Sell to Us · Gold Jewelry
Sell gold jewelry to a buyer who looks before weighing.
There are two prices for gold jewelry, and most buyers only quote the lower one. Melt value is what a refinery pays for the metal itself. Collector value is what a signed bracelet, a Victorian locket, or a 1970s sculptural ring brings from people who want the object, not the ounce. A gold-buying counter weighs first and asks nothing. We read the piece first, because sometimes the difference is enormous.
We are the buyers behind Old 44 Vintage in San Juan Capistrano, working from a Laguna Hills warehouse and making free house calls across Southern California. Bring the broken chains, the single earrings, the class rings, and the pieces you inherited but never wear. When scrap is genuinely the right answer, we say so and pay a fair scrap price. When it is not, we tell you that too, with the reasoning in plain view.
What we buy, from bullion-plain to signed
Signed gold
Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, and other maker-marked gold that deserves more than a scale.
Period gold
Victorian lockets, Retro rose gold from the 1940s, sculptural mid-century and 1970s pieces.
Everyday karat gold
Chains, wedding bands, class rings, and charm bracelets in 10k, 14k, 18k, and 22k.
Broken and orphaned gold
Snapped chains, single earrings, dented bangles, kinked necklaces; condition matters little at melt.
Gold watch cases
Wrist and pocket watch cases in solid gold, even with broken movements inside.
An honest scale, and a long look before it
Every strip mall from Anaheim to Escondido has a cash-for-gold storefront, and most of them run the same play: weigh it fast, quote a lump sum, hope you do not ask questions. We slow the whole thing down. Each piece gets checked for karat marks, hallmarks, signatures, and age before it goes anywhere near a scale. The pieces with collector value get priced as objects. The true scrap gets weighed openly, with the karat and the day's calculation shown to you, not muttered from a back room. Most jewelry boxes hold both kinds, and the honest answer is two different prices, explained. The visit is free, whether at our warehouse on Moulton Parkway in Laguna Hills or at your own table.
A Recent Find
A 1940s Levi’s Type 1 jacket, sold to us by a former dealer who knew exactly what he had. We paid $12,000 in cash, the same day.
How it works
Call us.
A real conversation about what you have, no forms, no waiting.
We come to you.
We look at everything, at your pace. We know what we're seeing.
Cash offer, same visit.
A fair price on the spot, or a full estate sale run for you.
Common questions
How do karat marks work, and what if my gold is not marked?
Common marks read 10k, 14k, or 18k, or in European numbers like 417, 585, and 750, usually inside a band or near a clasp. Unmarked gold is normal on older pieces, and we test it in front of you. Testing takes minutes and does not damage the piece.
Is scrapping ever the right choice?
Often, yes. A kinked hollow chain or a single mass-produced earring is usually worth exactly its weight, and pretending otherwise would be theater. When that is the case we say so, show the scale and the math, and pay accordingly. The point is knowing which pieces are which.
Do you buy broken gold and mismatched pieces?
Yes. Melt value does not care about condition, so broken clasps, snapped chains, and orphaned earrings are all welcome. We still check each piece first, because a broken signed bracelet is not scrap. It is one repair away from a collector's price, and it should be bought like one.
Know what it’s worth before you sell.
Our field guides explain how the market actually prices these things. No fishing, no hype: real ranges and the details that move them.
One call. We’ll take it
from there.
(949) 449-1255Mon-Sat 6 am-8 pm · Sun 8 am-5 pm
A real person answers, Monday through Saturday. Photos sent today are usually answered the same day.
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Also from California Vintage Buyers
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- Sell the silver chest for more than its weight.→
- Sell a vintage watch without wondering what it was really worth.→
- The most transparent gold sale in town happens at our own table.→
- Fifty years of anniversaries is a lot of gold.→