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Advice on selling diamond ring?

No idea if this is in the right forum!

I inherited my grandmothers diamond ring at 18, and now aged 26 I've realised that I'm unlikely ever to wear it. I'm saving for a house deposit and so wanting to see whether it's worth selling, or if it's not worth a great deal, whether I could split the diamonds, and have one reset in a wearable ring from the sale of the other two.

I guess my query is about the best way to do this, should I have it valued first? (the last valuation was in 1994 at £2500, but may be higher or lower than the worth now). Should I go to local smaller stores, or somewhere mainstream?

Many thanks!
Saving since 2005 --> September '13: 37,800! Mortgage deposit saved! :)

Comments

  • paddyrg
    paddyrg Posts: 13,543 Forumite
    Do you live near Birmingham? If you can get there easily enough, go round the jewellers of the jewellery quarter and see what they say - they know the market and will be competitive.

    In your shoes though I'd certainly get a stone made into something you'll always wear, it's your heritage and you can pass it on to your own granddaughter one day.
  • Thank you Paddyrg. We have a jewellery quarter here in Brighton, so maybe I'll try here and see if the quotes average out the same so I'm sure I'm not being ripped off! I think you're right about taking it apart and keeping some. I'm not going to have children, but I would like to keep a part of it, even if just the base.
    Saving since 2005 --> September '13: 37,800! Mortgage deposit saved! :)
  • paddyrg
    paddyrg Posts: 13,543 Forumite
    Even if you're not having kids, maybe you'll have a niece one day :-)

    I'd try manufacturing jewellers - many generic jewellers will just buy in from catalogues and will only be thinking in terms of gold scrap and often not even valuing the stones.
  • sarah2503
    sarah2503 Posts: 187 Forumite
    I tried to sell a diamond ring and most places will only pay for the gold, I was advised to take it to a specialist jewellery auction to sell it.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,416 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    No idea if this is in the right forum!

    I inherited my grandmothers diamond ring at 18, and now aged 26 I've realised that I'm unlikely ever to wear it. I'm saving for a house deposit and so wanting to see whether it's worth selling, or if it's not worth a great deal, whether I could split the diamonds, and have one reset in a wearable ring from the sale of the other two.

    I guess my query is about the best way to do this, should I have it valued first? (the last valuation was in 1994 at £2500, but may be higher or lower than the worth now). Should I go to local smaller stores, or somewhere mainstream?

    Many thanks!

    If it was £2500 in 1994 it will definitely be worth far in excess of this, as long as the diamond hasn't become damaged. Do not take it to a pawnbroker or one of those scrap places and look at specialist auctions as someone else here already mentioned.
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
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