When buying precious jewellery, there are certain qualities we all look for. It should be beautiful, it should be meaningful, and it should be timeless. However, there’s one other important factor that may have never crossed your mind; does the piece have lasting value?
Jewellery has the potential to be a great investment. Certain pieces can retain their value, giving you the opportunity to wear something alluring and then resell it for a profit should you need.
That said, not all jewellery is created equal. Ensure you find a stunning piece which could earn you a nice return by following our five golden rules.
1. Stick to classic, timeless designs
Whether you’re buying jewellery as an investment or you simply want the reassurance that your piece will be valuable in the future, it’s important to consider design. You want something you’ll enjoy wearing for years, so timeless designs are a must.
Simple jewellery made from precious metals is the best choice. Not only is there value in the metal itself, but these pieces never go out of style. Think about the lustre and captivating nature of gold. It’s easy to see why we buy gold jewellery as heirlooms and sentimental gifts.
For this reason, at 7879, our jewellery is minimalistic yet elegant. We understand that when you buy gold jewellery, you want something effortlessly wearable. We also know that heavily embellished jewellery can be tricker to resell later.
Trends change quickly. The ostentatious jewellery of the 90s, for example, no longer looks cool or unique. In contrast, a sleek pair of gold hoops have always looked good on everyone, from Marilyn Monroe to Sade.
It’s simplicity that makes pieces like this timeless and resellable.
With this golden rule in mind, whether you want to buy gold jewellery, gemstones, or platinum, look for classic designs with only the lightest of fashionable touches.
2. Buy jewellery made with high-quality materials
It seems obvious to say, but always make sure you’re buying jewellery made from the highest-quality materials if you plan to resell it in the future. This is important for three reasons.
Firstly, your jewellery will look great. Nothing has quite the same allure as gold or platinum. Both metals have a unique radiance which makes you look and feel special. This ensures that you’ll enjoy wearing the pieces before you want to resell them.
Secondly, high-quality materials last longer. By opting for pieces made from pure platinum or gold, you can rest assured they won’t corrode, rust, or tarnish.
All of this means you can keep your pieces in the best condition possible. Then, when you’re considering selling your gold jewellery, you don’t need to worry about it having lost value or having to get it professionally cleaned.
Jewellery is, however, just like any other investment. Its value will fluctuate over time. This is the last reason why buying jewellery made from high-quality metals is important. For example, selling gold jewellery that’s pure is straightforward, as the metal itself has an intrinsic value which is easy to determine.
Gold is also considered to be a safe haven asset. Simply put, this means that the price of gold rarely decreases and, in fact, it’s likely to increase in times of economic downturn. For instance, the price of gold soared during both the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. This unique trait means gold is often seen as a savvy investment.
During both of the crises mentioned above, people struggled financially. The idea of selling gold jewellery, therefore, became more appealing than ever. This is why, if you’re considering buying jewellery as an investment, pieces made from high-quality materials are preferable.
3. Buy jewellery priced by the gram
At 7879, we do things differently by pricing our platinum and pure gold jewellery by the gram. We do this because we believe you should have the best chance of seeing a return on your investment, and you shouldn’t have to pay above the odds for our marketing costs.
When you buy pieces which have been priced based on the weight of the pure gold or platinum they contain, you’re sure to get a more valuable investment. This is because you’re only paying for the precious metal itself and not just for the usual jeweller’s markup.
Always remember that the material is worth more than the design.
Our pricing is also unique as it changes in real-time. Instead of setting an arbitrary price for our pieces, we follow the precise market value of the precious metals they’re made from. This means you can not only buy pure gold jewellery by the gram, but you can also buy it when the price is right for you.
We want you to reimagine buying jewellery to wear and resell. To do that, we need to offer flexibility and transparency.
It's easy for us to say that buying pure gold jewellery is better than investing in gold bullion because you get to wear something beautiful. However, we also understand that, without the finer details, buying jewellery as an investment can seem complicated and risky.
It’s no accident that we have a whole page explaining how investing in jewellery works.
4. Avoid costume jewellery
This tip might also seem self-evident, but it’s one that we see people forget about all the time.
When we talk about costume jewellery, we mean anything that can’t be considered fine jewellery due to the materials. This includes the use of sterling silver, gold plated brass or vermeil.
This is important to know when asking if gold jewellery is a good investment, as gold costume jewellery can be hard to put a price on.
Costume jewellery is generally cheaper than fine jewellery, yet designer brands and marketing companies often trick us into paying premium prices for low-quality jewellery. This started in the 50s when there was a great demand for jewellery seen on Hollywood movie stars. In 2022, we see the same trend with fashion brands such as Chanel, Gucci, and YSL.
You can end up paying a high price for jewellery embellished with a brand logo, while the quality of the jewellery is poor. These pieces are marketed as collectable and exclusive, but, in actual fact, they don’t retain their value. This means you’ll only get back a fraction of what you paid.
When considering what makes gold jewellery a good investment, it always comes down to the quality of the material. For this reason, stick to real, fine jewellery. You don’t want to pay over the odds for a brand or fashionable design.
You simply want something which will always look amazing and which will also be easy to resell.
5. Store your jewellery carefully and take care of it
Fine jewellery is, by definition, delicate and precious. If you’re considering selling your jewellery at a later date, it’s therefore very important to treat it with care.
Damage can impact the value of your pieces. Even if you’re only looking to sell jewellery for the price of the materials, a significant chip or break in your piece could reduce its weight and, therefore, its value.
To keep your jewellery in its best condition, you should always avoid abrasion. Pure metals such as gold or platinum are softer than cheaper alloys, which can mean they’re more likely to dent or scratch. To reduce the opportunity for damage, remove your gold jewellery before activities such as gardening, housework, sports or cooking.
Jewellery should also be cleaned often.
As you wear jewellery, the metal is exposed to sweat, skin oils, cosmetics, soap and other substances. This can dull the brightness of the piece. Luckily, this is an easily solved problem.
You can clean jewellery with a simple solution of warm water and dish soap. Not only is this convenient, but it’s also gentle enough that it won’t cause further damage. Always avoid harsh chemicals and cleaning tools as these can wear down your piece.
Finally, when you you plan on selling jewellery, it’s important to store it safely. You need to find a dry, cool place which isn’t exposed to much sunlight. Jewellery boxes and bags also protect pieces from collecting dust.
If you do decide to buy from 7879, all of our jewellery comes in a suede pouch. This pouch provides the perfect conditions for maintaining lustre.
By following the tips above, you can buy special jewellery to wear now, and you’ll be able to sell it later (hopefully for a profit). If you want to really make sure you can resell your pieces, however, why not check out our collections?
We offer all of our customers the option of using their portfolio to sell back or exchange their 7879 jewellery at any time for the current value of gold or platinum minus our fee. Learn more about how your portfolio works.