Most people own at least one piece of Jewelry that has broken. Do you?

I happen to own a watch that is damaged. One of the watch’s four lugs (the little bars where the watch band attaches) has broken off. I contacted the company that made the watch and a customer service representative told me that I could send it in and pay a $75.00 service fee to find out how much it would cost to have the lug soldered back on. But since the watch is not worth much more than $100.00, I just put it away, and there it sits.

Jewelry breaks because a lot of it is delicate to begin with. Many kinds of jewelry are made up of a number of small parts that have been attached to each other in a variety of ways that can include using gold or silver solder, bending parts of it in ways so they will not come apart, or even hammering different parts together. It’s hardly any wonder that jewelry that is assembled using these techniques tends to break.

Common forms of broken jewelry include:

• Watches with broken lugs, like the one I describe above.

• Pins and brooches that have lost the pins that were used to attach them to clothing.

• Chains with broken links.

• Chains with findings on their ends (like hooks or screw-together closures) that have broken, fallen off or stopped working.

• Rings with tines (the little pins that attach gemstones) that have bent or snapped off.

• Rings, pins, and brooches with pieces of decorative filagree that have fallen off and become lost.

• Jewelry of all kinds that has lost surface decorations. (Often, pieces in this category are made of gold that had silver decorations added to their surfaces.)

What Kind of Broken Jewelry Do You Have . . . and What Should You Do with It?

Here are some questions you should ask.

First, What Kind of Jewelry Is It?

There are many, many different answers to this question. For example, you could have an inexpensive item of gold-toned or gold-plated costume jewelry. Or you could have an expensive luxury-grade watch that could be in demand by collectors. How can you tell what you have? One way is to take it to a jeweler near you for a first-pass evaluation. While jewelry stores make money by offering low prices for items that people bring to them, the reaction and information you get can give you some idea of whether you are dealing with an item that is worth repairing or not. You can also get a sense of whether the jeweler thinks that the gold, silver, platinum, and other metals the item contains are worth reclaiming.

A pawnshop could be another stop on your road to researching the value of your item. Some people assume that pawnshops exist to take advantage of people who are in a hurry to sell items for low prices. Don’t make that assumption. The fact is that many pawnshops – and perhaps most of them – are run by ethical owners who treat customers fairly and offer honest opinions about the value of items that people bring to them. You are under no obligation to pawn your item. But remember that the opinion and valuation you receive from a pawn dealer could help you get a preliminary idea of the value of the item you have.

If you get a sense that your broken item could be a collectible, valuable item, consider taking it to a registered, professional jewelry appraiser. The Appraisers Association has a searchable online directory of appraisers that can help you connect with a qualified professional.

What Is the History of the Item You Own?

Every piece of jewelry has a history that can give you clues about its possible value. If your broken piece is a tie tack that your father got from the Rotary or Elks Club 30 years ago, that tells you something. (The item is probably gold-plated and not worth much.) But if your piece has a mysterious or unknown history, it is worth investigating whether it is worth more. If it belonged to your great-grandmother who brought it with her from Europe 130 years ago, for example . . . well, who knows? It could be a cheap piece of costume jewelry or something far more valuable.

Does Your Item Contain Gemstones?

An old high school graduation ring could contain a ruby-colored gem that is made of nothing more than tinted glass. A platinum engagement ring could contain an artificial diamond . . . or a large genuine diamond that is worth a lot of money.

A local jewelry shop or pawnshop, again, can give you a valuable preliminary idea of whether the item you have is valuable. It is also worth visiting the website of the Gemological Institute of America and possibly contacting that organization for help in determining the potential value of gemstones you own.

Talk to the Experts at Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners at 800-426-2344

We are experts and eager to help you make the best decision about how to get the biggest payment possible for all your precious metal items. Plus, our state-of-the-art testing facilities are ready to provide you with an accurate estimate of value, based on current trading prices for gold, silver, platinum, and other precious metals.

That broken piece of jewelry could result in a bigger payout than you thought possible. Why not give us a call today?

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