Got Gold?

The high price of gold has sent many of us going through our jewelery boxes in search of treasure.  An earring without a mate .. a random gold charm .. a ring that (face it) was always ugly.  How much more delightful to have cash instead!  At the very least, the cash can pay for jewelry repairs to the items we would actualy like to wear.

So, you gather a plastic baggie of your scrap gold — and then what?  There are so many places advertising “WE BUY GOLD,” it’s intimidating!  I actually took the time to visit several, trying to be an intelligent consumer, and I can tell you — prices vary widely.  Your gold pieces are not 100% gold (that would be 24k, which is too soft for jewelery) and nobody will pay 100% of the price of gold (because they need to cover overhead and expenses and make some profit, too).  So typically they’re vague on the weight and then vague on the percentage of the price of gold they’re willing to pay.  The idea is to dazzle you with the promise of instant gratification:  “I’ll write you a check RIGHT  NOW!  You can take that money and spend it on ANYTHING YOU WANT!”

Well, I’ll be glad to tell you where NOT to go — a well-known downtown jewelry store paid dramatically less than the others.  And I’d like to share with you the best place I found.  The owner, James Vincente, pays the top dollar for gold  — plus perks!   One of the perks is a small referral fee for sending someone else to sell their gold, so be sure you mention my name when you go!

The store is Raleigh Fine Jewelery, located in Brier Creek. I suggest you at least include them on your gold-buying survey, if you choose to do one. And take that repair with you, the one that you’ve been meaning to have done for years.  Raleigh Fine Jewelery is a full-service jewelry store that does great work for reasonable prices.  That’s a find in itself!