The quality of the gem is more important than the type when it comes to birthstone jewelry.
In western culture, the idea for birthstones is believed to trace back to a ceremonial garment mentioned in the Bible, which was inlaid with 12 precious stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The number 12 also came to be associated with the signs of the Zodiac and the months of the year. Many people believed that the stones had powers, and that a stone’s powers were heightened during its month. The original tradition was to wear a different stone each month to take advantage of these powers. Over time, this tradition evolved to the practice we have today of wearing stones that correspond with the date of a significant life event, such as our own birth, the birth of a child, or an anniversary.
Regardless of what you believe about birthstones, they certainly make for some very lovely jewelry pieces. If you have become tired of your birthstone jewelry, you can always sell it. At Gems & Jewelry Inc., we have expert appraisers that can give you a fair cash price for your old birthstone jewelry. Here are two important things you need to know before selling birthstone jewelry.
All Birthstones are Precious
It might seem unfair that April gets diamond as its birthstone while other months get lesser-known stones like garnet, peridot, or aquamarine. However, the fact of the matter is that all birthstones are precious, and in some cases can even be more valuable than your average mid-range diamond.
While in the past jewelers often used the term “precious gems” only for rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, calling the rest of the crew “semi-precious gems,” today this practice is frowned upon. The US Federal Trade Commission actually considered outlawing these terms because they can be misleading, causing consumers to believe, for example, that all rubies are inherently more valuable than garnets. In reality, it is the quality and size of the stone that matters, more than the type of stone. Some garnets sell for over $1,000 per carat, while a pale, streaky ruby might barely be worth $100 per carat.
Lab Created Stones Aren’t Valuable
One important distinction to make is that when we talk about the value of birthstones, we are referring to natural stones, not lab-created ones. If you have paperwork on your birthstone jewelry that identifies it as a natural stone, this will be very helpful in getting a good price for your jewelry. If you remember paying just a couple hundred bucks for a brilliant red ruby in a gold setting, you probably got a synthetic stone as a natural stone would have cost much more.
Settings Matter
The final factor to consider when selling your birthstone jewelry is the quality and quantity of the metal it is set in. Ideally you will be able to locate a stamp on the item that will tell you what carat of gold it is. Our jewelry appraisers can help with this. We will then weigh the metal and use that plus the valuation of the gem or gems to help us provide a fair quote.
