So you have a jewelry box full of old & unworn jewelry but you're wondering how to get started...
First things first. We ask that you do not simply send in the entire contents of your jewelry box, as this is overwhelming for both you and us! We are not an appraisal service, and while we do offer appraisals as an add-on service, it is better to pick a few pieces to start with. However, if you plan on melting gold or platinum for metal credit, or trading stones for stone credit, feel free to send those items in.
While we do not have the capacity to appraise everyone's entire jewelry collections, we would love nothing more than to help teach you a few tricks and do it yourself! The first thing to look for when evaluating your jewelry is a stamp. Fine jewelry is usually stamped with symbols or letters/numbers, on the inside of the shank of a ring, or at the clasp or connector for bracelets, necklace, and earrings. These stamp marks can indicate anything from metal composition, carat weights, manufacturer, trademarks, jeweler, or designer. More often than not, you will see basic stamps like 10k, 12k, 14k, 18k, 22k, 24k, or Plat. to indicate the type of metal. Below is a chart of other common stamps you might see. You can always Google what your stamp means or send us a picture if you have any questions!
| .417 | 10 Karat Gold (can be yellow or white gold) |
| .585 | 14 Karat Gold (can be yellow or white gold) |
| .750 | 18 Karat Gold (can be yellow or white gold) |
| .833 | 20 Karat Gold (can be yellow or white gold) |
| .999 | 24 Karat Pure Gold (yellow gold) |
| PT | Platinum |
| 900 or 950 | Platinum |
| S.S. or Steel | Stainless Steel |
| 925 | Sterling Silver |
| .950 | Sterling Silver |
| G.F. or G.P. | Gold Filled or Gold Plated |
| WGD | Weight Gold |
| GE | Gold Electroplate |
| KP | Karat Plumb (verified to be at least the karat weight marked or more) |
| SOL | Solitaire Diamond (usually followed by carat weight) |
| cw | carat weight of the gems in the ring |
| CZ | Cubic Zirconia stone |
The best candidates for an Heirloom Revival are pieces that will stand the test of time and do not have great sentimental or aesthetic value in their current form. For example, single earrings that have lost their mates, any broken pieces made with gold or precious stones, and dated pieces that you are sure you will never wear but still have beautiful gemstones. Check out these examples below of two mismatched diamond earrings that became a unique two-stone ring, and two old/broken diamond bands that were combined into a gorgeous new cluster band!
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Old wedding bands, in particular, are a special category that we have loved working with to use the exact same metal in new charm designs! Below you can see some wedding bands we melted down into new heart charms, some with a few added diamonds for a little extra sparkle. You can always head to our Pinterest or Instagram to get better ideas of what Befores and Afters might look like.
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Chipped stones or softer stones like opals, turquoise, and pearls (6, 5, 4, respectively, on the Mohs scale of hardness) are still okay to use for Revivals, however we do want to note that they have a higher likelihood of being damaged when removed from their settings, put into new ones, or just being worn daily. Softer gemstones get brittle with age which can lead to them breaking much more easily than harder stones such as sapphires, rubies, and diamonds (9, 9, and 10, respectively, on the Mohs scale of hardness).
Once you have an idea of a few pieces you would like to redesign or trade for gold or stone credit, send us an email or DM or fill out our questionnaire to get started!
Start your Revival.