Pawn Shop Jewelry
It's thrilling to get a "sneak" at a vintage shop, spa or consignment shop which you may not have bought elsewhere at full cost. But what can you do if you found out that the half-price platinum watch encrusted with diamonds has been a stolen great? Pawnshops have for decades been a place where people go to save a bit of cash (or get some cash). In a time in which a penny saved is a penny earned, discounted used items are flying off the shelves in places such as the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, whose day-to-day surgeries are dramatized on the History channel show Pawn Stars.
Some items, like tools and furniture, are simple to purchase, because their condition can usually be assessed with a comprehensive look-over. A Cartier necklace or a De Beers ring is much more complicated than that. Pawnshop owners are jacks-of-all-trades, not specialists in jewellery. While the family-owned establishment on Pawn Stars will employ an appraiser to set a reasonable price, there is no assurance that stores not appearing on national television will make that effort. Jewelry pricing goes past what the buyer only thinks the item is worth to them, because so many factors are involved with the investment.
Pawnshops lack the comprehensive understanding that jewellery stores can supply about the true face value of a piece. Scratches, clouds, and other flaws on a bead's surface are detectable to a trained eye using a magnifier. Lacking these tools and a dedication to the jewelry profession, a pawnbroker can overlook these imperfections and pass a VVS1 diamond off as an FL one. (If you don't know what that means, ask a jeweler.)
The very nature of a pawnshop could result in the trade of illegal goods. Desperate people see pawnbrokers to find easy money in challenging times. If somebody is behind on their rent, they could give their jewelry up to a pawnshop and also be given a loan that they need to pay off or forfeit the item. All too often, the original source of the piece is someone else who was robbed by the loan seeker. If this is the case, and it's discovered that the thing was stolen, investigators can require it be returned to its rightful owner even after a customer of the store has bought it.
Pawnshops are not the root of all evil; many are run as legitimate businesses. Like any market, the shops vary depending upon the owners and their dedication to serving their clients. If you're searching for real excellent jewelry that will endure and may even give you a return on investment, taking your business to a real jewelry shop is the best choice.