What do you all do with the jewelry you find?

[NightHawk88]

I'm relatively new to the hobby, about 6 months in...

So far I've amassed about 20 or so rings and other random earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Most are probably total junk, costume jewelry, kids rings etc.

No gold ones so far (except couple fakeos or low carat / plated) but have about 5-8 that are stamped 925 or sterling silver. Again probably not worth anything but really have no idea. I've heard of people melting them down for the silver but not sure that's worth it??

My question is what do ya'll do with the jewelry you find?
- Sell them somewhere? (Jewler? Pawn shop? Ebay?)
- Melt em down?
- Clean em? (how?)
- Throw em in a bin and add em to the collection?
- Give em away?

Simple answer is I guess I need to learn more about jewelry because I know close to nothing.

But any discussion on this topic would be much appreciated.

- Thanks,
NightHawk

 

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[tamrock]

You can always post pictures of what you find. Seems you're unsure of what you have, so it might first be best to get some opinions here. You might have a piece of silver jewelry that wouldn't be worth much by weight, but it could be worth more because of who made it.

 

[bc5391]

 

[Bucket Lister]

I'm relatively new to the hobby, about 6 months in...

Likewise.

So far I've amassed about 20 or so rings and other random earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Most are probably total junk, costume jewelry, kids rings etc.

So far, I've amassed bupkis.

My question is what do ya'll do with the jewelry you find?
- Sell them somewhere? (Jewler? Pawn shop? Ebay?)
- Melt em down?
- Clean em? (how?)
- Throw em in a bin and add em to the collection?
- Give em away?

- Attempt to return them to owners?

In general (from articles, posts, vids) I'd say any/all of the above--it depends. (I'll bet you knew I was going to say that... 😏)

One 'depend' (IMO) is how & where you found a thing. On private property permissions, everything belongs to the property owner, so it might depend on your arrangement with them. On public property, waterways, etc. I think it's pretty much finders-keepers, but I'd make sure of laws & such.

It also depends on what you're in this (metal detecting) for.

Personally, I don't have the knowledge, experience, or means to melt anything down.

 

[NightHawk88]

- Attempt to return them to owners?

In general (from articles, posts, vids) I'd say any/all of the above--it depends. (I'll bet you knew I was going to say that... 😏)

One 'depend' (IMO) is how & where you found a thing. On private property permissions, everything belongs to the property owner, so it might depend on your arrangement with them. On public property, waterways, etc. I think it's pretty much finders-keepers, but I'd make sure of laws & such.

Yea, I haven't hunted any private property yet. Working my way up that still. Was strictly talking about only public property finds, parks, sidewalks, medians, etc. Haven't found any rings yet that were engraved or anything that I could even attempt to return.

 

[Bucket Lister]

Yea, I haven't hunted any private property yet. Working my way up that still. Was strictly talking about only public property finds, parks, sidewalks, medians, etc. Haven't found any rings yet that were engraved or anything that I could even attempt to return.

Out there you may even have to deal with HOAs--IDK. 🤢

 

[pepperj]

It really depends on what you want to do.
Let's call it your end game.
Sort of starts at the beginning.
Why?
Why did start detecting in the first place?

What are the bucket list of what you'd like to find.
Main interest: Coin shooting
Bling
Relics
Does not matter.

All this comes to what to do with it all.
Collecting
Profit
Just the thrill of digging up something.

Junk jewelry is just that and has little value.

Silver is silver and granted it takes a pile of it to be worth anything.
Gold is gold.
Get some jars or something.
Sort
When you see a artesian that has unique things.
Just ask them if they're interested if they'd be interested in the finds to make something.
Giving it away is better than trashing it.
Junk jewelry and young kids it's a hit.

 

[pepperj]

Out there you may even have to deal with HOAs--IDK. 🤢

You use TMAIYP
(Too many acronyms in your posts)
You must do alot of social media.

 

[Bucket Lister]

You use TMAIYP
(Too many acronyms in your posts)
You must do alot of social media.

Guilty.
None, but I've been around a while (early Usenet).
Wiki says you have HOAs (Home Owners Associations), but...

In Canada, homeowner associations are subject to stringent provincial regulations and are thus quite rare compared to the United States. However in recent decades, HOAs have infrequently been created in new subdivision developments in Alberta and Ontario.

They're HUGE in AZ erm... excuse me... Arizona. 😝

 

[NightHawk88]

Guilty.
None, but I've been around a while (early Usenet).
Wiki says you have HOAs (Home Owners Associations), but...

They're HUGE in AZ erm... excuse me... Arizona. 😝

Yea I stay away from the HOA parks and lots. They are quite sensitive.

 

[NightHawk88]

View attachment 2166378

Turquoise ring and marble look nice!

 

[pepperj]

Turquoise ring and marble look nice!

Green Turquoise is quite popular from Nepal/Tibet regions.
Hard to get a good look at the outside setting if it's roped or beaded.
It might be another type of stone.
The green has inclusions, color, surface.

Early 90s rings I bought.

 

[NightHawk88]

Ok so I think the consensus of this thread is you just throw the medium to low grad ones in a bin and forget about it.

Let's say you do find a nice gold or platinum ring or a wedding band or one with a fat rock in it.

Then what do you do? Sell it somewhere? How?

 

[pepperj]

Ok so I think the consensus of this thread is you just throw the medium to low grad ones in a bin and forget about it.

Let's say you do find a nice gold or platinum ring or a wedding band or one with a fat rock in it.

Then what do you do? Sell it somewhere? How?

Now there comes another twist.
If you are married the bling rings have a way of getting - how would I say it?
Taken, borrowed, gifted, used as brownie points🤣

Collection, scrapped, resold.
Who buys-private, pawn, jewelry stores, smelters.

Biggest part of the equation in all of these suggestions is you need to find some first.

Best of luck in your hunting.
The best part of all of it, is the hunt.

 

[ARC]

Green Turquoise is quite popular from Nepal/Tibet regions.
Hard to get a good look at the outside setting if it's roped or beaded.
It might be another type of stone.
The green has inclusions, color, surface.

Early 90s rings I bought.

View attachment 2166414

Wanna sell em ?

 

[bc5391]

Turquoise ring and marble look nice!

Little Buda is gold, just under an ounce, some illegal must have been upset.

 

[bc5391]

Green Turquoise is quite popular from Nepal/Tibet regions.
Hard to get a good look at the outside setting if it's roped or beaded.
It might be another type of stone.
The green has inclusions, color, surface.

Early 90s rings I bought.

View attachment 2166414

Love that collection of turquoise

 

[Bucket Lister]

Let's say you do find a nice gold or platinum ring or a wedding band or one with a fat rock in it.

Then what do you do? Sell it somewhere? How?

I'll let you know as soon as I find one. 😏
(But don't hold your breath...) 😁

Seriously, it's going to depend on your 💲ituati💍n, priorities, and sensibilities.

If you're sure it's valuable, I'd get an appraisal from a reputable jeweler.
As to how to sell it, I'd search how to sell jewelry and do some reading. 😉

 

[Gare]

I have plastic containers i can put like 25 or 30 in and just keep them till I forget where i have them stored

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Ok so I think the consensus of this thread is you just throw the medium to low grad ones in a bin and forget about it.

Let's say you do find a nice gold or platinum ring or a wedding band or one with a fat rock in it.

Then what do you do? Sell it somewhere? How?

The value is in the metal, most diamond rings are not worth much beyond the melt value of the metal (gold, platinum, silver)

People think diamond rings are worth more but unless the stone is solitare diamond of high quality the value is in the melt value of gold.

Now it may be worth a lot more in "brownie points" to a wife or girlfriend. My wife gets first choice on all my finds, she has kept 6 of the diamond rings that I found so far.😁