Questions About Selling Gold, Diamonds and Jewelry in NYC

Yes. We appraise your gold, jewelry, diamonds, coins or watch at no charge and with no obligation to sell. Bring your items to our Madison Avenue showroom in Midtown Manhattan, we test and weigh everything in front of you, explain what we see, and give you a number. If you decide the offer is not for you, you take your pieces home. There is no fee for the visit.

You are welcome to walk in during showroom hours, and most sellers do. If you are bringing a large estate lot, a collection of coins or several watches, it helps to call ahead so we can set aside time to go through everything properly with you. Either way there is no charge and no pressure to sell once you arrive. You can reach the showroom from our contact page.

Gold trades on a live market and is quoted per troy ounce, which is about 31.1 grams. We test each piece for its karat, since karat measures purity in parts of 24, then weigh it. The offer is built from that purity and weight against the day’s spot price, so a 14 karat chain, about 58 percent gold, is valued on its actual gold content. You can check the daily benchmark at the World Gold Council.

Yes. Broken chains, single earrings, bent rings, dental gold and tangled scrap are bought on the same basis as any other gold: tested for karat, weighed, and paid on their gold content. A missing clasp or a snapped link does not lower the gold value, because we pay for the metal itself. See our gold buyers page for what we take, or cash for gold for how payment works.

Once you accept the offer, you are paid on the spot, before you leave the showroom. We test and weigh everything while you watch, walk you through the number, and settle it during the same visit. There is nothing to mail and no waiting for a check to clear if you prefer cash. For a few pieces the whole process usually takes only a short time at the counter.

Yes, we pay cash. That is the heart of what we do: you bring in gold, diamonds, jewelry, coins or a watch, we agree on a price, and you leave with cash in hand. If you would rather be paid another way for a large sum, tell us and we will work out what suits you. There is never any obligation to sell, so you can take the offer or take your items home.

Yes, bring a valid government photo ID. New York City law requires any dealer that buys second-hand jewelry and precious metals to record the seller’s name, address and a description, along with the item and the date, so a photo ID is needed to complete a purchase. This protects honest sellers and is standard at every licensed buyer in the city. You can read the rules for a second-hand dealer license at the City’s site.

New York City law requires a second-hand dealer to keep a purchased item for 15 days before it can be sold, melted or refined. The hold is a consumer protection written into the City’s Administrative Code, not a delay in paying you. You are still paid in full on the day you sell. The waiting period sits with us, not with you, and gives the city a window to trace any item reported lost or stolen.

A diamond is judged on the 4Cs: color, clarity, cut and carat weight, the four characteristics the GIA uses to describe every stone. Carat is a weight, not a size, with one carat equal to 200 milligrams. We examine the stone under a loupe in front of you and explain what we see. For loose stones and diamond jewelry, our diamond buyers page covers it in more detail.

Yes. A grading report is helpful and we are glad to see one, but it is not required to sell. GIA is an independent nonprofit that grades diamonds and does not buy or sell them, so a report is a description, not a price. We assess the stone itself, on its own merits, whether or not papers come with it. If you are selling a ring, our engagement ring buyers page is the place to start.

Yes. The original box and papers help prove a luxury watch’s history and can lift the offer, but a watch is still worth buying without them. What we need first is the model and reference number and the serial number, which identify the exact piece, then we look at its condition. Scratches, a worn bracelet or a faded dial affect the price. See luxury watch buyers for Rolex and high-end brands, or watch buyers for everything else.

Yes. We regularly help people settling an estate or clearing out inherited pieces. Bring the whole lot and we sort it with you: gold is tested by karat and weighed, stones are checked, and signed or period pieces are looked at on their own. There is no pressure to sell all of it, and you keep whatever you like. Start with our estate jewelry buyers page, or antique jewelry buyers for older items.

Yes. We buy gold bullion coins and bars as well as collectible coins. Bullion is valued mainly on its gold content against the day’s spot price per troy ounce, while a collectible coin may be worth more for its rarity than its metal. Bring what you have and we go through each piece with you. Our gold coin buyers page explains how coins are handled.

No. You can bring your items in, hear what we would pay, and walk out with everything if the number is not right for you. We test and weigh in front of you and explain each step so the offer makes sense, but the decision is always yours. Many people come in simply to learn what a piece is worth. You are never charged for an appraisal and never pushed to close a sale.

Bring the items you want to sell and a valid photo ID. If you have them, a diamond grading report, a watch’s box and papers, or any receipts and prior appraisals are useful, though none are required. For a mixed collection there is no need to sort or clean anything first; we go through it with you at the counter. If you are not sure what you have, our jewelry buyers page is a good starting point.