Why Not To Sell Gold / Diamonds / Jewelry On Your Own!

When selling your unwanted Gold, Diamonds, or Jewelry, you may think you'll get the best offer by selling it on your own. While you may be right, but there are many risks involved...

• Selling on ebay / paypal / etc. will charge you a percentage of your selling fee.
• Meeting with strangers when dealing with expensive items is always taking a chance.
• If the person you are meeting with doesn't have a physical location / storefront, it makes it harder to find them if anything goes wrong after the initial meeting.
• Only a certified jewelry store, like Powers Jewelry Designers, can give you a fair and honest appraisal of what your jewelry / gold / diamonds are worth.
• "WE BUY GOLD" tv or online advertisements won't offer you as much money as taking it to an actual jewelry store.
• If you sell to a jewelry store, like Powers Jewelry Designers in Milwaukee, we can offer you a trade-in value worth more than the buy-back value you will get at most other jewelry stores or if you were selling it on your own.

• When you sell to a reputable jewelry store, and you decide you want your item back for whatever reason, the jewelry store will usually let you buy back the item for the same cost you sold it for. Online or private sales will not allow you to do this.

Choose a certified and reputable jeweler like Powers Jewelry Designers in Milwaukee...

Quality, Integrity, Value...That's The Powers Difference!

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Diamond Glossary

Average Girdle Diameter

The result of adding the smallest and largest girdle measurements of a round brilliant and dividing by two.

Belly

The slightly curved center of the long side of the pear, marquise, heart, or oval.

Blemish

A clarity characteristic confined to the surface of a polished diamond.

Bow-tie

The dark area across the center of an elongated brilliant cut.

Brightness

The effect of all the diamond's internal and external reflections of white light.

Brilliance

The brightness that stems from the center of the diamond.  Brilliance occurs when light enters through the table, reaches the pavilion facets, and is reflected back through the table.

Brilliant Cut

A cutting style in which triangular and kite shaped facets spread out from the diamond's center toward the girdle.

Carat (aka ct.)

The unit of weight in which a diamond is measured.

Carbon Spots

An included crystal that has a dark appearance instead of a white or transparent appearance.  In many cases dark inclusions are not visible to the unaided eye and do not affect the brilliance.

Clarity

Absence of internal inclusions and external blemishes.  The GIA clarity grading scale is FL (flawless), IF (internally flawless), VVS1 and VVS2 (very, very, slightly included), VS1 and VS2 (very slightly included), SI1 and SI2 (slightly included), and I1, I2, I3 (imperfect).

Clarity Characteristics

Internal or external feature of a diamond that helps determine the quality and establish its identity.

Color Grading

A system of grading diamonds based on either being colorless for white diamonds or hue, depth of color, and saturation of color for fancy color diamonds.  For white diamonds, GIA uses a scale of D-Z in which D is colorless and Z is light yellow.  Z should not be confused with yellow fancy color diamonds.

Crown

The upper portion of the diamond above the girdle.  The crown contains a table facet and depending on diamond shape either star and bezel facets (round brilliant, oval, pear, radiant, princess, heart) or rows of concentric facets reaching from the table to the girdle (emerald, asscher).

Crown Angle

The angle formed by the bezel facets and the girdle plane.

Crown Height Percentage

The distance from the girdle plane to the table expressed as a percentage of average girdle diameter.

Culet

A facet sometimes added to the bottom of the pavilion to protect the tip.

Cut

The proportions and finish of a polished diamond.  Many Gemologists believe cut is the most important of the 4 Cs.

Cutting Style

The arrangement of a diamond's facets.

Depth

The height of a diamond from the culet to the table and is measured in millimeters.

Depth Percentage

A ratio of the total depth of a diamond from table to culet compared to the total diameter.

Diamond

A crystal made up of 99.5% pure carbon atoms arranged in an isometric, or cubic, crystal arrangement.

Dispersion

When white light passes through the diamond and is broken up into spectral colors.

Eye Clean

A term used to describe a diamond with no blemishes or inclusions that can be seen with the unaided eye.

Face-up (aka table up)

A position where the diamond's crown and table are pointed towards the viewer.

Face-down (aka table down)

A position where the diamond's pavilion is pointed towards the viewer.

Facet

A smooth flat plane on the surface of a diamond.  Facets allow light to enter a diamond and reflect off its surface at different angles creating color and light.

Fancy Cut

Any diamond shape other than a round.

Feather

A term for any break in a diamond.

Finish

A term used to describe the quality of the polish and symmetry of the cut in a fashioned diamond.

Fire

The flashes of colors in a polished diamond.

Fluorescence

The emission of visible light by a diamond when it is exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

French Tips

A cutting style that replaces the large bezel facets at the points of a marquise, pear, and heart with star and upper girdle facets.

Girdle

The outer edge or outline of the diamond's shape.

Girdle Thickness Percentage

Girdle thickness expressed as a percentage of the average girdle diameter.

Inclusion

A clarity characteristic totally enclosed in a polished diamond or extending into it from the surface.

Length to Width Ratio

A numerical expression between the length of a diamond and the width of a diamond where the value for width is one.

Lower Girdle Facet Percentage

The length of the lower girdle facets expressed as a percentage of the total distance between the girdle and the culet.

Luster

The appearance of the diamond's surface in reflected light.

Mixed Cut

A cutting style that combines brilliant cut facets and step cut facets.

Natural

Small parts of the original rough diamond's surface which are left on a polished diamond.

Normal Color Range (aka the D-Z range)

The color range of white diamonds from colorless to light yellow or light brown.

Pavilion

The lower portion of a diamond below the girdle.

Pavilion Angle

The angle formed by the pavilion main facets and the girdle plane.

Pavilion Bulge

Outward curve of the pavilion facets on a step cut diamond.

Pavilion Depth Percentage

The distance from the girdle plane to the culet expressed as a percentage of average girdle diameter.

Plot (aka diamond certificate)

A map of a diamond's inclusions, blemishes, and facet arrangements.

Point

A unit of measurement used to describe the weight of a diamond.

Polish

The overall condition of the facet surfaces of a finished diamond.

Proportions

The angles and relative measurements of a polished diamond and the relationship between them.

Reflection

The bouncing back of light when it strikes a surface.

Refraction

Change in speed and direction of light as it travels through a diamond.

Scintillation

The flashes of light and dark areas you see when the diamond, light, or observer moves.

Shape

The face-up outline of a diamond.

Shape Appeal (aka "eye-pleasing")

A diamonds overall appearance in relation to others of the same size, shape, and cutting style.

Sparkle

The spots of light that flash as the diamond, light, or observer moves.

Star Facet Length Percentage

The length of the star facets expressed as a percentage of the total distance between the girdle and the edge of the table.

Step Cut

A cutting style with long narrow four sided facets in rows parallel to the girdle on the crown and pavilion.

Symmetry

Refers to the exactness of a finished diamond's shape and the placement of the facets.

Table

The largest facet on the diamond.

Table Percentage

The diamond's table size expressed as a percentage of its average girdle diameter.

Total Depth Percentage

Table to culet depth expressed as a percentage of the average girdle diameter.

FAQ

1.   Q: Do You Buy Gold?

A: Yes! The best way to get an accurate estimate of what we would pay would be to bring ALL your Gold pieces in. We do not buy less than 3 grams. We also stop buying a Half-Hour before store close. You may also get more money for your gold if you choose In-Store Credit over cash. We are usually the highest bidder in Milwaukee.

2.   Q: How Can I Tell If My Pearls Are Real?

A: Scratch the Pearls on your teeth and if they’re scratchy and taste like sand, then you have real Pearls. Otherwise, bring them into Powers and we can help.

3.   Q: Where Should I Park At Powers Milwaukee Location?

A: We have a Loading Zone on Broadway Ave. exclusively for Powers Jewelry Customers. NEVER park on Wisconsin Avenue, they will tow.

4.   Q: Do You Sell Charms? (for bracelets)

A: We don’t have them in the store, but we can special order them for you.

5.   Q: Do You Buy or Sell Grills?

A: No.

6.   Q: Can You Create Custom Jewelry?

A: Yes! Powers has access to the latest Custom Jewelry technology. With the 3D CAD-CAM, we can take your drawing, turn it into a wax, and then create it. We work with you through the whole process, satisfaction guaranteed!

Q: Do You Buy Silver?
A: It depends. Because the price of silver isn't as high as the price of gold, we only buy if you have a large amount. Call us or bring your silver in to get the best estimate.

Q: Is Powers Jewelry Designers Associated With Don Powers Jewelry Or Any Other Powers Jewelry Store?
A: No. Powers Jewelry Designers on Broadway & Wisconsin Ave in Downtown Milwaukee is our only location.


Q: Do You Offer Layaway?
A: Yes! Pay the minimum amount each month, or pay it off in a couple payments. We offer flexible payment plans that are appropriate to the item being purchased and that work with your financial situation.


Q: How Many Years Have You Been In Business?
A: We've been in business in Downtown Milwaukee for over 35 years! Powers Jewelry Designers is also family owned & operated.


Q: Do You Buy/Sell Heirloom Jewelry, Vintage Jewelry, Estate Sale Jewelry, or Antique Jewelry?
A: Yes! Powers Jewelry Designers has the largest inventory in Milwaukee of Heirloom Jewelry, Vintage Jewelry, Estate Sale Jewelry, and Antique Jewelry. If you are interested in Powers purchasing a large amount of jewelry, contact us.


Q: Can Powers Jewelry Designers Repair / Fix / Restore My Antique or Vintage Jewelry?
A: Yes, Powers Jewelers is one of the only places in Milwaukee that can Repair / Fix / Restore Antique or Vintage Jewelry. Our Goldsmiths are on-site and offer a quick completion time.