What to Do With Old Jewelry: Best Ideas to Sell, Repurpose, or Donate

We’ve seen it all over the years. Someone walking in with a shoebox of tangled chains. A velvet pouch full of single earrings and assorted old jewelry. An engagement ring someone hasn’t worn in 25 years. Most people don’t know what to do with old jewelry once they stop wearing it. They keep it just in case. But the years go by, and nothing changes.

If you’ve got old jewelry sitting around (whether they’re valuable or not) there are better options than letting them collect dust. Some can be cleaned up and worn again. Others can be sold for more than the value of their precious metals. And some are just waiting to be turned into something new.

Vintage Jewelry Can Look As Good As New Jewelry Again!

Don’t assume older jewelry is too far gone. We’ve brought many vintage pieces back from the brink; rings from the 1940s, necklaces with missing links, even broken jewelry pieces. Sometimes all they need is a good cleaning. Other times, we’ll reset a stone, rebuild a setting, or replace a worn-down clasp. Our expert craftsmen are able to restore the desired color to an old piece or fix cracks by adding alloys, more gold or silver to restore your vintage jewelry.

Stop by any of our locations to book a jewelry cleaning or restoration today!

If an old piece has history, our jewelers always strive to keep it intact. There’s something satisfying about seeing an old wedding ring shining again or hearing that a customer’s wearing their grandmother’s necklace for the first time in years, and we honor each piece in a wonderful way.

You don’t need to guess whether something’s worth restoring. Just bring it in and ask us.

Pearl And Bead Restringing

Pearl necklaces don’t last forever, even if the pearls themselves do. The silk thread stretches and frays over time. Eventually, it breaks. If the strand feels loose or you see gaps between the pearls, it’s time to consider restringing the beads.

We restring pearls and beaded jewelry as well. Our skilled artisans use quality thread and tie proper knots between the beads, just like they were originally made. It’s a simple fix that makes a big difference.

If you haven’t worn your pearl strand in a while because it feels fragile, don’t wait. You don’t want to be the one picking up beads off the floor.

Custom Bracelet Resizing

Bracelets that don’t fit just sit there. We see a lot of custom pieces that were made with care but never fit quite right. Or, they did once, but no longer do.

Our expert craftsmen can resize old custom bracelets for our clients and other types of fine vintage jewelry. Some need a link added or removed. Some need a clasp adjusted. If it’s gold, silver, or anything sturdy, we can usually fix it.

If you’ve got a custom bracelet you haven’t worn in ten years because it pinches or falls off, we can help with that.

What To Do With Old Custom Jewelry?

Custom jewelry is personal. People hang onto it even if they don’t wear it anymore. Sometimes the style is dated. Sometimes the memory is complicated. But the piece still matters.

We help people turn those dated pieces into new pieces. A wedding ring becomes a necklace. A pair of earrings becomes a charm bracelet. We’ve even melted old gold into bands for someone’s kids.

You don’t have to forget where it came from. But if you’re not wearing it, we can help you make it something you’ll reach for again.

Is It Worth It To Sell Jewelry That May Increase In Value?

Maybe. It depends on what you’ve got.

Some vintage pieces go up in value, especially if they’re made with a lot of gold or have unique and rare gemstones. But not everything gets more valuable with time. Some pieces wear down, or go out of style, or lose parts.

We always tell people: if you’re not sure, let us take a look. If it’s something worth holding onto, we’ll say so. If it makes sense to sell now, we’ll tell you that too. 

What To Do With Old Costume Jewelry...Donate? Repurpose?

Costume jewelry isn’t about price. It’s about personality. And if you’re not wearing it anymore, someone else might.

Even if an old piece is too tattered or broken, you can repurpose jewelry in so many creative ways. Pinterest has a ton of great ideas for ways to turn your scrap jewelry into

We’ve seen people donate entire collections of old costume jewelry to local schools for theater costumes. We’ve seen customers turn mismatched earrings into decorations. You can even use old chains or brooches in art projects.

If it’s not valuable enough to sell, that doesn’t mean it has to go in the trash. Pass it on to your community, or get creative at home. Just because

Repurposing Costume Jewelry

Repurposing is one of the easiest ways to give costume jewelry a second life.

We’ve heard stories from clients who took old, broken necklaces and turned them into charm bracelets. You can turn single earrings into classic pendants! Even pieces that look out of place today can be used in surprising ways: we’ve seen pieces glued onto photo frames, used as buttons on fabric, or even clipped onto handbags to catch some extra sparkle.

You don’t need a lot of tools. Just some time and a good idea.

Where To Donate Costume Jewelry

Donation is a great option, especially if you want the pieces to go to someone who’ll appreciate them.

Women’s shelters, high school drama clubs, and thrift stores that support charities are all great places to donate old costume jewelry. There’s always a need. They don’t care that it’s not real gold. They care that it adds a little joy or the right look to a costume for the next musical!

We recommend cleaning the pieces and separating them by type. Necklaces here, bracelets there. It helps the organization and gives the pieces a better shot at being used.

How To Get The Most Money If You Choose To Sell Your Old Jewelry

If you’re selling, go to someone who knows what they’re looking at. Go to Robert Irwin.

Pawn shops pay by the gram. That’s it. They don’t care about the design or the diamonds. They just want to buy low and sell high.

Instead, our jewelers look at the whole picture. We weigh the metals, check for real stones, look at the craftsmanship, and resale value before telling you what the piece is actually worth. If it’s just scrap, we’ll be honest. If it’s worth more, we’ll explain why.

You’ll get a fair price, not just a fast one! 

Typical Value Of Old Wedding Bands

Wedding bands vary. Some are plain gold. Some have small diamonds. Some are hand-engraved or custom-made. That all changes the value.

If your ring is heavy, it probably has decent melt value. If it’s older and unique, it might be worth more than its weight. We’ve seen people surprised by how much a simple band is worth, especially when gold prices are up like they have been lately.

You don’t have to sell it to find out. We’re happy to give you a number either way.

Skip The Pawn Shop – Come To Robert Irwin!

Pawn shops are built to move fast. They’ll make an offer before they even flip the piece over.

Jewelry stores like ours here at Robert Irwin do things differently. We take our time. We check the materials. We explain what we see and how we got to the number. That’s not something you’ll get over at a pawn counter.

Even if you decide not to sell, at least you’ll walk out knowing the truth about what you have.

Still not sure what to do with your old jewelry? Bring it in to any of our stores. We’ll take a look and talk through it with you. No pressure, no gimmicks. Just honest help from people who’ve been doing this a long time.