Gold Avenue Values Your Diamond-Set Gold in a Single Visit

Plenty of jewellery boxes across South Africa hold pieces that are only partly gold: an engagement ring kept after a divorce, a tennis bracelet that never quite felt right, a pendant with a few small stones that has gone unworn for years. Each of these has two sources of value, the metal of the setting and the diamonds it holds. This November, The Gold Avenue, a Sandton buyer of gold, diamonds, luxury watches and Krugerrands, is explaining exactly how it values such pieces so that sellers can walk in knowing what to expect.

The reason is a practical one. The festive season is close, the new year brings its own bills, and many households are opening safes and drawers to work out what their unworn jewellery is really worth. When a piece combines gold and diamonds, a fair answer has to account for both, and each needs its own kind of check.

Metal and stones, assessed separately

The Gold Avenue does not price gold and diamond jewellery as scrap metal, and it does not price it on the stones alone either. The gold is tested and weighed, the diamonds are examined and graded, and the final offer combines both results. The seller watches every step from across the desk in a private consultation room on the 8th floor of Illovo Point.

Why does this matter? A rushed glance over a shop counter can undervalue a piece or overvalue it. With a heavy chain and no stones, the value is mostly in the metal. With a fine ring on a slim band, the stone may account for most of it. A great many pieces sit between those two extremes, and a seller should be able to see how each part of the figure was worked out.

Testing the gold

To read the metal, the company uses a Niton XRF analyser, an instrument it has invested in that scans a piece and shows its exact carat content. The item then goes onto a gold scale while the client watches. Those two readings together set the gold value of the setting, with no guesswork involved. The same method applies whether the piece is yellow, white or rose gold, and platinum is bought too.

Anyone weighing up Gold Buyers in Johannesburg would do well to ask how testing is done. When a buyer tests and weighs in the open and talks the seller through the result, offers become easy to compare. When the work happens out of sight, they do not.

Grading the diamonds

On the diamond side, The Gold Avenue's specialists bring more than 25 years of diamond industry experience and hold certificates of accreditation from the GIA, the Gemological Institute of America. That background equips them to grade stones honestly and professionally. Each diamond is weighed on a scale in plain view of the seller, and once every factor of the stone has been established, it is valued according to the diamond index.

Items bought include polished diamonds, diamond rings and engagement rings, diamond earrings, necklaces, tennis bracelets, pendants and brooches. Stones set in gold are assessed where they sit, so nothing needs to be taken out of its setting before the appointment.

One offer for the whole piece

When the testing and grading are finished, the consultant sets out the offer for the complete item and explains how it was reached. Valuations cost nothing and carry no obligation, which means a seller can listen, ask questions and take their time deciding. Some people sell a mixed piece on the spot. Others hold on to something sentimental and sell only the plain gold items they brought along. Either choice is perfectly common.

A lot of people type Cash For Gold into a search bar when the jewellery in front of them actually contains diamonds as well. The Gold Avenue deals with both in one visit, together with rings, earrings, pendants, brooches, chains, bracelets, bangles, rose gold items and antique jewellery.

What the visit looks like

Every seller follows the same four steps. To begin, they get in touch by phone, WhatsApp or online chat to describe what they have, or simply walk in during business hours. Next, they book a time with a consultant and receive directions, including photographs of the entrance, parking and lift. Then the valuation itself takes a matter of minutes and ends with an offer. Finally, if the seller accepts, payment is immediate, either by EFT straight into their bank account or in cash, subject to compliance and the cash held on the premises.

Sellers need to bring a South African ID, a passport or a South African driver's licence, plus proof of their banking details. Each purchase is recorded in a signed one page Sale Agreement, so the seller leaves with a clear record of the deal.

People looking for a secure Gold Exchange instead of a rushed transaction will find the surroundings count as much as the number. Illovo Point is an AAA grade building with boom-controlled access, underground parking, 24 hour CCTV and guarding. Valuations take place in a private room with the seller seated across the desk, not at the counter of a crowded shop.

Compliance and track record

The Gold Avenue is registered as a second-hand goods dealer under the Second-Hand Goods Act, and is also registered with the National Credit Regulator and with FICA. It is a member of the Second-Hand Dealers and Pawn Board and the Jewellery Council of South Africa. Since its doors opened in April 2022, more than 3,000 clients have used its services, and it carries a 5.0 rating on Google.

Learn more at https://thegoldavenue.co.za/

About The Gold Avenue

Operating from Office 804, 8th floor, Illovo Point, 68 Melville Road, Illovo, Sandton, 2196, The Gold Avenue buys gold jewellery, diamonds and diamond jewellery, luxury watches and Krugerrands. Trent Saldsman, Founder and Managing Director and a Finalist in the Absa Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award 2024, started the business in April 2022 to offer a secure, professional and transparent alternative to the traditional pawn and gold buying trade. It draws on an extensive local and international dealer network. Trading hours are Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 17:00 and Friday 08:00 to 16:00. Saturdays are by pre-booked appointment only, and the business is closed on Sundays and public holidays.