Selling an engagement ring may be bittersweet — whether you’ve inherited the jewelry from a relative or have been through a broken relationship.
But on the bright side, selling your engagement ring should generate some money quickly for you while also helping another person purchase one. You could make thousands of dollars – and even if you can only make a few hundred, that’s still significant for most people.
But don’t just walk into a pawn shop. A specialized diamond buyer will know your ring’s value and pay a higher price. Also, more modern ways to sell an engagement ring online might suit your situation.
In this post, we’ll review where to sell an engagement ring, diamond ring, or other fine estate jewelry.
7 Best Places to Sell an Engagement Ring Online
The sites below specialize in fine jewelry and match you with potential buyers quickly and safely. These companies make the process easy, include free and insured shipping, and do all the legwork – including expensive appraisals.
Here are the best places to sell engagement rings online:
1. Worthy.com
🏆 Best Overall
Worthy is a trustworthy selling partner to get you the most for your jewelry. Their expert gemologists evaluate your piece and hold an auction for their exclusive network of professional buyers who compete against each other, earning you the highest return possible.
Even better, YOU get to set the reserve price for the auction. If you need assistance, your dedicated account manager will help you understand what your piece is worth based on the evaluation. There’s no risk, and you’re in complete control.
However, to partner with Worthy, you must ship your jewelry to them. This is where many get worried and simply opt out of this great opportunity. The good news is that this idea of shipping your jewelry isn’t as crazy as it seems.
Worthy understands that sending your valuables in the mail can be worrisome. That’s why they make sure that the process of selling your diamond jewelry is seamless, taking all the necessary precautions for you to have peace of mind every step of the way. Your pieces are fully insured at Lloyds of London and you will be notified as soon as your piece arrives at their New York office.
Unlike jewelers or other selling platforms, Worthy genuinely wants you to make more money because when you make more, they make more. Worthy does take a success fee once your item sells:
- Jewelry up to $5,000: 18% commission
- $5,001 – $15,000: 14% commission
- $15,001 – $30,000: 12% commission
- $30,001+: 10% commission
How to sell your engagement ring on Worthy.com:
- Go to Worthy.com: Provide a few quick details about your ring (setting, diamond shape, diamond weight, color, and clarity if you know it) and basic contact information (your name, email, and phone number). Get an estimated market value immediately. This whole process takes less than 3 minutes and comes with no obligation to actually sell your ring.
- Ship your jewelry: Worthy will arrange for you to securely ship your item via FedEx. You can schedule a pickup, drop it off at a FedEx location, or make an appointment at their NY office. Worthy covers the shipping cost and insures it for $100,000 regardless of which option you choose. They can even send you a shipping kit so you don’t have to worry about packing materials.
- Let Worthy evaluate and auction your piece: Once Worthy receives your jewelry, they clean it, photograph it, and have it graded by an objective third-party grading lab. The item is auctioned with a reserve price you’ve set to ensure that your valuables don’t sell for less than you’re willing to sell it for. While Worthy will help make a recommendation based on their appraisal and the outcome of previous auctions, the final number is completely up to you.
- Get paid! Once it sells – assuming your reserve price has been met – you’ll receive payment through your choice of bank transfer, PayPal, or a check. PayPal is the fastest option, and you’ll get your money in 1-2 business days.
Learn more:
- Read our full Worthy.com review
2. The Alloy Market
TheAlloyMarket.com offers a fast and safe way to sell an engagement ring. Their no-obligation process makes it easy to see how much you could get for your ring without committing. They offer free shipping and returns and insure every shipment up to $100,000.
They are a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited business with zero complaints and a 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot from hundreds of reviewers.
To sell your engagement ring to The Alloy Market, you can request a free appraisal kit, which should arrive in 2 – 3 business days. You pack your ring and safely ship it (insured). They evaluate your item and send you an offer, which they claim is the highest in the industry.
You can also get a free upfront estimate using the Alloy app.
Once you accept an offer, you’ll usually get paid the same day.
Learn more:
- Read our full Alloy Market review
Sell Your Engagement Ring with Alloy Market
3. CashforDiamondsUSA and CashforGoldUSA
If your ring is fairly modest, but you’d still like to make money from it, you may prefer the quickest and easiest route: trading it in for cash.
This process works a lot like visiting a pawnbroker, but instead of going in person, you can simply send off your jewelry in a mailer and wait to receive your check.
CashforDiamondsUSA and CashforGoldUSA are two offshoots of the same company specializing in buying diamonds and gold, respectively. Despite the rudimentary websites, they have a good reputation and have previously excelled in an undercover investigation by Fox News, which found that the sites paid out more than competitors.
They also ship your jewelry for free, offer to return it for free, and insure your items. What’s not to like?
How to sell your diamond ring on CashforDiamondsUSA:
- Go to CashforDiamondsUSA.com to request an appraisal kit.
- Ship your ring. Your kit will include a prepaid FedEx label to ship your ring for free via overnight service and will be insured for up to $100,000.
- Get an offer. Unlike Worthy, there is no auction – CashforDiamonds buys your item directly. So, once they receive your diamond ring, it will be evaluated and appraised, and then the company will make you an offer.
- Get paid. If you accept, you’ll get paid within 24 hours. Otherwise, your ring will be returned to you.
Sell Your Engagement Ring with CashforDiamonds
4. ABE MOR
ABE MOR is a family-owned business that has been located in Manhattan’s Diamond District for over 50 years. They have carefully crafted an online buying process to help people sell diamond jewelry worldwide. ABE MOR is one of the quickest, most fair, and most secure jewelry buyers online.
Once you fill out a basic form on the ABE MOR website with the details of your diamond, a specialist will reach out to you within 72 hours with details to ship your ring fully insured, for free, to their facility. From there, you’ll get a very fair offer, which can be accepted and paid out within 48 hours.
Sell Your Engagement Ring with ABE MOR
5. CIRCA
If you’re looking to sell diamonds, a great option is CIRCA, fka Mondiamo, a site set up especially for selling diamonds, luxury jewelry, and watches.
Once you create an account, CIRCA will ask for information about your ring. It’s helpful to know as many technical details as possible about your diamond ring. The site will give you a quote right away, but your quote will be revised — either up or down — when CIRCA receives and examines your ring.
CIRCA pays for all expenses involved, including the fully insured and trackable postage, and if you’re not happy with the final offer, you can receive the ring back free of cost.
CIRCA also has 20 physical offices worldwide (11 are in major cities in the USA), and you can meet with a highly trained diamond specialist in person. You can receive your payment via check, bank transfer or a gift card that’s worth 120% of the offer.
Sell Your Engagement Ring with CIRCA
6. Louped (formerly I Do Now I Don’t)
Another option, especially for diamond jewelry, is Louped, formerly, I Do Now I Don’t, the comically titled website for ‘luxury recycled’ items. It has a similar feel to eBay since you can add your own pictures and descriptions.
But in reality, you won’t be dealing directly with your customers. Instead, the site acts as an intermediary and handles both the money and the shipping. Louped keeps 10% – 20% of the sales price, and offers the option for a direct offer to sidestep the marketplace and bidding process, selling your ring faster.
Sell Your Engagement Ring with Louped
7. MyGemma (formerly WP Diamond)
MyGemma, formerly WP Diamond, is a fast and secure way to sell your old engagement ring online. They also purchase estate jewelry and gold jewelry, and if you have a luxury watch or designer bags lying around, they’ll buy that too!
The process of getting a quote and selling is much like other online jewelry buyers. First, you fill out an information form; then, you’ll receive an initial cash offer shortly afterward. If you would like to proceed, you can ship your diamond ring to their facility for a final appraisal.
If you accept their final offer after the appraisal, they’ll wire you the funds or mail a check, whichever you prefer.
Sell Your Engagement Ring with WP Diamond
What’s the Best Way to Sell an Engagement Ring?
The best places to sell an engagement ring are:
Online
The fastest and easiest way to sell your ring will be to find a diamond buyer online. You could earn more in a specialized auction house with the right clientele, but when you want the ring to sell quickly and for a reasonable profit, you could do that today online.
Platforms like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay may come to mind, which are great to make money fast.
But there’s a big drawback: You have to deal with people looking for a bargain, shoppers who don’t know the value of your diamond engagement ring, and amateur gemologists who don’t know the fair price for your ring. You may have to hire an appraiser, which adds hassle and cuts profits.
Plus, to sell the ring, you might have to meet strangers, perhaps in strange places, or have people you don’t know come to your home. This is weird enough when you’re selling something less valuable, like a smartphone or furniture. When you’re selling something very small yet worth thousands of dollars, you could be asking for trouble.
You’ll do better to stay off these sites and find online marketplaces that specialize in jewelry.
A Local Independent Jeweler
Another sales route is to visit an independent jeweler. Chances are good you can find a store in your town. If you’re in New York City, walk through the Diamond District in Midtown Manhattan to find dozens of choices. Philadelphia and Los Angeles have jewelry districts.
Smaller towns may have just one or two good choices. Independent jewelers are usually a better choice than chain stores in the mall. An independent store can examine your ring and offer advice.
Look for a jeweler who has evaluators trained by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA)who can do an in-house appraisal and assign a value. This appraisal can’t give you an exact value, but at least you’d have a general idea.
Expect to pay between $75 to $150 per hour for this appraisal. Some jewelers offer the service for free, but they’re unlikely to be certified appraisers.
Sometimes, at the end of your visit, the jeweler may offer to act as a broker for you, although this will come at the cost of paying a commission. Some stores also run consignment shops that sell diamond rings or loose diamonds on behalf of their owners.
Instead, the store owner may offer you a price to buy the ring on the spot. It’s up to you. You could sell the ring right then or wait for a higher price.
A Vintage Jewelry Store
Another option is a vintage jewelry store. Like an independent jeweler, a vintage store should have an expert to examine your ring and estimate its worth. Overall, the process is very similar for both types of shops.
If you have time, it’s a good idea to get a few different opinions about how much your ring could be worth. Visiting both a jeweler and a vintage shop can be a smart choice.
An Auction
If you find the prospect of visiting so many dealers and experts exhausting, why not try your luck with an auction instead?
Most auction houses will give a free appraisal of the item you’re selling, but of course, it’s riskier to take their word for it as final instead of consulting multiple sources.
If you can, choose an auction house that will take the ring to a jeweler and GIA lab for you. (This almost always incurs an extra fee but decreases the size of your to-do list.)
However, bear in mind that an auction house will take a commission from your sale — possibly as much as 20 percent. But you’ll also gain services like insurance and product photography.
A Broker or Re-seller
Just as some independent jewelers may offer to act as brokers for you, you could go directly to a jewelry broker, otherwise known as jewelry re-sellers.
A broker should take care of the selling process for you, but you’ll pay for this convenience as a commission on the sale.
But you could have the process over and done with quickly. Most brokers already have buyers in mind before you walk in the door. It’s just a matter of finding the right buyer — whether that’s another store or a private client.
Pawnbroker
Pawnbrokers aren’t known for providing the best prices, but if speed is your priority, a pawnbroker could help you make cash today.
Naturally, some pawnbrokers are more reputable than others – it’s always a good idea to check their Better Business Bureau rating or check for any reviews online.
If you’re willing to negotiate, you might even end up with a decent price, but a pawnbroker won’t provide your best offer. Before walking into a pawnshop, try to understand the ring’s retail value. That way you’ll have a reference point in your negotiations.
Resale Value of Diamonds
Diamonds are timeless. They’ve always been popular to mark special occasions. Diamonds are becoming more popular than ever, thanks to increased demand in countries like China and India, so diamond selling shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Well — new diamonds, like new automobiles, depreciate because, unlike precious metals, they are not liquid assets.
Your diamond price may be less than you expected – especially if it’s a sentimental item passed down in the family, in which face value often gets imagined or invented. You might even find out it’s not a diamond at all!
It’s much more complicated to estimate the value of a diamond than it is the value of gold, which has one objective measure that determines the majority of its value: melt value.
Most people think a higher carat weight indicates a higher diamond value, but this isn’t necessarily true. Ultimately, your diamond is worth what someone will pay you for it.
Qualities that Determine The Value of a Diamond
- Carats: Put simply, carats are a way of measuring weight, making it the only objective characteristic of a diamond.
- Color: Diamonds come in many colors – green, red, blue, and even black. However, most diamonds are a shade of white or yellow – a brighter white color generally indicates greater value. The GIA measures colors on a scale from D to Z.
- Clarity: A diamond with greater clarity has fewer flaws and blemishes, making it worth more money. The clarity of a diamond is measured in 11 grades with five categories: flawless, very very slightly included (some blemishes), very slightly included, slightly included, and included. The EGL Gemological Report, in NYC’s Diamond District, provides a standard grading report.
- Cut: The cut of the diamond is all about its finish. A diamond cutter will try to minimize imperfections while highlighting its beauty and shine during cutting.
- Polish and Symmetry: Polish, symmetry, proportion, and shape all come under the umbrella of cut and impact the overall diamond grading. The GIA’s scale for cut ranges from excellent to poor.
- Fluorescence: Diamonds are fluorescent if they emit blue light when exposed to UV rays. It’s a minor detail that some people like and others don’t, but it’s good to be aware of it.
Learn more:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I determine the value of a diamond?
The most accurate way to figure out the value of your diamond is to take it to a GIA lab, although this is only possible if you can actually remove the diamond from the rest of the ring.
There are only two GIA locations in the country – in New York City and Carlsbad, Calif. – but if you don’t live in either area, you can send your diamond off in the mail. Be sure to tell UPS, FedEx, or USPS what you’re shipping so you can properly insure the package.
You’ll need to prove your identity if you’re visiting in person, as a diamond laboratory is a fairly high-security premise.
The appraisal fees depend on the carat weight of the diamond, but you can expect to pay about $200 for this entire process of appraising your stone. When the lab technicians finish the appraisal, they’ll provide you with an accurate report of the characteristics of your diamond: carat weight, diamond grade, clarity grade, polish, symmetry, and fluorescence.
Once you have your estimate of all these factors, you can refer to the Rapaport Price List, which should estimate how much the diamond is worth. However, regardless of a diamond’s intrinsic value, you’re likely to receive an offer for less since many buyers will be hoping to sell the ring for a profit.
How can I check if a diamond is real?
We highly recommend anyone to go for the full GIA certification, but if you have doubts over whether your diamond is real and don’t want to waste your money or make a fool of yourself walking into Tiffany & Co. and demanding top dollar, there are a few ways to find out at home.
The easiest way to check is to drop the diamond into a glass of water. If it sinks to the bottom, it’s probably real, and if it floats, then it’s probably a fake.
Of course, you’d need to detach the diamond from the ring to perform this test. If you can’t remove the diamond without harming it or the ring, don’t try this test.
Instead, you could use a magnifying glass to look for imperfections. It might sound counterproductive, but the presence of flaws is a good thing – only fakes and extremely rare diamonds are completely flawless.
Finally, you could hold the diamond above a small flame (like a candle) for around 45 seconds and then drop it into a glass of ice water. A fake diamond will shatter, whereas a real diamond will remain intact. If you want to keep your ring regardless of whether the diamond is real, this isn’t the right test to perform.
How much is a 1-carat diamond worth?
A range of 1-carat rings could all have vastly different values. Contrary to popular belief, the number of carats isn’t the most important factor. Clarity and cut matter a lot, too. You could expect anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000 for an average 1-carat ring.
Can I sell the ring setting, too?
Yes, you can sell both the diamond and the setting at the same time, even if the jewelry buyer plans to break apart the ring later. But, the setting will not be as valuable as what it was originally purchased for. Most professional jewelry buyers will melt bands and settings down to scrap gold or simple precious metal.
ABE MOR offers great prices for both diamonds and settings.
Should I sell my engagement ring?
If the ring you’re thinking about selling is an heirloom or an inheritance, you may feel guilty about letting it go. Selling might be easier after a divorce or a broken engagement, but you may still hesitate if you’re considering passing the ring on to your children.
This is a personal decision, and only you know what is right. Ultimately, if you’re not sure about selling your ring, you could take some alternative routes.
For example, you could re-purpose your ring into another piece of jewelry, like a pair of earrings or a pendant. You could also keep the ring to pass on to your children in case they want it.
Who gets the engagement ring after a divorce?
If you haven’t started the divorce process yet, but you’re already thinking ahead to selling your ring, you might be concerned that you won’t even be eligible for the ring. Legally, wedding or engagement rings are a gift, meaning the recipient has the right to keep the gift. Basically, your ring is yours – to keep or to sell.
Can you sell your engagement ring?
As long as people continue to get engaged and married, there will not be a shortage of demand for engagement rings soon. In the U.S. alone, more than 2 million weddings take place each year – so it doesn’t seem like there’s anything to worry about on that front.
Of course, many people would prefer to buy a new ring, but for those looking to cut costs, a second-hand engagement ring is an attractive prospect. Buyers can enjoy huge savings this way, so it makes financial sense. Some people may even have a preference for vintage rings.
Because of consumer demand, jewelry dealers and brokers will always be interested in buying used engagement rings – they know they stand a good chance of selling them and making a profit.
As a result, you need to take care not to accept too low a price, but you certainly don’t need to worry about being unable to sell your engagement ring at all.
How much can you sell an engagement ring for?
Typically, you might be able to sell your wedding ring for 20 to 50 percent of its original price. This is slightly disappointing to realize, but bear in mind that there’s one main reason why people choose to buy a ring secondhand: to get a significant discount compared to a new ring.
So, you can’t expect to reach anywhere near the original price of a brand new ring, no matter how good a condition it may be in. Plus, if you’re selling to a broker or retailer hoping to sell the ring to another diamond buyer, they’ll expect to make a significant profit themselves by buying low and selling high.
Of course, the exact amount you can expect depends on the type of ring you have. Once again, a proper appraisal will provide the information you need to set a fair price and insist on your best offer.
Where can I sell my engagement ring for the most money?
The best place to sell your engagement ring depends on what type of ring it is. If you have a rare or unique ring design you will probably sell it for more money at an auction or via a vintage jewelry store. If you have a beautiful diamond with a less desirable or outdated band, you may fare better with a diamond specialist who might want to deconstruct the ring and re-use the parts for making other jewelry.
In any case, it’s probably worth checking out several different selling options and comparing prices. There’s no harm in getting multiple quotes and choosing the place where you can sell the ring for the most money.
Should You Sell Your Engagement Ring?
Hopefully, we’ve convinced you that selling your engagement ring is nothing to feel guilty about and a great way to make some easy money.
Why not capitalize on something you have lying around the house out of sight? The key is to know where to sell an engagement ring.
While you’re at it, why not sell some other items around your house that you don’t use? Decluttering can make you some quick cash, not to mention improve your mental health. You can sell just about anything these days online.
Check out today’s best-selling apps to declutter your home and turn your old stuff into money you can invest.
Comments are closed.
Comments are closed here.