How We Value Items

At Family Jewelry & Loan, we buy, sell, trade and pawn a wide range of merchandise. We use a variety of tools to determine an item’s value which depends on what type of item it is, the working condition of the item, and if the item is new or pre-owned. In the end, our goal is to insure that our customers receive the best deal and the most money for their merchandise.

APPRAISAL OF GOLD, DIAMONDS AND OTHER JEWELRY

There are a few methods that we use at Family Jewelry & Loan in order to authentic your precious diamonds and metals. Before we start the appraisal and authentication process, we will walk you through these procedures in the store to make sure you understand the process. Once you are familiar with the procedure, we will examine your item using a jeweler’s loupe, which is a small magnifying glass to get a closer look at your jewelry. Next, we will weigh your item and determine its size based on the carat weight and apply the rest of the 4 C method. The four C method applies to diamonds in which we examine its carat weight, cut, color, and clarity. And finally, we test gold, silver and other metals using an acid to conclude the karat of the metal. This process is 100% safe for your jewelry and no damage will occur. The acid process is done solely to ensure that your item is authentic.

GENERAL MERCHANDISE

The method we use at Family Jewelry & Loan for general merchandise, such as electronics, antiques, video games, tools, and musical instruments, is different than it is for gold, diamonds and other jewelry. While each type of general merchandise has distinct characteristics, our appraisers go about valuing items in a similar manner. This inspection includes: a visual examination, plugging in or turning on an item to make sure that it is functional, and noting any accessories that are included with the item. In addition to the visual inspection, the market value of the item is also taken into consideration when valuing your item. Every item has a market value and depending on whether the market looks like it will rise, fall or maintain, this will be a determining factor in the price.

Family Jewelry & Loan 422 N. Green Bay Road (224) 944-0728 Open Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm