I hope you enjoy this blog post.
If you want us to appraise your luxury watch, painting, classic car or jewellery for a loan, click here.
Top 6 Brands of Fine Jewellery You can Loan Against at Luxury Pawn Shops
1. Graff
Diamond jewellery created by Graff jewellers features distinctive pieces which beautifully integrate modern design with traditional craftsmanship. Knowing how sought after Graff diamond jewellery is and the high likelihood you will never be able to replace an item, you may be, understandably, reluctant to sell your Graff jewellery.
Laurence Graff himself said, “I was born to be amongst diamonds.” Contemporary Graff earrings and necklaces come in an abundance of cuts and designs; white diamonds, yellow diamonds, rose diamonds. Countless flawless and elegant gemstones decorate the most sensational jewellery. Graff’s yellow diamonds are said to be some of the oldest in the world, over 3.2 billion years in the making. But Graff is always looking to the future too, keeping the customers’ needs in mind, mixing tradition with high-tech to produce heirlooms of the future, worthy of investment vs. competitors like Cartier.
Experience tells us that a pair of Graff yellow and gold diamond drop earrings could be worth over one million pounds, both at auction, and at pawn shops. A large diamond pendant might retail for anything upwards of £1.5 million. In 2010, a 24.78-carat Graff pink diamond sold at Sotheby’s Geneva for $46.2 million (or roughly £40.3 million). Similarly, a Graff Fancy Yellow Diamond Ring sold by Fellow Auctioneers went for a record-breaking £1,307.600 making it perhaps one of the most expensive yellow diamond rings ever sold.
2. Van Cleef & Arpels
The Van Cleef & Arpels Parisian jewellery house sells jewellery to specialist jewellers in many European cities including London, Rome and of course Paris. Their pieces are also highly sought after in the Middle East, by both individual buyers, boutiques, pawn shops and vast numbers of Arabian royalty.
Renowned for the high clarity and superbly cut diamonds in intricate settings, Van Cleef & Arpels diamond jewellery is famous for designs inspired by nature and often used as collateral for loans at pawn shops. Celebrated jewellery collections such as the Alhambra®, Perlée™ or Frivole® are created from a myriad of exquisite small, sparkling diamonds, using its patented ‘Mystery Set’ method. Highly sought after, a Mystery Set Deux Fleurs clip brooch, by Van Cleef & Arpels, with ruby, emerald and diamond was sold by Christie’s in London. This rare brooch reached an astounding price of £235,250 on 29 November 2011.
More modern Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery featuring colourful, bejewelled petals in full bloom, dainty miniature forest creatures, four-leaved clovers and other dreamlike emblems can be assessed for market value against the maker’s own online resources. Van Cleef and Arpels has a distinct, recognisable, high-quality persona. Being able to lend on a Van Cleef and Arpels piece from such a beautiful range of jewellery is quite frankly a privilege for any luxury pawnbroker. From leather-strapped, delicate watches, to dainty butterfly bracelets, floral necklaces, and charms, there’s an option to borrow funds on most pieces from each Van Cleef & Arpels collection – depending on various valuation criteria.
The most important valuation factors are:
1. Material type:
- Yellow
- White
- Rose
- Platinum gold
2. Stone
The stonepresent within the necklace, watch, bracelet or other fine piece. As an example, when appraising your Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery pawnbrokers tend to use the following fine gemstones as criteria:
Diamond
Diamonds are classic, exquisite gems which never go out of style, and are present in collections such as the Perlée diamonds range. This includes highly sought-after pendants, bracelets, earrings and rings, mostly entwined with stunning gold.
Ruby
A dazzling red gem found in many of the Solitaire rings, which can be valued at several hundred thousand pounds depending on the condition. The floral Van Cleef & Arpels Folie des Prés collection also features these regal gems, created to celebrate the beauty of wildflowers and the harmony of nature; a real selling point when visiting high-end pawn shops.
Sapphire
Shades of deep, enchanting blue make sapphire a rigid choice. As well as classic Solitaire rings, the Brume de Saphir earrings, as part of Van Cleef & Arpels’s Palmyre collection, are a hint to the enchanting shades of the ocean and are hand-crafted with delicate gems. If you own a pair, they can release over a hundred thousand pounds in capital, when in good condition.
Emerald
Deep emerald green is an exotic, sought-after gemstone which oozes elegance in many forms. Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery which includes emeralds consist of historic pieces, as well as the Pomme de pin clip, which is a timeless addition to the collection and can be pawned for a terrific value when presented in solid condition.
3. The 4Cs + an additional one!
Pawnbrokers will always take into account the four Cs of any diamond gemstone when deciding on a loan price, but bear in mind, Van Cleef & Arpels prides itself on taking this to the next level. They have introduced a self-imposed constraint in the form of ‘Character’, taking it up to a 5Cs grading scheme.
4. Other
The value of Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery at pawn shops heavily depends not just on competitiveness with other businesses, or current market value, but also on the condition of the piece at hand. Rarer pieces will, of course, be harder to sell, but can come at a greater price.
Although it can often be quite subjective for some shops, if you have a popular piece which is several years old, and isn’t in the best condition, it can hinder the price. For example, medium-sized Cosmos earrings were originally bought for approx. £70,000, with several years of wear without the original packaging, can be pawned for £20,000, resulting in a -70% deduction. Alternatively, high jewellery in fabulous condition can be pawned for near to, if not the same amount as originally sold for, even when purchased several years ago. So it really does pay to keep items such as original packaging, boxes, and jewellery pouches.
Finally, finer varieties of diamonds can also sometimes come with a laboratory report, special certificates from the GIA, HRD (Diamond High Council), and Gem Lab – all of which will confirm the authenticity of your Van Cleef & Arpels Jewellery, allowing pawnbrokers to estimate borrowing levels better.
3. Bulgari
Unicode
Greek-born jeweller Sotirio Bulgari began selling his exquisite designs in Rome in the late 19th century. The coveted trinkets quickly became renowned across the world and are popular today among international royalty and celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Rihanna and Princess Marie José of Belgium.
Some of the most iconic Bulgari diamond jewellery pieces regularly fetch sky-high prices at auction and pawn shops, such as an eight-carat and blue diamond FancyVivid ring purchased for $18.3 million at Christie’s in New York in December 2018; and Elizabeth Taylor’s diamond and sapphire sautoir, which sold for $5,906,500 in 2011.
In brief, haute couture Bulgari diamond jewellery exudes sophistication and luxury. Famously purchased by Elizabeth Taylor, Rihanna and Princess Marie José of Belgium, Bulgari diamond jewellery is always in demand at pawn shops and auction houses. To this end, you may be reluctant to part with your much-loved jewellery and choosing to borrow against it offers you another way to release capital.
4. Harry Winston
Professional pawnbrokers are always happy to provide loans on Harry Winston Diamond Jewellery, rings, diamonds, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and others – based on an understanding of its true worth at auction houses. This pedigree and creative flair ensured that in 2018, of the $906 million worth of jewellery sold at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, the premier pieces were those created by the House of Harry Winston. This interest is worldwide. Two dramatic and bold Harry Winston diamond necklaces sold for $324,500 and $492,500 at Bonhams New York in the Autumn of 2018.
This is, of course, one of the most aspirational names in the world of fine jewellery. In fact, Harry Winston is sometimes referred to colloquially as “The King of Diamonds”.
The origins of the business lie with Harry Winston’s Ukrainian father, who started a jewellery firm after emigrating to the USA. Harry Winston learnt much from this and started his own business in 1920. Just 12 years later, he already had a much-acclaimed New York store.
From here, the House of Harry Winston blossomed, for many decades driven by the founder’s family and more recently by a global company. Such as the jewellery firm’s close affinity to the global diamond industry, it has managed to acquire individual stones and collections of the highest order. Including the historic Hope Diamond which was gifted to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958.
The iconic Harry Winston brand continues to produce some of the most exquisite rings, necklaces, earrings and jewellery sets, but also classic watches of the highest quality – all highly desirable at pawn shops. Our collateral lending service on Harry Winston Jewellery is discreet, and we aim to provide you with an injection of cash within 24 hours.
5. Tiffany
Tiffany & Co is potentially the best-known jewellery company across the world, yet its origins lie in stationery and $1,000 worth of seed money! In 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B Young launched a high-end goods and stationery store in New York, thanks to financial support from Charles’ father. It quickly began to specialise in jewellery that emphasised clear quality, in contrast to the garish excess of the Victorian era. Indeed, Tiffany was the first US company to adopt the British silver standard that required the use of metal that was at least 92% pure.
From this basis, Charles Lewis Tiffany and his fine jewellery company became a strong force in sales of gems and jewellery collections in the US and Europe. This includes the purchase of one-third of the French Crown Jewels in 1887.
Under the founders’ successors, the company continued to create unique and stunningly beautiful pieces, influencing the entire industry by experimenting with coloured gemstones to support the finest diamonds. The company’s innovation extends to launching its own metal alloy, Rubedo. You can research more of the company’s antecedence on its website.
This timelessly aspirational brand regularly lists at leading auction houses and pawn shops, including individual Tiffany brooches, necklaces, pendants and earrings; or items that form part of larger prestigious jewellery collections.
In 2018, a diamond and opal earring set by Tiffany & Co sold for $75,000 (more than triple its $20,000 top estimate) at auction at Sotheby’s.
A stunning late-19th-century emerald and diamond necklace by Tiffany & Co sold for 1,572,500 Swiss Francs in 2018, at Christie’s Geneva.
Contemporary Tiffany jewellery makes headlines too. This includes the Tiffany Aurora, a bespoke necklace crafted for pop icon Lady Gaga for the Golden Globes, which dazzled with its 300 diamonds.
Known as the most romantic jewellery in the world, Tiffany is an iconic brand loved by celebrities and the brand is always in demand at luxury pawnshops. However, much older Tiffany jewellery is not as easy to identify and an expert with specialist knowledge of how Tiffany markings have changed over time is essential to authenticate genuine Tiffany pieces. Known for its classical yet modern designs, Tiffany was the first company in the USA that used 92% pure silver, based on the British silver standard.
Tiffany rose in popularity when a yellow diamond of 287 carats was worn by Audrey Hepburn and became known as the ‘Tiffany Diamond’. Still making headlines, Lady Gaga wore a bespoke necklace, the Tiffany Aurora, to the Golden Globes. Maybe most renowned for their engagement rings and pieces that represent special occasions, it is understandable that selling a piece of Tiffany jewellery is often an emotional decision and one you may regret.
This is where New Bond Street Pawnbrokers can step in. You can discreetly and easily have your Tiffany jewellery appraised and release the equity, in the form of a loan, without having to face the dilemma of parting with your loved pieces forever or missing out on a significant appreciation of value over time.
6. Cartier
Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier and referred to as the ‘jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers’ by King Edward VII of England. Famous collectors include Barbara Hutton and the Duchess of Windsor. Rarer and more highly valued are pieces of vintage Cartier jewellery, and provenance is an essential part of any appraisal by our pawnbroking team.
In the early 20th century, Cartier designed jewellery became internationally renowned and visionary designers took inspiration from Indian jewels, creating some of the most iconic pieces of the century. Using your Cartier jewellery to secure a loan, provides a quick, discreet way to generate the cash needed in the short term, for unexpected circumstances or maybe to help fund a special occasion, such as a wedding?
Luxury pawnbrokers offer loans on most Cartier bracelets, necklaces, earrings, brooches, and rings (including engagement and wedding rings) – Cartier jewellery is often more valued the older it is.
That’s why, for example, the original bracelets from the 1970s Love collection are usually worth more than more modern pieces from the line. They may not be adorned with jewels, but vintage Cartier Love bracelets have kept their value well over the decades.
The Cartier panther, first introduced over a hundred years ago, has become iconic and can be seen in a number of different pieces. Lending on Cartier brooches and other types of jewellery which feature the panther motif is also available. Many vintage pieces have the emblematic big cat on them, and you’ll have no problem releasing capital on Cartier earrings, necklaces, and other pieces that showcase the panther.
Looking to pawn Cartier rings?
One of the most famous and sought-after pieces is the Trinity design, which features three interlocking bands in yellow, white, and rose gold. Cartier Trinity rings are often used for engagement or marriage, so they are a common piece when it comes to financing Cartier wedding bands. These romantic pieces have deep symbolism behind them: the white gold band is said to represent friendship, the yellow gold band loyalty, and the rose gold band love.
Pawn shops also provide loans on Cartier wedding bands. Be aware, however, that when it comes to Cartier wedding bands, the presence of a personalised engraving may lower the value of your piece. The same is true if you wish to pawn Cartier engagement rings.
Modern pieces may not have the same wow factor as vintage Cartier jewellery, but they are still luxurious and valuable, so it’s not hard to pawn Cartier necklaces, earrings and rings with a shorter history. Some of the more recent collections, such as the very modern Cactus de Cartier line, can also attract high prices.
Be the first to add a comment!