Having my online jewelry purchases appraised in pawnshops was something I've always wanted to do since the pandemic hit.
My first ever gold purchase was a pair of 18K diamond cut yellow gold heart earrings from Helen Jewelry Shop in Binondo. Gold prices were way lower then, and I was able to buy that earring (pictured below) for just PHP 2,460 for 1.07 grams. One gram of 18K gold cost PHP 2,300 only in November 2019. Curious me walked to M Lhuillier that same day, and it was appraised at PHP 2000. A "loss" of PHP 460 is not bad at all, since the value will appreciate in years, even if it's already used.
I've bought several dainty jewelries online since then, and now it's time to judge whether they are good investments or not.
Tiffany & Co. Inspired 18K Gold Smile Pendant Necklace
- Place bought: @ali.jewelry on Instagram
- Price: PHP 2,200 + PHP 160 SF via LBC = PHP 2,360
Appraisal:
- Cebuana Lhuillier - 0.40 grams at PHP 1,000 (PHP 2,500 per gram)
- M Lhuillier - 0.40 grams at PHP 950 (PHP 2,375 per gram)
My Feedback:
This shop sells their items at a per piece (not per gram basis). I love the design since it's a classic piece. However, I found a better value version of this in another shop that sells Saudi gold. They sold this similar necklace at 0.70 grams and yet it still ended up cheaper than the one I bought.
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Dainty Heart 18K Gold Earrings
- Place bought: Shopee
- Price: PHP 1,260 for 0.40 grams (as declared on the shop listing)
Appraisal:
- Cebuana Lhuillier - 0.30 grams at PHP 750 (PHP 2,500 per gram)
- M Lhuillier - 0.30 grams at PHP 700 (PHP 2,333 per gram)
My Feedback:
I messaged the seller to tell her about the 0.10 grams discrepancy, which is big. But she insisted that the pair was 0.40 grams, according to her supplier. Truth to be told, I found the earrings cute when I received it, but I knew something was amiss because it was too small to be 0.40 grams.
This was not a bad purchase per se, because I had used vouchers and coins to lower down the total to PHP 977 when I bought it during the 7.7 sale. Since the appraisal of this ranges from PHP 700 to PHP 750, it's still an okay purchase.
PHP 977 / 0.30 grams = PHP 3,256 per gram (which was okay)
PHP 1,260 / 0.30 grams = PHP 4,200 per gram (which is definitely not okay)
The 2 pawnshops said it's 0.30 grams, but the seller insisted that she sold this at PHP 3,150 per gram (PHP 1,260 at 0.40 grams). The discrepancy lies with the weighing scales of the supplier and the pawnshops, because they both use double digit scales, whereas a triple digit scale would do a better and more accurate job.
My tips when you're buying jewelry in Shopee are to look for reputable sellers which state the grams in single and double decimal scales and to checkout during Shopee's monthly sales (8.8, 9.9, 10.10, 11.11, and 12.12) to drive down the price.
If you're curious which shop I bought this from, feel free to message me or send me an email.
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14K Gold Bubble Ring
- Place bought: Theodore's Jewelry in Facebook/IG
- Price bought: PHP 4,500 (at size 3.75, 1 gram)
Appraisal:
- Cebuana Lhuillier - 0.90 grams at PHP 1,710 (PHP 1,900 per gram)
- M Lhuillier - 0.90 grams at PHP 1,750 (PHP 1,944 per gram)
My Feedback:
Since I have a
difficult ring size, I always have to go custom-made or have in-store jewelries resized. For rings, I prefer 14K gold since it's
harder and can withstand wear and tear. I have no plans of selling this ring as I love it to bits, but I was just curious
with the appraisal value of it. I had the seller weigh it before sending it out, which came out as 1 gram on her scale. However, the 2 pawnshops weighed it only at 0.90 grams.
What's good about local setting is that this ring is handmade solid gold vs machine made Saudi gold bubble rings which are mostly hollow on the inside.
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14K Gold Bezel Ring with 0.15 carat Natural Rose Cut Diamond (F-G, VVS-VS)
- Place bought: Theodore's Jewelry in Facebook/IG
- Price bought: PHP 14,000 (at size 5.25)
Appraisal:
Disclaimer: Appraisal rates are as of July 15, 2021 and are subject to change.
- Cebuana Lhuillier - 1.1 grams at PHP 2,000 (PHP 1,818 per gram)
- M Lhuillier - 1.1 grams at PHP 2,650 (PHP 2,409 per gram)
My Feedback:
What a loss this beautiful ring is. Small diamonds truly don't hold much value, and pawnshops here in the Philippines tend to ignore it during appraisal. Props to M Lhuiller for trying to appraise the small stone through a diamond loupe. The appraiser told me that the stone was indeed beautiful, but with a visible black spot inclusion in the middle (which I saw as well). Then she told me that the size of this stone was not 0.15 carat, but it ranges from 0.07 to 0.10 carats at most. 😞
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Lesson learned:
- After my trips to the pawnshops, I will now stop buying custom-made rings for the meantime.
- If you're looking for value for money for your jewelry investment, you have to buy them per gram and not per piece.
- After a series of online purchases, I now think it's still better to buy from established physical shops in Ongpin, Binondo since you get to see the actual product before buying.
- Online shops try to drive down the cost by crafting thinner, daintier rings.
- Products also appear bigger in photos than in actual.
- As for the weight discrepancies, it's better if the seller has a double decimal scale for more accurate jewelry weight. I noticed that trusted, established physical stores in Binondo and Quiapo use those, versus smaller online shops.
- In my experience with these 2 pawnshops, Cebuana Lhuiller had higher appraisal for my 18K gold pieces compared to M Lhuiller. But the customer service of M Lhuiller was better, as they were very friendly and accommodating.
- There's no shame with pawnshop hopping, because you want the best value for your jewelries. However, note that they scratch your jewelries on a black stone to do a legit test before appraising. (Scratches on mine are not noticeable, but of course we don't want too many scratches.)
I hope you enjoyed this jewelry learning session. 😉
Lazada Flagship Stores:
Love,
Helen
Disclaimer: Appraisal rates are as of July 15, 2021 and are subject to change.