We all go through our jewelry phases. Sometimes we collect special pieces that we hope to have forever. While other times we grab fun costume jewelry that’s on trend at the moment. Over time, your jewelry collection can quickly grow and your style may also change over time. I’ve been guilty of holding on to pieces far longer than I should when I haven’t been wearing them. Just like we may do with our shoes, dresses and jeans, some jewelry trends come and go. And holding on to them for “just in case” moments is taking up space in your jewelry box. So today’s post is all about practical tips on what to do with the old jewelry that you may no longer want.
What To Do With Old Jewelry
Selling Old Jewelry
If the jewelry is not something you’re willing to repurpose or update by resetting it, selling is your next best bet. Plus, there’s not much you may want to do with costume jewelry anyway as there isn’t much value to the jewels to make new pieces out of. So selling them is a great way to recoup some costs and get rid of pieces you are no longer loving.
One of my favorite ways is to sell your jewelry on Poshmark or eBay depending on the value. And also depends on if you prefer one platform over the other. Personally, I find Poshmark to be a bit of a pain and more time consuming and I prefer eBay. But either works to sell some of your old pieces. All you need to do is take some good photos, upload a description and figure out your price. Here are a few other places to sell your old jewelry.
If you’re selling really high-quality pieces or diamonds, there are a few places that may be better than others. Worthy is a great place to sell a diamond like an old engagement ring. And The RealReal would be ideal for any designer jewelry. Think any Tiffany & Co, or Cartier or Chanel.
Where To Sell Old Jewelry
- Poshmark
- The RealReal
- eBay
- Buffalo Exchange
- Worthy – great for diamonds like engagement rings, fine jewelry and other precious stones
Pawning Jewelry
Another option is to bring your pieces into a pawn shop to hopefully get instant cash. You will likely not get as much for your pieces this way. But if you’re in need of cash quickly, and just want to unload your jewelry, this is definitely an option.
Jewelry Consignment
Sometimes posting to Poshmark or eBay can be time-consuming. And not worth your time. So consignment is another option to sell pieces of jewelry you may not want anymore. Any fashion consignment stores will take trendy pieces that they think will sell. How any consignment shop typically works is you provide the items to the store, and they handle the selling. They will take a portion of the sale once it’s sold, and then provide the consigner with a percentage. I’ve seen anywhere from 40% of the sale, down to 5% depending on how long it’s sitting on the shelf. While this isn’t instant money as you do have to wait for the item to sell, typically this will pay out higher than pawning. Plus, you get it out of your house and not having to wait around for it to sell sell on Poshmark and then ship it.
Repurposing Old Jewelry
Repurposing old jewelry is a great way to extend the life of pieces you have. Whether you do a jewelry DIY and have some fun with costume jewelry, of maybe upcycling pieces with a local jeweler to turn your old pieces or broken jewelry into something new.
How To Repurpose Old Jewelry
Vintage jewelry can be really fun but maybe not your personal style. Try repurposing it into something really unique and different if turning it into jewelry isn’t something you may be interested in. Some of these can be fun DIY projects!
- Repurpose as a brooch
- DIY an embellished belt
- Embellish a picture frame
Upcycling Jewelry
Upcycling is a great way to keep precious stones in the family and still get to use them. I did this with some of my diamond pieces from an ex-boyfriend. I turned them into a necklace I now love and wear daily. You can read all about what to do with old diamonds as I did here. This is also a great option for engagement rings, vintage jewelry and more.
Many people think you can melt down gold or silver and then turn it into something else. But unfortunately, it’s not ideal to do this. Instead, it’s best to take any stones out of jewelry that you want to keep and upcycle them into something you love. If you just have gold or silver with no stones, it’s probably best to try to sell, consign or donate.
Donate Your Jewelry
Donating your jewelry to places that may help support women would be such a wonderful way to extend the life of your pieces. There are plenty of incredible charities and programs that would take it like Dress For Success which helps women prepare for the workforce. Or donate more of your fun costume jewelry to a women’s shelter which can be really fun for little girls to play dress up with.
Photo by Hannah Lozano
