What Happens to Diamonds and Precious Stones When I Sell My Gold?

If you're looking to sell an old engagement ring, an inherited brooch or a pendant, there's a good chance the piece contains diamonds, rubies, sapphires or other gemstones.

One of the most common questions we get at OroSeguro is: "Do I get paid for the diamonds, and what happens to them when I send my jewellery in?"

The jewellery industry can sometimes be secretive about this, but we believe in 100% transparency. Here is the honest truth about how precious stones are handled when you sell your gold jewellery in Spain.

The difference between gold value and gemstone value

To understand how your jewellery is appraised, it helps to know how the global markets work.

Gold is a liquid commodity. Its price is tracked globally every single day, and it retains its intrinsic value no matter what shape it is in.

Gemstones, on the other hand, are highly subjective. While large, high-clarity, certified diamonds hold significant resale value, the vast majority of small gemstones (often called "melee" diamonds), tiny rubies, or semi-precious stones have very little to no resale value on the secondary market. They are incredibly difficult and costly to extract, recut, and resell.

Because of this, most mail-in gold buyers and physical "Compro Oro" shops purchase your jewellery strictly for its precious metal content (the gold, platinum, or palladium).

How we value jewellery with stones attached

When your jewellery arrives at the OroSeguro lab, our primary goal is to give you the highest possible payout for your precious metal. Here is our exact process when an item contains stones:

1. Purity testing — we first use our professional XRF technology to determine the exact karat (purity) of the gold holding the stones.
2. Weight estimation — we weigh the entire piece, then our expert appraisers calculate the estimated weight of the stones and subtract that from the total weight.
3. The offer — we make you a firm, competitive cash offer based purely on the exact weight and purity of the gold itself.

What should you do with the stones?

Because most standard gemstones do not add financial value to your payout, we strongly recommend evaluating what the stones mean to you before you send your pack.

• If the stones have sentimental value — take the piece to a local jeweller and have the stones professionally removed before you send the gold to us. You can keep the diamonds or gems to be reset into a new piece in the future.
• If you don't care about the stones — send the piece exactly as it is. Our team will handle the calculation and offer you the highest market rate for the gold. Note that any stones left in the jewellery are generally discarded or destroyed during the metal melting and recycling process if the offer is accepted.

Sell your gold with complete confidence

You should never feel in the dark when selling your valuables. At OroSeguro we provide a detailed breakdown of your valuation over the phone so you understand exactly how we arrived at your offer.

If you decide you'd rather keep the piece or remove the stones first, you are under absolutely no obligation to accept. We will safely return your jewellery to your door, fully insured, at no cost to you.