We are always buying beautiful antique and vintage jewelry--both individual pieces and entire estates and collections. Our website gives you an idea of the variety and breadth of jewelry we buy.
We can pay the highest prices because we market the jewelry directly to the end
user, in our retail store and on our website, both of which attract serious buyers and
collectors from all over the world.
Our dedication to professional service is reflected by our many satisfied clients. We guarantee
a pleasant and successful jewelry selling experience and make every effort to find the perfect
new home for your jewelry.
We buy large and small diamond rings with an emphasis on original
rings from the Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, and Mid-20th Century. We also buy modern
diamonds, especially larger stones and those set into rings signed by prominent jewelers
such as Tiffany & Co. and Cartier.
GEMSTONE RINGS
Colored gemstones appear in every hue of the rainbow. We buy
sapphires, rubies, emeralds, fine jade and pearls as well as virtually every other colored
gemstone, providing they are of fine quality or an element of a fine piece of jewelry.
SIGNED JEWELRY
We also seek out special vintage and estate signed peices by Tiffany
& Co, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Bulgari, Buccellati, David Webb, Seamans
Schepps, Marsh, Georg Jensen, Marcus & Co, Gumps, Oscar Heyman, Mikimoto, J.E. Caldwell.
etc.
OLD CUT DIAMONDS
European and Mine cuts, Asscher Cuts, Cushion Cuts, Pears, Marquise
and Oval Cuts and Emerald Cuts. If you have the original mounting, we buy those too.
Email clear images of the back and front of your jewelry to jewelrybuyer@langantiques.com.
Please make sure to include your contact details and all information you have about the piece.
Appraisals and diamond certificates in particular are helpful. Please read the next sections on this
page for additional details on the process, and for answers to some of the most frequently asked
questions.
Please tell us about your jewelry in your email. We would like to know the metal
and the quality of diamonds and gems where applicable. Include pictures of any appraisals and
lab reports you have. However, as the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Clear
front and back close-up photos taken with a camera or phone will tell us a lot.
Most smart phones produce fairly clear photos, but if you want to get the best photos here are
some helpful tips if using a standard camera. Use the macro feature (not zoom) and set the
jewelry against a light background. Natural light is best, so try photographing your pieces near
a window. Position the camera close to the jewelry to fill the screen as much as possible.
Depress the shutter release halfway for auto focus, and then fully to take the picture. Use high
resolution and send the pictures as JPG attachments.
If you provide clear photos and sufficient information, we can usually give you an offer estimate
in advance of you sending the jewelry. If you do not have any documents, please provide a brief
description including measurements.
SENDING YOUR JEWELRY
If you are interested in sending your piece(s) for an offer we recommend insured
mail, priority or registered with the US Post Office. You can insure a package for up to $5,000
priority and up to $25,000 registered.*
Please address the box to LANG (no Antiques).
Please drop an email to
jewelrybuyer@langantiques.com to let us know it is on the way. While your jewelry is at
Lang it is fully insured by Lloyds of London.
Feel free to call if you have any questions or concerns (800) 924-2213.
* If we have determined your jewelry to have a value of greater than $25,000 we
will get you a certificate of insurance (Lloyds of London) and give you instructions for
shipping.
MORE DETAILS
HOW DO YOU RETURN THE PIECE IF YOU DO NOT MAKE AN OFFER?
If we need to return items to you that you had previously shipped to us for an
offer, we will return fully insured via FedEx 2nd Day or FedEx Priority Overnight with a signature
required. We will coordinate with you so that you are available to sign for the package upon arrival
back to you.
HOW DO WE DETERMINE VALUE?
INTRINSIC VALUE:
Diamonds, colored gemstones and precious metals have value based on the size, quality and
rarity of the gems and the weight and purity of the gold or platinum. Intrinsic value
generally represents the minimum a piece is worth and we generally pay much, much
more.
CRAFTSMANSHIP AND DESIGN
Jewelry from the past is executed with many techniques, usually hand fabricated, with
great attention to detail. The more unique and intricate the design the higher the
value.
DESIRABILITY
Signed jewelry, fine colored stone rings, exquisite examples of period jewelry and larger
antique and estate diamond engagement rings are highly prized today. As always, ever
changing fashion trends influence the demand for certain periods, materials and
gemstones..
RARITY:
Most high-quality antique, vintage and estate jewels are one-of-a-kind. In addition to
being individually hand crafted, some antique and estate jewels are made by famous
jewelers such as Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels and many others. We happily
pay a large premium for fine signed pieces.Often rarity and collectability is predicated
solely on the unique character of the piece.
LARGE DIAMONDS AND GEMS:
If large diamonds and gemstones are highlighted in a fine piece of jewelry they make it
even more rare and valuable.
CONDITION:
We expect to see some signs of wear on antique and estate jewelry. Jewelry in pristine
original condition is rare and commands a premium. Jewelry with apparent alterations,
repairs and restoration can be devalued.
WHO PAYS FOR THE COST OF APPRAISALS, REPAIRS, AND LAB?
Part of the “Process” of evaluating a piece of jewelry for purchase or
consignment is the identification of costs to prepare a piece for sale. We do our best
to be as transparent as possible and keep you informed before and during the preparation
process.
Lang pays for all the costs to prepare a piece for sale, including but not limited to:
tightening loose stones, refinishing, repairs and restoration, re-polishing stones,
laboratory reports, appraisal and professional photography.
If for any reason there are costs associated with the repair and restoration the piece(s) left on
consignment and you take your piece(s) back you are responsible for those costs.
Your signature on the consignment agreement approves the first $150 worth of repairs and
we will get your approval for any additional costs.
If you terminate the consignment agreement before the 120 days has passed we will charge
you for an appraisal and photography fee for the work we have done to prepare your piece
for sale.
If we need to do any repairs or restoration we start the 120 days when the work is
completed.
DO I NEED AN APPRAISAL BEFORE I SEND MY JEWELRY?
No, it is not absolutely necessary, however if you know
the identity, weight and quality of stones and the metal of the jewelry you are interested in
selling we can usually give you a ballpark offer before you send the jewelry. This information is
found in a good appraisal. When we receive the jewelry we perform a gemological evaluation and
either establish this information from scratch or confirm documentation in an existing appraisal. We
do not charge to do this so it is not necessary for you to have an appraisal before you send your
jewelry. However, many customers feel comfortable having this information done before they send
jewelry as it establishes a value for insurance (for shipping) as well as identifying quality.
WHY DO YOU KEEP IT FOR 120 DAYS?
In order to do our best job and have a possibility to
sell your pieces we require 120 days for our consignment agreements. We catalog and appraise the
jewelry in our state of the art gem lab, professional photographs are taken and the jewelry placed
in our store and on our website. This is a time consuming process and it is done at a high
professional level. We also need to give the piece(s) time to have exposure to the maximum amount of
potential buyers.
WHAT ARE YOUR CREDENTIALS?
Credentials And Knowledge
We invite you to compare our credentials and experience against any other jewelry buying
concern in the world today. We have ten full-time Graduate Gemologists on staff with
literally hundreds of years combined experience representing every facet of the jewelry
industry.
Gemological Laboratory & Library:
We are equipped with a state-of-the-art Certified Gemological Laboratory (certified by
The Accredited Gemologists of America), as well as an extensive gemological and jewelry
research library. Lang is also the main sponsor and content provider of AntiqueJewelryUniversity.org (A.J.U),
the internet's foremost repository of jewelry knowledge and information.
Experience
Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry is an historic jewelry institution, continuously in
operation for over 50 years.
LANG CREDENTIALS INCLUDE:
Graduate Gemologists, Gemological Institute of America
Distinguished (FGA) Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain
National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, Senior and Certified Members
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET AN OFFER ONCE YOU HAVE MY JEWELRY?
Usually it takes 24 – 48 hours for us to give you
an offer. It can also take longer if your collection is large and complicated or we need to get
restoration estimates and watchmaker consultations.
GENERAL FAQ
DIRECT SALES OR CONSIGNMENT?
Direct Sale:
Simple. Once you accept our offer we will email you a document to sign and have notarized (as
required by law). As soon as you email or mail it back we will pay you as per your payment
preference either a check or bank ACH transfer, whichever you prefer.
CONSIGNMENT
We consider jewelry for consignment as well as
outright purchase. If your jewelry is a candidate for consignment you will get a higher offer than
for an outright purchase.
HOW DOES CONSIGNMENT WORK?
We take pieces on consignment that we believe are a match
for our store and have a good chance of selling. Our consignment agreements are for a minimum of 120
days. We agree to a consignment price as part of the agreement prior to our selling it. This price
is your net. On most consignment pieces we also make a buy anytime offer in case you should decide
to sell your piece instead of keeping it on consignment. If the 120 days passes and the piece has
not sold you are welcome to keep it on consignment until it sells, sell it for the buy anytime price
or have it returned to you.
DO YOU BUY JEWELRY THAT NEEDS REPAIR?
We will always consider jewelry that needs repairs. If we
consider a piece too worn to have another life with a new owner we will consider it for it’s
intrinsic value or pass on the opportunity to buy it. We do not buy scrap gold.
I SEE MY PIECE HAS SOLD ONLINE. WHEN DO I GET PAID?
There are many reasons why your piece says sold online.
It is sold. You will be paid 30 days after it has been sold (we have a 30 day
exchange policy). We normally send a check unless you have made other arrangements
for payment.
A deposit has been taken and a sale is pending.
It is on courtesy hold.
CAN YOU SEND PAYMENT TO MY BANK DIRECTLY?
Yes, we can pay directly to your bank account.
I AM NOT SELLING MY JEWELRY. CAN YOU GIVE ME A VALUE FOR IT?
Sorry, we can only value items we have seen in person. We recommend that you take your
jewelry to a professional appraiser to have your jewelry evaluated. If you do not get your
appraisal in writing it is only an opinion.
We do not offer appraisal services at this time.
IF MY JEWELRY IS NOT A MATCH FOR LANG WHERE SHOULD I SELL IT?
There are many venues to sell your jewelry through. If we
can recommend one we will.
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