Jewelry & watches
Some of it you’ll never wear, and can’t bring yourself to sell.
Selling jewelry privately is where people get taken.
Walk into most buyers with an inherited ring and you’ll be offered scrap weight for something that has design value, or told the stones are “commercial grade” before anyone has looked at them properly. It is a market built on the customer not knowing, and the pieces most likely to be undervalued are exactly the ones that came from family.
Donating removes that problem. Pieces are assessed properly and sold through channels suited to what they actually are — designer and signed work, period jewelry, loose stones and scrap gold all go different routes. We provide documentation of what was received, and you take the deduction rather than a lowball offer.
We take gold, silver and platinum in any condition, diamonds and colored stones, loose stones, estate and period jewelry, designer and signed pieces, wristwatches and pocket watches, and the odd single earrings and broken chains people assume are worthless. What they raise goes to medical assistance for families facing bills that arrive without warning, and to keeping households in their homes when one bad month threatens everything.
Agreed first
We assess from photographs before anything ships.
48 hrs
Typical time to hear back from us.
Broken
Damaged and odd pieces still count.
Tell us what you have
One short form. A real person from our team replies within two business days — no obligation, no pressure.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (888) 228‑7320
Four steps, and we do three of them
Nothing ships until we’ve told you what we see and you’ve said go ahead.
1
You photograph it
Daylight, on a plain surface, with any hallmarks or maker’s marks visible if you can find them. Old appraisals and certificates help but aren’t required.
2
We tell you what we see
Within two business days. If a piece looks like it warrants its own appraisal or a specialist auction rather than a general sale, we say so before it moves.
3
Then it ships, insured
Only once we’ve accepted it. We send insured, trackable shipping instructions and, for higher-value pieces, arrange the carrier with you directly.
4
Your paperwork arrives
A receipt on arrival, then documentation of what was received for your deduction.
Questions people ask us about jewelry
Is broken or damaged jewelry worth donating?
Yes. Snapped chains, single earrings, bent settings and watches that stopped years ago all carry value in metal and stones, and some are worth restoring rather than breaking. Don’t sort the “ruined” pieces out before you send them — that judgment is often wrong.
How do I know I’m not being lowballed?
You’re not selling to us, which removes the conflict entirely. We have no incentive to talk a piece down, and if something deserves specialist handling or an independent appraisal, telling you that serves both of us. You take a deduction based on documented value, not on an offer across a counter.
Should I get an appraisal first?
Not necessarily. For most donations our documentation is sufficient. Where you intend to claim more than $5,000, the IRS requires a qualified independent appraisal anyway, arranged and paid for by you — so for a significant piece it is worth doing properly and early.
How do I send it safely?
Not until we’ve accepted the piece — please don’t mail anything before then. Once we’ve agreed, we send insured, trackable instructions, and for higher-value pieces we arrange the carrier with you directly. Donors usually cover the cost of sending a small item in, and that cost is generally deductible to you as part of the gift.
What if you decide you can’t use a piece?
You’ll know before you post anything. We assess from your photographs first, so if a piece isn’t one we can do right by — costume jewelry with no metal value, say, or something where the sale wouldn’t cover the handling — we tell you then, and it never leaves your house. Nothing sits in limbo waiting on an answer.
Can I donate a wedding or engagement ring?
People do, often, and usually after a good deal of thought. There’s no need to explain the circumstances to us. Some donors ask that the ring go toward a specific kind of program, and where we can honor that we will.
More on deductions, paperwork and timing — all donor FAQs
Collectibles with Causes
Our dedicated site covers this category in more depth — hallmarks and metal testing, when a stone warrants certification, and how estate lots are handled. Jewelry donations, appraised and placed
You don’t need it to donate. The form on this page starts everything, and our team handles it from there.
Ready to let someone look at it properly?
Send a photograph. There is no obligation, and nothing ships until you’ve heard back from us.