Tips on Selling

Take Great Photos!

Crisp photos will help attract shoppers! Here are our pro photo tips:

1. MAIN PHOTO

Display your item against a white, grey or solid color background. For best results, photograph your item during the day, using natural light with no flash. This will best show the true colors of your item.

2. STYLE IT

Take photos of the item being worn, to give shoppers an idea of scale and better visualize how it looks on.

3. SPECIAL FEATURES

The clasp, earring backing, backside of jewelry, etc. - the more details means fewer questions from shoppers and faster sales.

4. FLAWS ARE GOOD

Show any scratches or damages - honesty is the best policy. Shoppers want to know all the little details (including the flaws) so they can buy with confidence.

5. INCLUDE DIMENSIONS

Take photos of your item against a ruler to help show the measurements and size of your item - to avoid any potential confusion with dimensions.

6. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (if applicable)

Provide documents of authenticity - such as a receipt, a jewelry certificate that provides verification of the metal materials and/or carat weight and clarity for any diamonds or gems used in the piece.

What can I sell?

We take pride in our careful curation of the best jewels for our devoted community. Here are our pro tips on what's accepted:

1. FINE JEWELRY

We only accept fine jewelry in our marketplace, which means the jewelry is made of precious metals, gemstones and diamonds. Precious metals can be solid or filled 10k or higher gold, as well as platinum or sterling silver. Stones must be real diamonds and precious gemstones - we do not allow costume jewelry with imitation stones, gold or silver plated metal jewelry.

2. TRENDING STYLES

Fine fashion jewelry with contemporary styles that are current and on-trend, as well as unique vintage jewelry pieces sell the best in our marketplace. Our curators review each piece before it goes live to ensure its a good fit for our community of jewelry lovers who seek the best on-trend and desirable styles.

3. JEWELRY BRANDS

We specialize in unbranded jewelry pieces, but also accept branded items from luxury heritage brands like Cartier to Tiffanys, to contemporary designers like Anito Ko, Jacquie Aiche to Jennifer Meyer and more.

How to determine my item's metal type?

It can be difficult to know if your item contains gold, silver or platinum. But, don't worry, here are our pro tips to determine your item's metal type.

LOOK FOR HALLMARKS: hallmarks are numbers that are stamped on gold, silver and platinum items to identify the items precious metal purity. The number will tell you the actual precious metal content or the purity of the precious metal. You can find these hallmarks inside of a ring or by the clasp of a necklace. You might need a magnifying glass to clearly see the hallmark. Below are common purity hallmarks:

Gold Purity Stamp

· A number followed by the letter “k” or the word “karat” will be stamped on gold itself, or a 3-digit fineness mark

· 10 karat = 417 (41.7%) *most common in Gold-Filled (GF), where a layer of at least 10k gold is bonded to a base metal

· 14 karat = 585 (58.5%) *most common in fine jewelry pieces

· 18 karat = 750 (75.0%) *most common in fine jewelry pieces

Silver Purity Stamp

· The word “Sterling” will be stamped on the piece

· The metal could be stamped with “925” which = 92.5% pure silver

Platinum Purity Stamp

· The word “plat” or “platinum” will be marked on the metal

· The metal could be stamped with "950" which = 95% pure platinum

How to determine my item's gemstone?

Once you have tested the metal, you’ll know whether the stone is possibly real or not. Jewelry that is not real gold, platinum or silver will not have real gemstones. The stones could be cubic zirconia, crystals, plastic, rhinestones or simulated gems. But if your jewelry has precious metals, here's our quick pro tip guide to determining your precious gemstones.

The Four Precious Gemstones: there are only four stones in the world classified as precious gemstones

1. Diamond
2. Sapphire
3. Ruby
4. Emerald

All other stones are considered semi-precious stones. Here are the most popular and common semi-precious gemstones used in fine jewelry.

Amethyst, Opal, Pearl, Citrine, Turquoise, Topaz, Peridot, Tourmaline, Garnet, Moonstone, Tanzanite, Aquamarine, Malachite, Black Onyx, Jade

How to determine if my jewelry is real or costume?

Here are some pro tips on how to test your jewelry to determine if it's costume or real. However, the safest course of action is to take your pieces to a jeweler to be tested.

1. The Magnet Test

Gold and silver are not magnetic. When a piece is gold-plated, there’s metal underneath. Hold a strong magnet on your piece of jewelry. If the magnet sticks, this is an immediate indication of a fake material being used.

Most simulated gold and silver is made of brass, copper, or other base metals commonly known as “pot metal." These are not attracted to a magnet, so this test won’t work on them. Some pieces are gold-plated sterling silver and may be of value even though they are not karat gold.

Many earring posts, chain clasps, etc., are steel and will be magnetic. If a piece attracts a magnet, make sure it's not just a clasp or post. The rest of the item could be gold.

2. The Skin Test

One of the best-known ways to spot fake jewelry is the skin test. Does wearing the jewelry turn your skin green, or cause any kind of irritation? Genuine gold and silver will not react with the skin, so any problems will give away a fake piece.

3. The Vinegar Test

Using a dropper filled with white vinegar, place a few drops onto your metal jewelry. If the drops change the color of the metal, then it is not pure gold. If the color stays the same, then it is pure gold.

4. Look for Green Specks

Another obvious sign is the presence of green specks on the piece. This is corrosion of the copper or brass underlying base metal. There is no need to test anything with green specs, the item is not gold.

5. Costume Jewelry Won’t Have Real Stones

Once you have tested the metal, you’ll know whether the stone is possibly real or not. Jewelry that is not real gold or silver will not have real gemstones. The stones could be cubic zirconia, crystals, plastic, rhinestones or simulated gems.

6. How to Tell If A Diamond Is Real

The breath test is best used for determining whether a diamond is real or fake. Simply breath hot air onto the stone. A real diamond does not retain heat, so it will not fog up, while a fake diamond will. Try this same test on cubic zirconia. The surface of the CZ will continue to be foggy. This test will help you determine if you have a CZ instead of a diamond.

7. Other Jewelry Markings to Look For

· A stamp of “GF” or “HGP” indicates that the piece is gold-plated, not pure gold

· The rings or links in the jewelry–also called the “jump rings”–will most likely be soldered together if the piece is valuable

How to determine my item's price?

Your grandmother left you a shoe box filled with jewelry, you’ve found a piece of jewelry at a flea market, or you have a few pieces in your own jewelry box that you’re just not sure are authentic. Fashion or costume jewelry pieces are not worthless, but when you’re wanting valuable fine jewelry, how can you tell the difference between fake and the real thing? A certified appraiser will be able to provide the value of the piece as well. Your choices are a jewelry store, a pawn shop or a “We Buy Gold” dealer. In most cases all three will offer you “scrap value,” that is, the value of the raw materials: the metal, diamonds and gems. Of the three, you'll usually get the most money from a jeweler.

Check out the brand: If you have any items that are branded, you'll want to do your research. Regardless of whether it's fine or costume jewelry, branded items have value since they were created by a specific designer. For instance, vintage Chanel earrings made from brass may not be worth much in terms of materials and construction, but the branding alone may bring in several hundred dollars. A quick way to find out retail value for a branded item is to get a clear shot of your item on a white background (such as computer paper) in very good lighting. Then reverse image search on Google to find the jewelry, and see what other people are selling it for.

How to determine counterfeit luxury branded jewelry?

When it comes to luxury heritage brands like Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Gucci, Chanel,

Get A Second Opinion

There is no way of knowing FOR SURE without a real test made by an experienced technician. We recommend taking the piece to a jeweler or pawn shop to be tested. They will have professional tests that will determine whether your jewelry is real as well as the purity of the metal itself. A certified appraiser will be able to provide the value of the piece as well.

How to determine my item's sizing and clasp type?

Providing detailed measurements of your item will help shoppers pick the right piece! From earring length and diameter, bracelet and necklace length, to ring size - these are all important details to include in your listing to ensure the buyer has accuracy of how the item will fit.

Additional details, like clasp type for bracelet and necklaces will also help buyers better understand your item. If you need help with measurements or clasp types, check out our easy guide!