Okay, I’ll surprise you here because I’m going to say that it’s not as cut and dry as you might expect. Sure, I’m a jeweler. I also think in almost every case, you’ll get someone who knows more about your jewelry if you go to a jeweler. That means they’re going to give you a more accurate idea of its worth and you’re going to get a price that makes more sense.
But there are times a pawn shop makes more sense. You're pretty much guaranteed a pawn shop will buy or at the least make a loan on your fine jewelery. Not all jewelers, even jewelers who are licensed jewelry buyers will do that. Whether it's better to sell jewelry to a pawn shop or a jeweler depends on your needs and situation. There are things you need to consider.
Guaranteed price: Jewelry stores sometimes advertise a guaranteed price they will pay for your jewelry, partially basing their purchasing entirely on the materials and partially assuming a gesture like that will earn them customers. Pawn shops offer less predictable prices but often higher amounts.
Buyback policies: Jewelry stores are more likely to buy back items they originally sold, and they may offer a guaranteed price and length of time for the buyback process. So always check first with the store from which you first bought the item.
Options: Pawn shops offer loans against jewelry. That means if you’re hesitating to sell for sentimental reasons, you can get cash for the jewelry without losing it. The loan amount is a small percentage of the item's resale value. Pawn loans also have high interest rates, too. If you don’t want to part with the items, though, loans can help.
Consignment: Some jewelers won’t buy but only sell on consignment. That means they offer your item to their customers and take a fee. It may take a while to sell your jewelry at a jewelry store, and you may not have a say in how much they sell it for. If that’s all that’s available to you, you might find yourself going for a pawn broker.
This list is by no means exhaustive but perhaps it gives you some ideas. If you need a jewelry buyer in San Diego, won’t you give me a call? I’m committed to offering a fair deal, and if you reach out, you’ll be glad you did.
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