How to Sell Loose Gemstones

If you own loose gemstones, they are likely collecting dust in the back of your jewelry box. Whether you have a small diamond or a large sapphire, you can turn those loose gemstones into additional pocket change. A gemstone’s true value depends on the type of stone, the size and the quality of the gem. Owners of loose gems have myriad of resources for selling the stones either face to face with a local buyer or online.

Locate a gemstone appraiser or a graduate gemologist and ask them to perform a formal appraisal of your gemstones. Query the American Society of Appraisers website to identify an accredited appraiser in your area. A graduate gemologist at a local jewelry store is also capable of providing gemstone appraisals. Once you obtain a professional appraisal, you will be able to sell your gemstones to a buyer for an appropriate price.

Decide on your sales method for the gemstones. Options for gemstones include selling to a local jewelry store or broker, placing an ad in the newspaper or on an advertising site like craigslist.com, or listing the stones on an online auction site like Ebay.com or Overstock.com.

Make an appointment with a local jewelry store that is willing to purchase loose stones and ask them to review your gems. If you do not wish to sell your gemstones to a jeweler, take high-quality photos of the stones from several directions and upload the photos to an online auction site or an advertisement site. Provide a copy of the appraisal information to your prospective customers so that they can review all of the information that is available about the gemstones.

Complete the sale by delivering your gemstones to the local jeweler or shipping the stones to your online customer and accepting their payment. Insure the package if you ship the stones so that you can recoup the money if the gemstones are lost in transit.