TrueFacet has made it even easier to upgrade and refresh your jewelry collection with our TrueTrade program: simply upload photos of your pre-owned jewelry for sale, receive a quote from our appraisers, and start shopping with your TrueFacet site credit.

To kick off your trade-in process, you will need to send a series of clear photographs of your jewelry; this ensures our appraisers give you an accurate quote quickly. To help you get the fastest service via TrueFacet’s TrueTrade program, follow these three simple steps to photographing your pre-owned jewelry:

1. Create a setting with natural light.
The best light to photograph jewelry in is natural daylight, which evenly lights the piece and cuts down on glare. Using an on-camera flash oftentimes results in catch-lights that shine off the metallic surface and obscure the jewelry’s details. Therefore, turn off the flash and photograph your jewelry in a sunny room. 

2. Photograph multiple angles.
Lay your jewelry on a clean, flat surface and photograph it from overhead, the side, a three-quarter angle, and, if relevant, a detail shot. The more images and angles the better. On-body shots (or photos of you wearing the piece) are not as important as clear photos of the entire piece. 

3. Zoom in on the designer’s signature.
The most important photo to include is an image of the designer’s signature. This is the brand name, the metal stamp, or the registration or serial numbers that most frequently appears on the underside or inside of the piece. An in-focus and detailed image of this hallmark will help our team of appraisers give you the most accurate valuation. 

If you have any further questions about TrueFacet’s TrueTrade program, contact a concierge associate here.

Gold jewelry is an investment that you can wear, enjoy and resell when you’re ready to upgrade your collection. Here are our key expert tips on how to sell your gold jewelry.

1. Know the karat of your gold jewelry.
Pure gold is a very soft metal so, to make it more durable for jewelry-making, gold is combined with an alloy metal like silver, nickel, or copper. This ratio of pure gold to alloy metal is the gold’s karat.

Gold jewelry is stamped with an identify number (or hallmark) that connotes the gold purity.

Your gold jewelry’s karat is important as it can greatly influence the resale value of your item—the purer (or the higher the karat) the gold, the more expensive it is. Therefore, know the karat weight of your gold jewelry so you are not undervaluing it.

2. Determine if your gold jewelry is worth more as a finished piece or scrap gold.
Designer, antique or vintage gold jewelry can resale for far more than the gold used to make the piece is worth alone. However, particularly worn pieces or items with a low market value, may earn you more if you scrap it for gold. To know if you should resell your gold jewelry as-is or bring it to a gold buyer, have your item evaluated by a trusted jeweler.

3. Set your asking price based upon the market value—not the retail value.
A major misconception about reselling gold jewelry is the expectation that you will earn back an amount within the ballpark of what you first paid for it. However, the reality is that you most likely will only receive a percentage of your gold jewelry’s original retail value. It is quite rare for gold jewelry to resell at a premium.

It’s important to recognize that your jewelry may be appraised for an amount close to the purchasing cost, but that does not mean you can resell it for that same amount. Most appraisals are used for insurance purposes and factor in the full retail value needed to replace the item.

But when it comes to the gold jewelry’s resale value, that figure is based upon a handful of variables including its condition, rarity, brand, age and the market demand. Essentially your gold jewelry is worth whatever someone will pay for it.

4. Clean your gold jewelry before listing it.
One easy and smart way to make your gold jewelry more attractive to buyers is to restore its lustrous shine. To clean all-gold jewelry, simply dip your jewelry in a bowl of lukewarm water and dish soap and gently clean it with soft bristle toothbrush. For a deeper clean or to clean gold jewelry that also includes precious stones, we suggest bringing it to a jeweler to ensure its safely polished.

Interested in selling your gold jewelry? Curious how much your gold jewelry is worth? Contact our team of appraisers here to learn more about how to resell your collection.