Do you have gold jewelry that you no longer wear or that’s broken? Now may be the time to sell it since the price of gold has hit a record high, over $1,200 an ounce! But don’t cash it in just anywhere or you could be getting less than it’s worth, warns Suzanne Martinez, co-owner of Lang Antiques in San Francisco. Here are her tips for getting the most money from your gold:
* Have just a few pieces to sell? Take it to a jeweler. But before you agree on a price, ask these questions: “How much does my gold weigh?”, “What’s the karat?” and “How much do you pay per gram or penny weight?” Expect to be offered anywhere from 80% to 85% of what the gold is worth. Then shop around for the best offer.
* Have a lot to sell? If you’ve got 10 or more pieces, take them to a jewelry refiner—that’s where jewelers go to melt down gold, so you’ll be getting a better price by cutting out the middleman. However, refiners charge a fee for processing the gold, so you have to have enough to make it worth your while. To find one in your area, simply look in the yellow pages for “jewelry refiner”.
* Have vintage gold jewelry? Take them to an estate jeweler. You’ll get even more than what the gold is worth because the workmanship makes the jewelry more valuable.
Tip: The higher the karat of gold—10K, 14K, 18K, 24K—the more your jewelry is worth. But, keep in mind that gold jewelry is made from a mix of gold and other metals, so the weight of your pieces won’t reflect the price you’re offered.
Tip: Check the current price of gold at kitco.com/market.
[photo: Mykl Roventine]
It could be a lot if you didn’t look carefully at your store receipts before chucking them. Many retailers and restaurants—such as J.C. Penney, Old Navy, Home Depot and Panda Express—print a website link and special access code on some receipts that leads you to a short online survey. Answer the questions—which are typically about your most recent shopping trip—and you’ll be rewarded with 10% to 25% off your next purchase or entered into a sweepstakes to win a cash prize. But act fast—most access codes expire within days of your purchase.
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