• 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.

• 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.

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.

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.

• 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
  • Accredited Gemologists Association, Accredited Senior Gemologists
  • Accredited Gemologists Association, Certified Laboratory
  • Graduate Gemologist, Deutsche Gemmologische Gesselschaft (German Institute for Advanced Professional Training in Gemmology), FGG
  • Double Check Diamond Grader, GIA New York Laboratory

• WE ARE MEMBERS OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS:

  • The American Society of Jewelry Historians, Members
  • Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts, Members
  • American Gem Trade Association, Members
  • Diamond Development Initiative
  • International Colored Stone Association, Member
  • Associate of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain
  • Association of Independent Jewellery Valuers, AIJV
  • Associate of the Scottish Gemmological Association, SGA
  • Candidate Member of the American Society of Appraisers

• WE HAVE DEGREES IN:

  • Art History
  • Geology emphasis: mineralogy of gemstones
  • Fine Art
  • Art and Design
  • Cross-Cultural Communication
  • Communication
  • Education
  • Finance & Marketing
  • Business Administration

• WE CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY:

  • Antique Jewelry University, Founders
  • Mentor for the GG program
  • President of the Global GIA Alumni Association Executive Council (1995 - 2013)
  • Co- presidents of the San Francisco chapter of the GIA Alumni Association, 22 years
  • Active members in our local GIA Alumni Chapter
  • Gemstone pricing advisor/researcher for an industry publication
  • Media adviser for historical jewelry articles
  • Speakers on Antique & Period Jewlery
  • GemologyOnline.com

• WE HAVE SPECIAL INTERESTS IN:

  • Travel to Gem Mining Locations
  • Gems and Gemology
  • Gemological Education of our selves, peers and customers
  • History & Fine Arts relating to jewelry

• We affiliate ourselves with numerous professional organizations.

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.

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.

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.

Yes, we can pay directly to your bank account.

There are many venues to sell your jewelry through. If we can recommend one we will.