Selling Your Jewelry

Thank you for considering selling your jewelry to Lang Antiques.

Selling Information: If you are interested in an estimate before you send your jewelry please supply as much of the following as possible. You are welcome to call us toll free at 800-924-2213 to discuss selling your jewelry as well:

Clear images at high resolution: We know everyone is not a photographer but these tips might help you take a good image. Use the macro feature of your camera. Do not use the zoom. Use a light background. Natural light is best, try by a window. The camera will need to be brought close to the jewelry to fill the screen as much as possible. Depress the shutter release half way for auto focus and then fully to take the picture. Use a high resolution. Send as jpg attachments.
Appraisal Information: In the case of larger diamonds and fine gemstones the center stone information is the most important: Color, Clarity, Carat Weight and Cut will help us establish a value. Scan the appraisal and include it if you can or include the basic description. We cannot give you an estimate without this information.
Your contact information: Sometimes a phone call to clarify information is much easier than sending emails back and forth so please include your phone number.

Shipping Instructions:

If you are ready to send your jewelry for an offer please do so via registered and insured mail. Enclose contact information including your name, phone number, email address and mailing address. Email or phone us and let us know the package is coming. We will promptly contact you when your jewelry arrives.

More information about Selling Jewelry

Selling your personal jewelry can be an emotional and intimidating undertaking. Very few jewelers have the experience, expertise or the financial resources to pay a fair market price for fine antique and estate jewels. Choosing a reputable jewelry buyer to navigate you through the course of action is the most important aspect of the jewelry selling process.

Lang Antique and Estate Jewelers offers the highest credentials, knowledge and longevity. And we offer the widest marketplace and most attentive personal service anywhere. We guarante a pleasent and successful jewelry selling experience.

Personal Service

At Lang's you can always expect to be treated honestly, discretely and with kindness. After dealing with literally thousands of sellers of all kinds – children, grandchildren and great grandchildren; widows and widowers; divorcees, unattached inheritors, banks, etc - we are fully considerate of the charged emotions that are often involved in parting with family treasures. Our goal is to build a relationship of mutual trust with our clients whether we are buying or selling fine antique and estate jewelry.

Why sell your jewelry to Lang Antiques?

We Pay The Highest Prices: Unlike the vast majority of antique and estate jewelry buyers, Lang's sells directly to the end user – discerning retail consumers and collectors all over the world. In addition to our website (by far the biggest and best of its kind on the internet), and our San Francisco retail jewelry store, we market much of our higher end jewelry through our sister store in Beverly Hills – Frances Klein Classic Jewels.
Credentials and Knowledge: We invite you to compare our credentials and experience against any other jewelry buying concern in the world today. Among both our stores – Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry and Frances Klein Classic Jewels – we have ten full-time Graduate Gemologists on staff and literally hundreds of years combined experience representing every facet of the jewelry industry.
Gemological Laboratory and Research Library: We are equipped with a state-of-the-art Certified Gemological Laboratory (certified by The Accredited Gemologists of America), as well as an extensive gemological and jewelry research library. Lang's is also the main sponsor and content provider of AntiqueJewelryUniversity.org, the internet's foremost repository of jewelry knowledge and information.
Longevity: Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry and Frances Klein Classic Jewels are two historic jewelry stores continuously in operation for over 40 years each.

The Process

If you have access to an every day quality digital camera and are technically able to email us a few good pictures, we can usually venture a 'ballpark' evaluation over the telephone. Please include any information such as diamond certificates and appraisals.

However, before we can determine the actual amount we are willing to pay we must of course see the piece[s] in person. You may send them to us either by registered insured U.S. mail or by an alternative, insured method. For large collections or very high value pieces we can arrange to visit you at your home, business or bank vault.

There are two ways to sell your jewelry – Direct sale and Consignment.

Direct Sale: Simple. After arriving at a mutually agreeable price, we will send you a check, cashiers check or bank wire, whichever you prefer

Consignment

With the exception of most modern cut solitaire diamonds, a consigner can expect to receive about 20% to 30% more than an outright sale price if they are in no great hurry to liquidate an item.

The net price to you is established at time of consignment, not upon sale.
No Commission Fees.
No Insurance Fees.
No Photography Fees.
No Marketing Fees.
No "Fine Print" Conditions.
You remain the owner of the property until sold.

How Long Does It Take?

We prefer to have 120 days minimum as it gives us time to photograph, catalogue, and adequately market your jewelry. We can usually offer our best hunch based on our combined lifetimes of jewelry experience, but the truth is that we are as often pleasantly surprised as we are puzzled. Our clientele is every bit as varied and idiosyncratic as our collection of one-of-a-kind antique and estate jewelry. A consignor may make the decision at anytime to opt for a direct sale.

What do we buy?

The list below is by no means complete as we are always buying beautiful antique and estate jewelry, diamonds, gemstones, timepieces, accessories, silver hollowware and smaller objects of art - entire estates or piecemeal

We are particularly interested in purchasing older estate and antique diamonds and gemstones, with a premium paid for the original, vintage settings.

Diamonds

We specialize in both modern and older cut diamonds, and white to fancy colored diamonds from half a carat to sky's the limit.

We pay competitive world prices from modern cut diamonds and higher than anyone else for antique diamonds, old mine diamonds, European cut diamonds and rose cut diamonds – especially in their original settings. Vintage engagement rings are more in demand today than ever before.

Precious Gemstones

We buy Sapphires, Rubies, Emeralds and Fine Jade and Natural and Cultured Pearls as well as virtually every other colored gemstone, providing they are of fine quality or an element of a fine piece of jewelry. Please check out the Gemstone Jewelry portion of our main website to give you an idea of what we buy and sell.

Antique Jewelry and Estate Jewelry

We buy fine jewelry from every important design period; from 19th century Georgian and Victorian Jewelry; 20th century Edwardian, Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelry all the way through the fabulous 40's and 50's up to the present day.

Objet d'Art

Because of the relatively small dimensions of our store we buy small objects of art and beautiful items of old silver.

How do we determine value?

Beyond the intrinsic or elemental valuations, i.e. diamonds, gemstones and precious metals contained in a piece, we carefully take into account the non-tangible qualities of fine vintage jewelry.

Ultimately we will examine your antique and estate jewelry in our Certified Gemological Laboratory by our expert gemologists and buyers.

Intrinsic Value: Diamonds, Gemstones, Platinum, Gold, and Silver constitute the intrinsic value of an antique and estate jewelry piece. Diamonds and gemstones are valued for their quality and rarity and have added value when accompanied with a certificate of quality. Diamonds are evaluated based on the 4 C's.
Rarity: Most antique and estate jewels are one of a kind. In addition to being individually hand crafted some antique and estate jewels are made by famous jewelers or made for famous people. This is referred to as provenance.
If large diamonds and rare fine gemstones are highlighted in a fine piece of jewelry they make the jewelry even more rare and desirable. Often rarity can be solely in the unique nature of the piece of jewelry and is not predicated on the intrinsic value.
Desirability: Signed jewelry, exquisite examples of period jewelry, antique and estate platinum and diamond engagement rings are highly prized today. As always, fashion trends influence the demand for certain periods, materials and gemstones.
Condition: We expect to see some signs of wear on antique and estate jewelry. Jewelry in pristine condition is rare and commands a premium where jewelry with apparent repairs and restoration can be devalued. Alterations from the original can result in devaluation as well.

We hope this brief tutorial in selling antique jewelry, estate jewelry, antique engagement rings, diamonds and gemstones has been helpful. We are enthusiastic purchasers of single items and entire estates. We are always happy to answer your specific questions and we look forward to working with you soon.

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