Below, we explain our top 5 reasons why you should consider pre-owned jewellery the next time you’re looking for something special. If you already buy pre-owned jewellery, you may learn something you hadn’t considered before - and if you’re firmly in the ‘new jewellery only’ camp, we certainly hope to give you some food for thought.
1. You get more for your money
No matter what your budget is, buying a pre-owned piece can often get you much more for your money. As with other ‘big ticket’ items such as cars, brand new electronics and even houses, jewellery depreciates in value as soon as it has an owner. Even a nearly new piece can depreciate in value by 20%-40% by the time it is sold on, giving those who buy pre-owned a financial advantage.
When you look at what your budget can achieve when buying new vs second-hand, you are likely to find that you can afford a better quality of precious metal and diamonds/other gemstones if you are looking at composite pieces. Getting more for your money is something we all want to achieve no matter whether we’re buying groceries or one-off luxury items, so why not take advantage of the savings?
2. You have a wider choice of styles
The range of second-hand jewellery pieces available is huge, as a well-made piece can easily outlast multiple generations if looked after properly. With this in mind, a single pre-owned jewellery seller can offer pieces from almost any decade of the 20th century as well as even earlier pieces, giving you a wide variety of designs to choose from.
Fashions and trends change all the time, and this is also applied to jewellery. For example, if you are a fan of pale metals, pearls and diamonds, a piece dating to the 1920s is likely to fit the bill. However, if you prefer larger pieces with yellow gold and/or coloured gemstones, the 1970s produced many striking designs along these lines. Some pieces which would have been considered very fashion forward in the 1920s – 1960s can have very modern features, with geometric and linear stone settings. Buying pieces like this can allow you the best of both worlds – classic designs which stand the test of time but which still look modern enough to really make an impact here in the 21st century.
3. You retain more of the value upon resale
As mentioned above, the value of jewellery reduces considerably once it is no longer ‘brand new’. However, this does not mean that the value will continue to depreciate with each consecutive owner. Every piece of precious jewellery will retain its intrinsic value of the precious metals and/or stones used, and as trends come and go may even become more valuable due to current trends and the age of the piece itself. Due to this, you’re likely to retain more of the value of a second-hand piece than a new one. This means that you’ll ‘lose’ a smaller percentage of cash upon resale than if you were to re-sell a piece you bought from new.
For the financially-minded, this represents a shrewder investment and can ensure that you don’t lose out too much from depreciation.
4. You don’t contribute to environmental damage and human suffering
The mining of precious metals, diamonds and other gemstones can have a huge impact on the environment, not to mention the issues surrounding human rights in some areas where these materials are mined. While the conflicts in Sierra Leone and Angola – which unfortunately produced many ‘blood diamonds’ – are over, the issue surround conflict diamonds still exists in other parts of the world. By buying second-hand jewellery, you are not contributing to the demand for newly-mined materials, and you are not contributing to further environmental destruction.
If you are buying new jewellery which contains diamonds, always ask for evidence that they have been sustainably mined and that they have not been produced in conflict areas. If you want to keep your carbon footprint to a minimum and protect other human beings, then buying second-hand jewellery is the way to go – it’s the only way to be 100% sure that you are not directly contributing to these negative and unfortunate aspects of the industry.
5. You can own a piece of history - and preserve it for the future
Buying an older piece of jewellery means that you’re buying quality – if it has survived for this long in good condition then there is no reason why it cannot last much, much longer, giving you the chance to pass it on to the next generations of your family. Every piece of pre-owned jewellery has a story, and the history of a piece can make for a really interesting talking point. Of course, you are unlikely to know exactly what a pre-owned piece has witnessed in its time, but that’s part of the mystery and the fun of it.
Some would argue that owning a vintage or antique piece is a responsibility – this is a piece of history in which you can play a big part; by ensuring that it is looked after until it is time for it to go to someone else. Preserving history is important for many reasons, and future generations will always be thankful for valuables which have been looked after well and which give them an insight into their pasts.
Where can I buy pre-owned jewellery?
Here at H&T Pawnbrokers, we sell a wide range of pre-owned jewellery pieces in all of our retail stores as well as in our dedicated online jewellery store. The jewellery we sell can be very old, very new or somewhere in-between; giving our customers a huge amount of choice when it comes to the precious metals used, the type of diamonds or gemstones included and the general design.
We understand that hygiene can be a concern for those who do not tend to buy pre-owned jewellery. Thankfully, precious metals and stones are extremely easy to sanitise so that the piece is ‘as new’ where cleanliness is concerned. All jewellery items sold by us have been thoroughly cleaned and restored to their full glory before being made available. So what are you waiting for? Give pre-owned jewellery a try the next time you want to treat yourself or someone you love.
