Can you pawn gold plated jewellery?

Pawn shops are among the oldest financial entities. The business of pawning can be traced all the way back to ancient China, the Roman Empire and ancient Greece. In 1388, England’s King Edward III pawned his jewels in order to finance war against France. Queen Isabella of Spain used her jewellery as collateral to fund Christopher Columbus’ expeditions to the Americas. Had it not been for the pawning business, it’s not out of the question that someone else could’ve colonized the New World.

 

 

A pawn shop offers loans that use collateral which traditional banks don’t accept. This collateral is most often jewellery, electronics, and furniture. The pawnbroker gives cash in exchange with the understanding that you can buy it back later with the added interest. (Although pawnbrokers certainly prefer you buy back the item with interest, as this is much more profitable for them).

A common question with regards to pawning jewellery is, can you pawn gold plated jewellery? 

If you think that it’s only worthwhile to pawn Rolex watches and diamond rings, think again!

The answer is yes; you can absolutely pawn gold plated jewellery, but it depends on the base metal. Pawning gold plated jewellery is really only ever worthwhile if the base metal of your item is made of a precious base metal like silver. If it’s made out of stainless steel, brass or zinc alloys, it may not even be accepted by the pawnbroker.

Keep in mind that even if the base metal of your gold plated item is precious, pawn shops historically and aggressively lowball. You will only get about 50% of the resale value of your item from a pawn shop, but that’s not the only price factor. The amount you will receive also depends on the competitiveness of your local pawn market, as well as the price of gold at any given time, which fluctuates.

Pawnshops are really only a justifiable option if you need cash extremely fast. If you have some time (as in a few days) you can earn more money for your item from an online gold buyer, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace. A local jeweller, or any other relevant local business that sells gold plated jewellery may also be willing to purchase your gold plated jewellery at a better price than your local pawnbroker.

If you’ve made up your mind and are set on going to a pawnbroker, at lease visit a few different options, as pawnshops offer varying interest rates. Also, some pawnbrokers may or may not accept your gold plated jewellery due to the value of the base metal, as mentioned earlier.

Before Pawning Your Gold Plated Jewellery

Before going about pawning your gold plated jewellery, it would be a good idea to get the item appraised so that you know what to expect. Cleaning the item will also go a long way in increasing the perceived value and likelihood of the pawnbroker offering a better price.

In Conclusion

Life is full of twists and turns, and you’ll never know when you may need a quick buck. Many who purchase jewellery as investment pieces prefer to buy 14k for this very reason - their resale value. Unlike fiat currency, which is unreliable, precious metals maintain their value.
Shop 14k jewellery here!