Where Does My Old Gold Go?

When you’ve got broken jewellery, or an old piece that you just don’t love anymore, what can be done with it?

In the jewellery world, there are the two Rs: Reuse and Recycle.

Precious metals have a monetary value based on their weight. If you have an old ring you no longer want, you can bring it to a jeweller and find out what grade the precious metal is and how much it’s worth. For example, gold is graded by karats. 24 karat gold is pure gold. Then there are varying grades, the most common being 18, 14 and 10. Each of these lower grades has a percentage of other metals mixed in with the gold. How much? To find out simply divide the karate weight by 24. For 14 karat gold, it is 58.3% gold by weight.

Gemstones are a slightly different matter. Over time, the facets on a gemstone can wear down. Instead of being crisp, the edges become rounded. If the gemstone is large enough, sometimes it can be re-cut or re-faced. This is a time-consuming process and it’s generally not worth it for smaller stones.

If you’ve got some old jewellery you’re not sure what to do with, come in and see us. We’ll be happy to let you know the options available to you.