Gemstones come in all shapes, forms and colors. With multiple record-setting gemstone sales occurring in the past few months, it’s clear that the secondhand market for stones is only continuing to grow.

Whether you are looking to sell a gifted piece of designer gemstone jewelry, get rid of jewelry you no longer wear, upgrade your collection or simply make some extra cash, selling your designer gemstone jewelry doesn’t have to be a stressful venture. With the right preparation, selling your designer gemstone jewelry can be a satisfying, lucrative undertaking.

Get answers to the following:

What are the most popular gemstones?
How much is my designer gemstone jewelry worth
Where can I sell my designer gemstone jewelry for the best price
What designer gemstone jewelry can I sell
How do I sell my designer gemstone jewelry online

What Are The Top 12 Most Popular Gemstones?

Diamond – The most popular gemstone on the market, diamonds come in a wide range of colors, cuts, shapes, and sizes.
Ruby – Found all over the world, including Myanmar, Vietnam, Mozambique, and Brazil, rubies are desired for their red color and durable nature.
Sapphire – Ranging in color from blue to pink to yellow and more, sapphires are prized for their rarity and historical significance.
Emerald - Made from the mineral beryl, emeralds are best defined by their green hue, which stems from trace amounts of chromium and vanadium within the beryl.
Amethyst – A form of the gemstone quartz, amethyst was known as the “Gem of Fire” in Ancient times.
Topaz - Topaz gemstones, found in colors such as blue, green and orange, are well-known for their hardness and durability
Citrine – Especially popular during Roman times and the Art Deco period of the 20^th century, citrine is the golden-yellow variety of quartz.
Aquamarine – The green/blue variety of beryl, aquamarine stones are often found in very large uncut sizes.
Quartz – Quartz, a popular stone since antiquity, comes in many different forms, including citrine and amethyst.
Rubellite- Found in Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Brazil, rubellite is the pink and red form of tourmaline.
Tourmaline – Thought to promote healing, tourmaline gemstones are found in a variety of colors.
Tanzanite – Mined at only one location in Tanzania, Tanzanite is a rare and stunning gem.

How Much Is My Designer Gemstone Jewelry Worth?

Before you begin the process of selling your designer gemstone jewelry, it can be helpful to have some expectations about price in mind. Due to high mark-ups across the jewelry industry, designer gemstone jewelry will typically fetch about 20%-25% of their original retail value.

High operating costs such as rent, wages, marketing, etc. mean that jewelry companies heavily mark up their goods in order to turn a profit. Still, the ultimate value of your item on the secondhand market will largely depend on the following characteristics:

Designer: What brand is your designer gemstone jewelry? Tiffany? Cartier?
Metal Type: Yellow gold, white gold, platinum etc.
The 4 C’s: The 4 C’s (color, clarity, cut, and carat weight) have a large impact on the worth of your item.
Color: Color often has the largest effect on the price of your typically. The most desirable color depends greatly on the type of stone.
Clarity: Clarity refers to the number of inclusions, or flaws, that your gemstone has. Many gemstones have inclusions, but the value of your item can change greatly based on the size, appearance, and type of inclusion. Typically, the more visible the inclusions, the less desirable your item is, and thus the less valuable on the secondhand market.
Cut: Cut can drastically affect the appearance of the gemstone. High quality cuts can minimize inclusions and maximize a stone’s color and visual appeal.
Carat Weight: Generally, the greater the carat weight, the more valuable your gemstone is.
Rarity: The rarer the type of gemstone, the greater it’s worth.
Condition: If your designer gemstone jewelry is chipped, cracked, or otherwise in poor condition, it may have a negative impact on its price.
Brand: Certain brands have greater resale value than others, such designer gemstone jewelry from Tiffany & Co. and Cartier
Market Conditions – The market conditions at the time of sale can have a large impact on your item’s price. Certain styles or types of designer gemstone jewelry may be more in demand at the time of sale, and thus able fetch a higher price.
Treatment – Gemstones are sometimes artificially treated in order to improve their appearance.

Some common treatments include dyeing (a process in which dye Is introduced to the gem to enhance its color), fracture filling (gemstones are filled with materials like glass, oil, or wax to minimize the appearance of inclusions), heating (gems are heated to remove discolorations and improve the stone’s color), irradiation (exposing a gemstone to radiation to alter its color), and others. Treated designer gemstone jewelry are less desirable than natural ones and thus less valuable.

Origin: Depending on the type of gemstone, the origin may be a factor in its value. Gemstones from a particular region will have a similar appearance, often containing the same types of inclusions and a similar color. If your gemstone hails from specific region that regularly produces high-quality, visually appealing stones, then it will likely be more valuable than if it hailed from a region known for its lesser quality stones.

What Are The Most Valuable Gemstone Origins?

Ruby – Burma
Sapphire –Kashmir, Burma, Madagascar
Emerald – Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe
Amethyst – Zambia, Brazil, Uruguay
Topaz – Brazil
Citrine – Brazil
Aquamarine – Pakistan, Brazil
Green Quartz – Brazil, USA
Rubellite – Brazil
Tourmaline - Brazil
Tanzanite - Tanzania

Where Can I Sell Designer Gemstone Jewelry For The Best Price?

Some of the most popular ways to sell branded gemstone jewelry include:

Selling in-person: Jewelers and pawnshops are two of the most common ways to sell your designer gemstone jewelry in-person. Though it can be convenient to sell your item locally, selling to someone like a jeweler will fetch a low price unless you sell on consignment. Consignment can be a long process with high fees and no guarantee of sale. Additionally, pawn shop owners will likely not know the particularities of the market for your jewelry and may simply be looking to sell your item to a specialized dealer in order to make a quick profit—profit you could have kept for yourself.
Selling online directly to consumers: Websites like eBay and Craiglist are user-friendly ways to sell your designer gemstone jewelry online. Still, it can be incredibly difficult to price your item competitively without expert knowledge, and you will likely unknowingly receive a low price.
Selling online to specialist jewelry buyers: Online specialist buyers like myGemma offer a quick and easy service for selling your designer gemstone jewelry. Whether you are selling a Tiffany sapphire necklace or a Cartier ruby ring- myGemma is here to help. Our designer jewelry gemstone specialists have the knowledge and expertise to offer you fair and competitive prices.

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What Designer Gemstone Jewelry Can I Sell?

myGemma purchases a variety of designer gemstone jewelry in different colors, cuts, and sizes. We are interested in gemstones that meet the following criteria:

Round white diamonds: 0.2 carats or more
Fancy Shaped (i.e. non round) White Diamonds: 0.5 carats or more
Colored Diamonds: 0.5 carats or more, GIA-certified
Sapphires, Rubies, Emeralds and other gemstones: that are set in designer jewelry such as Tiffany, Cartier, David Yurman etc.