Sell excess jewelry and watch inventory

Two trades under one name

"Jewelry" covers very different goods, and we handle them differently.

Fashion jewelry is made from base metals, plated or not, with glass, crystal, acrylic or other non-precious stones. It is sold by the piece, the card or the dozen. It behaves like an apparel accessory: trend, packaging and assortment decide value.

Fine jewelry is gold, silver, platinum or palladium, with diamonds, gemstones or pearls. Its floor value is tied to the materials, but a well-designed, branded piece can be worth much more than its metal and stones. Authentication and documentation drive the deal.

Watches sit across both: fashion watches sold by the dozen and branded watches that need authentication.

How retail price misleads in jewelry

Jewelry carries some of the largest gaps between "retail" and what a piece actually sells for. Ticketed prices are often set to support long-running promotions. For that reason, percent-of-retail offers can be misleading in this category, and we prefer to price on what the goods are and who will buy them. See why percent of MSRP can mislead.

Precious metal and stone claims

US jewelry marketing claims are guided by the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries. In practice for a seller:

• Karat stamps (10K, 14K, 18K) and fineness marks must match the actual content. Buyers test with acid, electronic testers or XRF.
• Plated and filled items must be described as such: gold plated, gold filled, vermeil.
• Lab-grown and simulated stones must be clearly disclosed. Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds made in a lab; simulants such as cubic zirconia are not diamonds.
• Stone treatments such as heating or filling should be disclosed if known.
• Certificates from gem labs add value for larger stones; keep them with the pieces.

Fine jewelry can be valued two ways: by the piece, when design, brand or stones carry value, or by metal weight, when the piece is plain or dated. Many lots end up as a mix. Expect stamps to be tested on a sample, and say up front if you already have test results or appraisals.

Authenticity and proof of source

Branded jewelry and watches are frequent targets for counterfeiting and theft. Before a firm offer on branded or fine goods, we ask for:

1. Purchase invoices from the brand or an authorized distributor, or retail records showing the goods were in stock
2. Serial numbers for watches and serialized jewelry
3. Original boxes, warranty cards and papers where they exist

We will not make an offer on goods we cannot trace. That protects you too: buyers who later find a problem come back up the chain.

Watches: what buyers check

• Brand, model and reference number
• Movement type: quartz, automatic or mechanical
• Working status; for quartz, whether the battery is dead or removed
• Case and bracelet condition, crystal scratches
• Box, papers and warranty card
• Water-resistance claims, which may not hold after a battery change without testing

Watch batteries are small lithium or silver-oxide cells. In large quantities, loose spare lithium coin cells fall under battery shipping rules.

Safety rules for children's and fashion jewelry

Children's jewelry is a children's product under Consumer Product Safety Commission rules, with limits on lead in the substrate and testing requirements. Cadmium in children's jewelry is also restricted under a voluntary standard and some state laws. Keep lab reports for children's lines. Adult fashion jewelry can face state limits on lead and cadmium too, and some buyers ask about nickel content. Send the reports with the manifest; without them, children's jewelry has far fewer buyers willing to take it.

Condition and packaging

Silver tarnishes and plating wears. Pieces stored in anti-tarnish bags keep their value. Fashion jewelry is often sold on display cards or in small bags by style; keeping that packaging lets a boutique or discount store put pieces out without repacking, which is worth money to them. Earrings sold loose raise hygiene questions, so keep them carded.

What to send for a jewelry or watch offer

• SKU, description and brand per line
• Material: base metal, plated, sterling, gold karat, platinum
• Stone type: diamond, lab-grown, gemstone, simulant, glass, acrylic
• Weight in grams for fine jewelry pieces
• Certificates and serials where applicable
• Quantity per SKU and packaging (carded, boxed, loose)
• Retail price per piece, but also your cost if you are willing to share it privately
• Watches: brand, model, movement, working status, box and papers
• Proof of source for fine and branded goods
• Photos: each style on a plain background, stamps and hallmarks close up, packaging
• Location and how the goods are secured; restrictions you need

Jewelry ships small and valuable. High-value lots move by insured, tracked shipment or secure pickup rather than standard pallet freight. How that is done is agreed on the deal, so ask us for the pickup details when you get an offer.

Mistakes that cost jewelry sellers

• Pricing on ticket retail
• Describing plated goods as gold or silver
• Mixing lab-grown and natural stones on one line
• Selling branded pieces without invoices to back them
• Storing silver without tarnish protection
• Sending watches without saying which ones work

A worked example

For illustration only, not market data: an independent jewelry retailer closes two stores. It has several thousand fashion jewelry pieces on cards, a smaller group of sterling silver pieces, a case of 14K gold chains with the gram weight recorded for each, and some branded fashion watches.

The retailer supplies its inventory export and supplier invoices, so we can make a firm offer on the branded and fine goods. Pickup is arranged with insured transport.

To see the buying side, visit wholesale closeout jewelry and watches. Send your materials list and photos through the offer form on this page.