Recycled Gemstones FAQs

We say our gemstones are recycled but what does that really mean?

Recycled gemstones are gems that have been previously owned. 

Just because it's pre-owned doesn't mean it's not beautiful! Using recycled gemstones is a great way to save money for your customers and in your business, and also do a little bit for the environment. 

Because they have been loved before, the gemstones may not be perfect. Each one has a detailed photo so you can check them out, we are as accurate with our descriptions as we can be, particularly of condition so you can make an informed decision.

Every stone is cleaned, assessed, tested and identified by an experienced and qualified gemmologist, so you can be secure in what you are buying and selling to your customers.

Where do the stones come from, what's the story?

We buy mixed parcels of gemstones from jewellers, pawnbrokers and auctions. Where they may have been taken out of jewellery that is remodelled, or melted down, often stones that may end up in landfill (I know can you believe it?!).

Sometimes when we buy a parcel we know all the stones have come from jewellery and are definitely recycled, other times we may buy a whole box from a retiring jeweller, and there can be a mix of surplus stones, stones that fell on the floor (!) as well as previously mounted stones.

We are currently working on a "Rating System" for our recycled stones where we will start to assign a category based on our knowledge of where it came from, for instance whether we can guarantee it was previously mounted, of if it came from a mixed parcel and it is not possible to tell, or if we bought it knowing it was pre-owned but was "as new".

What if I don't like it in person?

We have a 30 day refund policy so if for any reason you get the stone and it's not right, send it back and we will refund you, so you even have time to show your customer and know you can get your money back if it is not the right stone for them.

How does the price compare to "new" gemstones?

Not only does a gemmologist identify every stone, an experienced buyer/dealer appraises every stone and prices it based on current trade market prices for that material, including taking into account condition, so the more wear a stone has the lower the carat price will be against current market rates. 

Are the stones repolished?

No, not typically. We do repolish some stones that really really need it (which will be labelled as such) but if we repolished every stone before selling it, we would go bankrupt, we would have a lot of money tied up in polishing costs in inventory that may or may not sell. As many people are happy to mount stones with minor wear we let each customer decide; do they want a stone with a little wear that is 10-20% less than an equivalent "new" stone, or do they want to buy it as is and get it repolished. If we repolish material you do not get the same financial advantage because we then charge a much higher per carat price to begin with.

Can you get them repolished for us?

Yes, absolutely, we work with a few lapidaries who can make the stones look brand new if needed, and we just add the lapidary fee to your stone, this will generally cost you around £30-50 per stone plus the postage. It is a very cost effective way of working with recycled stones, but still having a perfect stone for fine jewellery. We don't have a ton of money sunk into lapidary fees, and you get much cheaper gems in the long run you just need to wait a couple of weeks for them to be done!

Are they treated?

Treatments are always disclosed when known, and we err on the side of caution and assume gems are treated if they can be, unless we have evidence or an independent lab opinion to let us tell you otherwise.

If we use a code for gem treatments these are the standard CIBJO treatment codes as follows:

N None

H Heating

O Oil/Resin  

W Waxing

B Bleaching

C Coating

U Diffusion

D Dyeing

F Filling

I Impregnation

R Irradiation

SC Special care