing the blue hues are the vibrant yellow and pink diamonds mounted on the wings of the butterfly. (Estimated value $3.8 million to $4.6 million.)

With strong demand for top quality diamonds weighing more than 15 carats, an impressive 34.07 carat cushion-shaped D, IF, diamond ring will undoubtedly attract much attention. (Estimated value $6 million to $7 million.)

Sotheby’s Hong Kong will present a pair of ruby and diamond earrings by James de Givenchy for Taffin. The two unheated, natural rubies, weighing 10.02 and 10.91 carats respectively, are well-matched in both color and shape. Each surrounded by eight rose-cut pink and eight colorless round diamonds, these rubies show a fiery red hue with dazzling brilliance fascinating all connoisseurs. (Estimated value $3.8 million to $4.5 million.)

Also featured among the colored stones is a pair of star rubies, alexandrite and diamond earrings. The rubies, weighing 19.45cts and 22.13cts each, are remarkably matched in both color and shape, and boast intense hues and fine clarity. (Estimated value $666,000 to $871,000.)

A further highlight is a Colombian emerald and diamond ring without any oil treatment. This natural 10.09 carat emerald boasts high clarity and a saturated color. It is embellished by 10 round diamonds, emphasizing the magnificence of the noble green color.

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If you are a San Diego resident who is a collector of fine jewelry from brands like Tiffany and Cartier, then you’ll want to read this article about how Vintage Jewelry is a Popular Investment.