You do not need to do much to jewellery before selling it for scrap, and some of the things people assume they should do are best avoided. Here is what is genuinely worth doing.
Sort by metal and by carat
Separate gold from silver, and within the gold separate the carats – 9, 14, 18 and 22 into their own groups. If you cannot read the hallmark, put those pieces into an “unknown” pile to be tested rather than guessing.
Set aside anything that might be worth more intact
Scrap value is the value of the metal alone. Some pieces are worth more than that as they stand, and once they have been melted the difference is gone for good. Put to one side:
- Anything by a named maker, particularly if it is signed
- Pieces with original boxes or paperwork
- Antique and period jewellery
- Gold coins, including sovereigns and krugerrands
- Items with significant gemstones
It costs nothing to ask for these to be looked at separately before they are weighed as scrap.
Remove what is not precious metal
If a piece has an obviously non-precious part that comes away easily – a steel watch strap, for instance – taking it off first makes the weighing simpler. Do not attempt to prise stones out of settings. You risk damaging a stone that has value, and a buyer will account for stone weight anyway.
What not to bother with
There is no need to clean or polish. Tarnish, dirt and scratches make no difference to the metal content, and aggressive polishing removes a tiny amount of metal each time. Nor is there any need to repair broken pieces; a snapped chain is worth exactly what an intact one of the same weight and carat is worth.
Bring identification
Buyers of precious metal are required to verify the identity of sellers, so take photographic ID and something showing your address.
