Not every diamond ring is an engagement ring. Anniversary bands, eternity rings, cocktail rings and right-hand rings are sold every day, and they are valued differently because their diamonds are spread out. If you want to sell a diamond ring of this kind, the key is to understand how a buyer divides it: the main stone if there is one, the small stones, and the metal.
Sell Diamond Engagement Ring is an independent referral service, not a buyer, pawnshop or dealer. When you call or send the form, we connect you with an independent buyer in New York, who makes any offer. The guidance below holds wherever you sell.
What kind of diamond ring do you have?
| Ring | Where the diamonds are | What a buyer looks at first |
|---|---|---|
| Anniversary band | A row of stones across the top | The number and size of the stones, and the metal |
| Eternity ring | Stones all the way round | The same, plus whether any stone is missing or loose |
| Cocktail ring | A large center, often surrounded | The center stone, then the cluster around it |
| Right-hand ring | Varies: one stone, a cluster or a design | Whichever stone is largest, and any maker’s name |
| Halo ring | A center stone ringed by small ones | The center stone, then the halo |
| Three-stone ring | A center flanked by two side stones | Each stone in turn, then the setting |
How value splits between stones and metal
A main stone
If the ring has one stone that stands out, that stone is described on its own with the four factors GIA set out in the 1950s: clarity, color, cut and carat weight. Carat is weight: under the FTC’s guides a carat is 200 milligrams and a point is one hundredth of a carat. Color is graded on GIA’s D-to-Z scale, and clarity runs down from Flawless, the top grade. A grading report from GIA, from IGI or from another laboratory that issues diamond reports puts those grades in writing.
Small stones
Small diamonds set in a band or a halo are often described as a group rather than graded one by one: how many there are, their combined weight, and their general color and clarity. Receipts often give the combined weight of all the diamonds in a ring as a total carat weight. Read it carefully: a ring described by its total weight may have no single stone near that size, and a buyer will value it accordingly.
The metal
Look inside the band for a stamp. Gold is marked by karat, and the karat divided by 24 gives the gold share: 10K is 41.7% gold, 14K is 58.3%, 18K is 75% and 22K is 91.7%. Under the FTC’s guides, plated metal is not solid gold, and 14 karat should not be called solid gold. A buyer will weigh the metal and work out its melt value: weight in troy ounces, times the fineness, times the spot price per troy ounce. One troy ounce is 31.10348 grams, and a pennyweight is 1.555174 grams.
Melt value is the value of the pure metal only. An offer for metal alone is usually below it, because the buyer pays to refine it and needs a margin. In a band set with many small stones, the metal is only part of the ring; in a ring with a large stone, it is a smaller part again.
Natural or laboratory-grown
Under the FTC’s guides, a diamond made in a laboratory should be described in clear words, such as laboratory-grown or laboratory-created, because it is not a mined diamond. Say which yours is if you know. If you are not sure, check what any report says. Our guide on how to sell a lab-grown diamond ring explains what that means for resale.
What to have ready
- Any grading report, and its number. GIA offers a Report Check on its website where a report number can be looked up.
- The receipt or an appraisal, if you have one, for the stated total weight and metal.
- The box and papers, if the ring is by a known maker.
- A note of any repairs: a stone replaced, a band resized, prongs rebuilt.
- Photo ID. In New York City, a licensed buyer must record your ID and have you sign.
Selling a diamond ring near you or online
Diamond ring buyers include jewelers, diamond buyers, consignment shops, auction houses and online businesses. A search to sell a diamond ring near me shows the shops closest to you; a search to sell a diamond ring online shows businesses that buy by post. Whatever you choose, ask for a written offer that says whether it covers the whole ring or only some of its parts.
In New York City, a business that buys used jewelry must hold a DCWP Secondhand Dealer license, post it, and put its number on receipts. It must weigh precious metal on an approved scale, reading to 0.01 troy ounce or finer, and tell you the troy weight. Businesses that buy and sell exclusively online are exempt from the license, so those checks do not apply to them. For a full comparison of the places, see where to sell a diamond engagement ring; most of it applies to any diamond ring.
Comparing two offers
Two offers for a diamond ring can differ simply because the buyers looked at different things. One may have valued the main stone and ignored the small ones; another may have weighed the whole ring as metal and small stones. Put the offers side by side and ask:
- What is each buyer buying? The whole ring, the stones, or the metal.
- How does each describe the main stone? Carat, color and clarity, and whether they used the report.
- How did each treat the small stones? Counted, estimated by total weight, or not counted.
- What troy weight did each give for the metal? It should be close between the two.
- Is the offer in writing? If not, ask for it before you decide.
An offer will be below the retail price. A retail price includes the store’s costs and margin, and a buyer pays what the ring is worth to them to resell or to break down. An insurance appraisal is not an offer either.
When the ring is an engagement ring after all
If your ring was given as an engagement ring, the page on how to sell an engagement ring covers the papers, the report and the steps in order. If you are deciding where to go with a particular kind of ring, the page on the best place to sell an engagement ring matches rings to places. For a plain band or a wedding set, see how to sell a wedding ring.
Repairs, resizing and loose stones
Rings worn for years have often been resized, re-tipped or had a stone replaced. None of that stops a sale, but it is worth telling the buyer at the start, because it explains what they will see: a worn stamp, a seam in the band, a stone that does not match its neighbors. Do not have a ring repaired just to sell it. Work done before a sale is money spent on a ring you are about to part with.
If a stone is loose, keep the ring in a small bag or box so it cannot fall out, and point it out. If a stone has already come out, bring it with the ring. A loose diamond is still a diamond, and it can be valued with the rest.
A word on taxes
The IRS says that net capital gains from selling collectibles, such as coins or art, are taxed at a maximum federal rate of 28% (IRS Topic 409). Whether your sale produces a gain, and how it should be reported, depends on what you paid and on your own situation. This site cannot advise on that: ask a tax professional about your sale, and keep the receipt for the ring and the receipt from the sale together.
Want to know what your diamond ring is worth? Ask privately, and an independent New York buyer can make a written offer.
Questions people ask
How much is my diamond ring worth?
It depends on the main stone, the small stones and the metal, and on whether there is a report. Our guide how much is my diamond ring worth explains each part.
Do small diamonds add much to a ring’s resale value?
They add to it, but they are often described and valued as a group rather than graded one by one. A ring’s total carat weight is not the same as one stone of that weight.
Can I sell an eternity ring with a missing stone?
Yes. Tell the buyer at the start. The ring is valued as it is, with the stones it still has.
Is a diamond ring with no report harder to sell?
It takes longer for the buyer to be sure of the stones, but it can be valued. Bring the receipt or an appraisal if you have one.
What does ‘total carat weight’ mean on my receipt?
Usually the combined weight of all the diamonds in the ring. A carat is 200 milligrams, so a total of one carat may be many small stones rather than one large one.
Is this site a diamond ring buyer?
No. It is an independent referral service. We connect you with an independent buyer in New York, who makes any offer.