What's in a Name - Tiffany & Co.

We recently purchased this “16 Stone” ring by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. Tiffany & Co. is arguably the most famous American jewelry company, and in 1956 Jean Schlumberger became the first designer to design under his own name for the prestigious firm.

This ring is made up of top quality diamonds, weighing approximately 1.18 ct total. The diamonds are separated by the iconic “x” that is often seen in Schlumberger’s jewelry.

Some of the value in this piece does come from the high quality of work, but the majority of its value is derived from the name that is stamped on the inside of the ring. Schlumberger is a timeless name and will always have high demand on the secondary market.

This particular ring was a gift from an old boyfriend. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but sometimes you just need to move on.

Watch This - Rolex

We recently purchased this stainless steel Submariner Rolex. As one of the most well-known watch brands, a Rolex is very collectible, meaning it has value on the secondary market. Regardless of the economy, CIRCA has always experienced consistently strong demand for all types of Rolex watches.

The Submariner, as its title suggests, is waterproof up to 1000 feet and was designed as a diver’s watch. Many credit its popularity to fact that it has been featured in eleven James Bond films, including Dr. No, Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever.

The Rolex Submariner was launched in 1954 and became an almost instant classic. This particular model has a date complication, making it very practical for the diver and non-diver alike.

What's in a Name - David Webb

We recently purchased this beautiful Hippo Bangle by David Webb. When items are signed by certain famous makers, it can increase the value dramatically. David Webb’s creations certainly fall into this category.

David Webb was founded in 1948, and continues to be one of the most sought after American jewelers. Webb is known for his lively and cheerful animal jewelry, as demonstrated by this bangle. Unlike many of Webb’s creations, this Hippo is not made primarily of enamel, but instead of beautiful gold relief with cabochon ruby eyes.

Can you believe that this particular bangle was almost melted down because our client did not realize it was signed! Be wary of companies that do not have fine jewelry knowledge, and are only looking to buy gold. They are paying only the meltdown value of the gold. A lot of companies are trying to cash in on the current economic trend, but lack the experience and knowledge of jewelry that is required to help you get the best price.

Pearls of Wisdom

Over the years the pearl market has changed drastically. It was not too long ago when the only means of obtaining pearls was to dive into the ocean and check every oyster for that precious gem that was so rare and so desirable. These are called ‘natural’ pearls. Today this is no longer the case. Today pearls are cultured by planting a nucleus into a mollusk and then harvested once the pearl has formed.

In recent years, China has become the major producer of pearls. By means of mass production they have made pearls affordable and available, but in doing so have flooded the marketplace, driving the value of pearls down dramatically. As such, pearls should be purchased to be worn and enjoyed, but like all jewelry, not as an investment.

Some pearls do have value in the secondary market. Pearls signed by famous makers such as Mikimoto or Tiffany & Co. tend to be more collectible. South Sea pearls and Tahitian pearls are viewed as elite, but again they are not as rare as they once were. Natural pearls, however, can be extremely valuable. They are most often found in estate and antique jewelry, and these strands are still rare and difficult to come by.

The CIRCA Gold Standard

Introducing The CIRCA Gold Standard, our attempt to bring a level of transparency to the gold buying market. We hope to accomplish this by sharing with you daily the dollar estimates that we are paying to our clients for their gold.

Please keep in mind that some gold jewelry has a value that exceeds just its weight in gold. This is particularly true of estate, antique and signed jewelry. We hope that this information will guide you in making the correct decision should you choose to sell at any point.

The purity of gold is measured in karats. 24k gold is the purest form, which is 99.9% gold. 22kt gold contains 22/24 parts gold, or 91.3% pure gold. 18kt gold contains 75% pure gold, 14kt gold contains 58.5% pure gold, and 10kt is 41.6% pure gold. The higher the gold content, the more valuable the piece.

Here are CIRCA’s price estimates per pennyweight (dwt) for the standard gold purities, based on:

Afternoon London gold fixing price: $ 1,047.50 per ounce, which is the current price being traded for pure gold.

10K - $14.04
14K - $19.99
18K - $25.92
22K - $32.00
24K - $34.84

Platinum - $37.02

A pennyweight is a term used to measure the weight of gold. There are 20 pennyweights in an ounce. Another commonly used term is grams. To convert pennyweights to ounces or grams:

1 dwt= .055 ounces
1 dwt= 1.55 grams


* These prices represent an approximate dollar value that CIRCA will pay based on the afternoon London gold fixing price on the day of settlement. It is subject to change during the course of the day as the gold price fluctuates. These numbers are relevant only to plain gold jewelry that doesn't contain any stones or other elements that add weight. These prices do not apply to items that are gold filled or gold plated.

Introducing the CIRCA Digital Platform

As the only international jewelry buying company, and the largest buyer from the public worldwide, we’re very aware that there is a scarcity of freely available, reliable information on the topic of selling jewelry. We at CIRCA have launched this digital platform in an effort to take the mystery out of this process.

We’ve been sharing our unique knowledge with our clients since 2001, and hope to utilize this platform to make the process of selling your fine jewelry, diamonds and watches understandable and accessible to all. Importantly, we want to dispel much of the misinformation out there regarding the value of jewelry. By showing featured purchases coupled with expert insight, we hope this forum will be entertaining, informative and of course, interactive.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Chris Del Gatto
Chairman & CEO
CIRCA