Gold Buyer Near Geneva, IL

Selling older and vintage gold

Gold that's been handed down often looks nothing like what's sold today. A grandmother's locket. A grandfather's gold chain. Signet rings worn smooth, cameo brooches in gold frames, stickpins, cuff links, charm bracelets that were added to for decades.

Age doesn't lower the value of gold. A 14K ring from the 1940s holds the same gold content as a 14K ring made last year. A few things are worth knowing about older gold specifically:

• Wear, dents and old repairs are fine. Thin spots, solder joins and missing stones don't change the gold that's there.
• Different shades are normal. Rose, yellow and white gold are all gold. Color alone can't confirm purity, which is why we test.
• Some older pieces are gold filled. It was common in earlier decades, especially for chains and lockets. We'll tell you plainly which pieces are solid gold; we don't buy gold-filled pieces.
• Mixed pieces are normal. A brooch may have a gold frame and a non-gold pin, or a locket may have a gold front and a different back. We separate and value only what's solid gold.

Old stamps and foreign hallmarks

Older and imported gold is often marked in ways that don't look like a modern "14K." Common examples we read at the counter:

• "10KT," "14KT" or "18KT": an older way of writing karat
• "14K P" or "14KP": "plumb," an older guarantee that a piece meets its full stated karat
• "333," "375," "585" or "750": purity shown as parts per thousand (8K, 9K, 14K and 18K)
• Small symbols or pictures: hallmarks some countries use alongside or instead of a karat number
• No mark at all: common on older handmade pieces and on gold from overseas

A stamp is only where the conversation starts. Every piece gets tested, so an unfamiliar mark, or none, doesn't keep you from getting paid for real gold. Our guide to spotting real gold covers modern stamps and simple at-home checks.

Bringing a family jewelry box from Geneva

A box of older family jewelry deserves more than a quick glance at a counter. Here's how we handle it:

• Every piece is looked at, one by one, in front of you. Nothing leaves your sight, and nothing is set aside out of view.
• You see the numbers. Your gold is grouped by karat, and you're shown what each group weighs and what it's worth, so the total is never a mystery.
• You decide what stays. If a piece turns out to mean more to you than its gold, set it aside. The decision on every item is yours.
• Private time is available. For a large collection, call (630) 593-3510 and we'll reserve time just for you, away from the regular walk-in flow.

Families settling a parent's belongings often find our inherited gold guide a helpful first read.

Driving down from Geneva

From downtown Geneva, take State St (Route 38) east across the river and turn right onto Route 25 heading south. From there it's one road: Route 25 carries you through Batavia and Aurora with no tollways and no highway merges. In Montgomery, turn right on Ashland Ave, then left on Douglas Ave, and we're at the corner of Douglas Ave and Montgomery Rd.

Geneva FAQ

Also near Geneva

We also serve customers from Batavia, St. Charles, North Aurora, Elburn and Aurora.

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