# Heard something odd at the jewelry store.



## Grelko (Feb 5, 2017)

I stopped at the mall to see if any of the jewelry stores had 18-24k charms. I used to see them all over the place. No one seems to sell them now. The best I could find was 10-14k. 

The one lady even said that jewelry stores in the USA "aren't allowed" to sell 18-24k jewelry anymore.

Anyone know if this is true and if it is, do you happen to know why?


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## rickbb (Feb 6, 2017)

Jewelry stores in malls are usually chain stores and what she was probably told was "we",(meaning her chain), aren't allowed to sell 18k any more. 

Probably due to a deal made by the chain management with their supplier in China. Or they got caught selling 18k that wasn't and now can't.

I know the 2 locally owned independent stores sell any k you want, they will even custom make charms out of 24k if you want. One of them makes them on site.


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## Grelko (Feb 6, 2017)

rickbb said:


> Jewelry stores in malls are usually chain stores and what she was probably told was "we",(meaning her chain), aren't allowed to sell 18k any more.
> 
> Probably due to a deal made by the chain management with their supplier in China. Or they got caught selling 18k that wasn't and now can't.



You're probably right. They might have gotten in trouble or found a better deal somewhere else on the 10-14k and decided it was easier to buy/sell the cheaper ones.

It's always some huge mark up on the price too. They had a pair of 14k gold earrings "on sale yet" for $500. They probably didn't even weigh 1 gram. Someone could buy those, take them to a "we buy gold" store and maybe get $15. :lol: :roll: It's just how it goes.



rickbb said:


> I know the 2 locally owned independent stores sell any k you want, they will even custom make charms out of 24k if you want. One of them makes them on site.



There's a couple family owned ones around here that might carry them. I figured I'd check at the mall, since I was up there anyways.

If not, I could always refine a few grams and make them myself.


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## nickvc (Feb 7, 2017)

I'm sure that's it's not illegal to sell 18k in your country but the big chain stores mark up is at least 5.5 times cost so the price would be so high as to make selling the items, especially without stones, almost impossible as now most of the public have some idea about the value of gold.


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## rickbb (Feb 7, 2017)

nickvc said:


> I'm sure that's it's not illegal to sell 18k in your country but the big chain stores mark up is at least 5.5 times cost so the price would be so high as to make selling the items, especially without stones, almost impossible as now most of the public have some idea about the value of gold.



It's even higher than that. I used to sell jewelry as a side line back in the 70's, silver and turquoise mostly, and if I didn't mark it up 10 to 15 times people didn't think it was real.


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## upcyclist (Feb 7, 2017)

rickbb said:


> I know the 2 locally owned independent stores sell any k you want, they will even custom make charms out of 24k if you want. One of them makes them on site.


Yup! I'll make 15.8K if you want me to. Same amount of work for me, it just guarantees that the scrap needs to get refined instead of reused.


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## nickvc (Feb 8, 2017)

rickbb said:


> nickvc said:
> 
> 
> > I'm sure that's it's not illegal to sell 18k in your country but the big chain stores mark up is at least 5.5 times cost so the price would be so high as to make selling the items, especially without stones, almost impossible as now most of the public have some idea about the value of gold.
> ...



With silver I agree the mark up can be a lot more and I also agree the reason, the public generally have no idea of the value of the silver they buy and even less if it's stone set, silver manufacturing is generally as costly as gold so with light items the value of the silver can be less than the manufacturing cost which is very rare with gold items unless they are handmade by a craftsman jeweller, in this case you are paying for his time and skill in creating a piece of unique jewellery.


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## Grelko (Feb 8, 2017)

nickvc said:


> the public generally have no idea of the value of the silver



 But it says 75% off, wow that's a good deal. I don't know how they stay in business with such low prices, it's like they're giving it away. :wink:


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## upcyclist (Feb 8, 2017)

nickvc said:


> With silver I agree the mark up can be a lot more and I also agree the reason, the public generally have no idea of the value of the silver they buy and even less if it's stone set, silver manufacturing is generally as costly as gold so with light items the value of the silver can be less than the manufacturing cost which is very rare with gold items unless they are handmade by a craftsman jeweller, in this case you are paying for his time and skill in creating a piece of unique jewellery.


Excellent point. If I were to price everything at, say, [raw material cost] X 2 + [labor], labor has a much higher effect on the total price with silver than gold.

Edit to add: but that's my wholesale price. Similarly, though, if the retailer ads a multiple with minimum markup, the silver stuff is more likely to need the minimum markup.


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