10/21   Is there any good way to turn gold jewelry into cash, and what
        is the typical premium paid to get it in the form of jewelry?
        (as opposed to just a gold bar or ingot, for instance.)  We
        received several gold chains/etc as wedding gifts, and would
        rather put the inherent value to use instead of having them
        just sit in a safety deposit box...  (they aren't very
        practical). Any resale options other than a pawn shop or ebay?
        Or just hold on to them for the next depression?
        \_ So you stole some shit and your fence got busted before you could
           cash out the loot?  Yeah, that's tough when it happens.
           \_ Nah, I think they just have Asian parents.
              \_ exactly! - OP
                 \_ you're both a bunch of racists.
                    \_ I'm no racist.  I just happen to also have Asian
                       parents and I got a lot of gold necklaces and bracelets
                       when I got married.  - !OP
                       \_ Did you really go to Berkeley?  look, if you're
                          not standing on Sproul shouting about affirmative
                          action and setting fire to stacks of Daily Cals,
                          you're a RACIST!!!!
                    \_ Pointing out a cultural tradition is not racist, it is
                       a statement of fact.
        \_ schmelt it into a bar and take it to Thailand and exchange
          for nicer stuff. 1 to 1 exchange rate.
          \_ Have you done this?  Where did you have it made into a bar, and
             how much did that cost?
          \_ Bah, it's worth more in a formed state than as gold mint tabs.
             You're not going to make up the cost of the jewlery. Depending
             on how quick you want to get the money and how nice the pieces
             are, an independent jeweler may be your best bet.
        \_ In the US, you'll lose about 20-30% if you're lucky... that is,
           selling the jewelry. If you turn it into gold, you'll lose way more.
           If you go to less industrialized nations that have lots of gold
           (e.g. Turkey, E. Asia???), the jeweler might only eat 5-10%. YMMVg
        \_ Kitco will give you 90% of melt price:
           http://online.kitco.com/selling
           \_ perfect, thanks!
              \_ As someone else pointed out, melt price is a lot less than
                 price as jewelry. Most of the cost of a piece of jewelry is
                 the labor to make it. --dim
                 \_ LOL.  you get the stupidest comment of the day award.
                    \_ Obviously you've never had jewelry made. Why do
                       you think a necklace made of QUARTZ can cost over
                       $10K? Could it be the WORKMANSHIP? Go price some
                       stones and then go price the jewelry. Jewelry has
                       a huge mark-up. "Cost" here means cost to the
                       dealer, not the consumer. Melt the gold down and
                       it's suddenly worth a lot less than it was finished.
                 \_ It's a cool web site, though, and is a useful option if
                    ebay and an exchange in asia don't work out...