GOLD SOLD: RECYCLED, REMELTED OR RESOLD? THE TRUTH ABOUT GOLD BUYBACK
You've sold your gold to a jeweler or a gold counter. But have you ever wondered what happens to your jewelry after the transaction? This is a question many customers ask us at Fremont, and we're going to answer it with complete transparency.
WHAT MOST GOLD COUNTERS DO
In the vast majority of cases, gold counters buy back your jewelry solely to melt it down. The process is simple:
- They weigh your jewelry
- They calculate the value by weight of pure gold
- They pay you - often below the actual market price
- They send your jewelry to a refinery
Your jewelry is then melted down with other gold objects to form pure gold bars or granules, which are then resold on the precious metals market. Your family ring, your wedding band, your inherited necklace, all end up in the same crucible.
This is why these counters are only interested in the weight of the gold. For them, a 1920s Art Deco piece of jewelry is worth exactly the same as a broken chain scrap, provided they weigh the same.
WHAT WE DO AT FREMONT - A DIFFERENT APPROACH
At Fremont, jewelers in Paris 10 for 35 years, our approach is fundamentally different. Before any decision, we evaluate each piece of jewelry according to two criteria:
1. Can the jewelry be resold?
Some jewelry has a value far greater than its simple gold weight. This is the case for:
- Antique and vintage jewelry - Art Deco, Belle Époque, Napoleon III
- Signed or branded jewelry - Cartier, Van Cleef, Boucheron
- Solitaires with quality diamonds
- Rare or collector's items
- Jewelry with valuable gemstones
For these pieces, we offer you a price higher than the gold market rate because we can resell them at their true value to other customers who are specifically looking for this type of item. Your jewelry embarks on a new life, worn by someone who appreciates it for its true worth.
2. Should the jewelry be melted down?
For jewelry without particular market value, gold scraps, very damaged jewelry, dental gold, broken chains of no interest, melting is indeed the final destination. In this case, we pay you according to the official daily gold price, applying our best buy-back rates.
WHAT HAPPENS TO MELTED GOLD?
Gold recovered through melting enters a virtuous recycling cycle:
Industrial recycling A large part of recycled gold is used in the electronics industry, printed circuits, connectors, electrical contacts. Gold is an exceptional conductor and resistant to corrosion.
New jewelry Recycled gold is also used by jewelers to create new pieces of jewelry. Recycled gold is chemically identical to mined gold; there is no difference in quality.
Bank reserves and gold bars Some recycled gold joins the reserves of central banks or is transformed into investment gold bars.
Medicine and dentistry Gold is used in certain medical treatments and dental implants due to its biocompatibility.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU
Understanding what happens to your gold after the sale allows you to make a better decision:
If your jewelry has value, do not sell it to a counter that will melt it down. Come to an expert jeweler like Fremont who will recognize and pay its true value.
If your gold has no particular market value, melting is an honorable destination. Your gold enters an ecological recycling cycle that avoids mining, which is much more polluting.
TRANSPARENCY, OUR COMMITMENT
At Fremont, we always explain what we will do with your jewelry and why. If we believe we can resell it, we tell you and offer you a price accordingly. If melting is the best option, we also explain it to you.
It is this transparency that has set us apart for 35 years from anonymous counters that buy everything at the same price without ever explaining why.
Come see us without an appointment at 1 Boulevard de Magenta, Paris 10 - Metro République - Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6:30 pm.
📞 01 42 08 12 48
At Fremont, jewelers in Paris 10 since 1990, every piece of jewelry is valued at its fair price - whether resold or recycled. Free estimate, immediate payment, no appointment necessary.