Gemstones make for an amazing centerpiece to any ring or necklace, but these pretty stones aren’t just for adorning jewelry. Many people find value in the gemstone itself and collect them as-is. If you have rocks to sell or trade, where can you do so? Pawn shops are actually a very viable place for selling your loose gemstones and for a good reason. Thankfully, you can find incredible pawn shops that buy gemstones if you live in Azusa, Baldwin Park, or La Puente.
Finding the Value of Your Gemstones
Before you go walking into a pawn shop, you should figure out roughly how much your gemstones are worth first. The value may have changed since you originally purchased it since the price of gemstones tend to fluctuate like precious metals do. Even if you know which gemstones are popular enough to sell, you’re guaranteed to benefit from learning the basics when it comes to the factors that make up a gemstone’s value.
Carat
Carat and karat are two different things. Karat refers to the composition of pure gold in a gold piece. Carat is more relevant to gemstones as it’s the unit of measurement in weight. Every 1 carat is equal to 0.2 grams. For reference, the average carat of a diamond in a typical engagement ring is around 1.08 carats.
Color
While the color of a diamond is graded by the absence of color, any other gemstone is graded by the vividness of its color. The more bold and vibrant the contrast, the higher it ranks on the color scale. Some people will use certain methods to enhance the color in unnatural ways in order to increase the value.
Clarity
Inclusions are an easy way to tell if a gem is natural or not since it’s incredibly difficult to find a stone without one. But if you do manage to find a genuine gemstone with no inclusions at all, then you’ve come across something rare and worth a pretty penny!
Cut
The cut is, as you probably imagined, the shape in which a stone is cut. There are countless styles and the value of your gem could depend on whether or not the particular cut is currently popular.
Common Gemstone Cuts
- Round
- Emerald
- Oval
- Square
- Princess
- Pear
- Zircon
- Bevel
- Asscher
- Brilliant
- Trillion
Other Factors
After grading the four C’s (carat, color, clarity, and cut), there are other miscellaneous factors that could contribute to the final price of your gemstones. If it came from a country that’s difficult to source from, or if it’s in a truly natural state with no signs of treatment (no heating, oiling, irradiating, etc.), your gem could be classified as extremely rare and hold more value than any other ordinary stone. There’s also the matter of precious vs semi-precious stones. Precious gemstones hold the highest value over any other stones, with the only gems in this category being diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. Literally any other gemstone falls under the semi-precious category.
Why a Pawn Shop?
With so many companies and establishments to sell your gemstones to, how are pawn shops the best option? Some late-night commercials promise you easy mail-in transactions, but there are major problems with this method which could cost you. For one, you could be charged a great deal in shipping costs. But more frightening is the idea of losing your precious stone in the mail and getting absolutely nothing out of it. With mail-in sales out of the question, why not go to a jeweler? Many jewelry stores are very particular about what they accept. In their eyes, everything they get a hold of needs to be instantly resellable and the only thing that sells at stores like that are pieces that look absolutely brand new. Plus, they may not want to put in the effort to create jewelry to go around your stone.
Pawn shops, on the other hand, are more likely to take your gemstones. The best pawn shops in the Azusa, Baldwin Park, and La Puente areas will gladly do business with you as long as your stone holds any sort of value. Whether your gem is worth $10 or $10,000, you can trade it in for cash in literal minutes at a pawn shop. A good establishment will have appraisers on site so the transaction shouldn’t take long especially compared to the weeklong wait from sending it through the mail.
How to Sell Your Gemstones
Before visiting your local pawn shop, there are a few things you can do beforehand to prep your stone for a better price:
- Gather any paperwork you might have for your stones. Proof of appraisal, ownership certificates, etc.
- Gently clean your gems with mild soap and warm water. Rinse it in a bowl to prevent losing it, then dry it off with a soft towel.
- Make sure your stones are kept out of direct sunlight and heat for prolonged periods.
- Carry each of your gems in individual cases rather than pooling them all into the same container.
When cleaning your stones, knowing which types can and can’t be touched by water is crucial. Many people refer to the Mohs Hardness Scale to determine this since harder stones are able to tolerate water better than softer stones. As a good rule of thumb, stones that are listed as 4 or lower on the scale shouldn’t be placed in water. There are some exceptions though as a few stones that rank high on the scale still show signs of water damage such as hematite and jade.
Sell Your Gemstones In Baldwin Park
If you need a place to sell your gemstones, Azusa Pawn is the best pawn shop to get the most money for your treasure. Azusa Pawn proudly serves the Azusa, Baldwin Park, and La Puente areas to be accessible to everyone looking for fair business. Swing by anytime at 1028 West Gladstone Street in Azusa for quick cash any day of the week!