No matter whether it was received as a gift, purchased to commemorate a special event, or given to us as a family heirloom, we all own jewelry. When financial times get tough, looking to pawn jewelry can help keep your head above water until you can repay the loan to reclaim your cherished jewelry. Sometimes the problem is the need for money right to pay an unexpected bill or a vacation that you can’t afford quite yet but really don’t want to continue to put off. Using a collateral loan to finance the situation can work out perfectly.
When you pawn jewelry with Arizona Jewelry and Loan you do not sell your jewelry. Instead you use the jewelry as security against a loan. The pawn shop will hold your valuable jewelry as collateral and return it to you once your debt is paid. This method of getting cash quickly when needed can bring peace of mind to you since you do not have to decide which items to part with. Our friendly associates pride themselves in giving you the service you deserve.
Always carefully assess your jewelry, and then pick out those pieces you want to use. Be sure they are spotless and sparkling. Clean any trace of makeup, ear wax, or dirt off. Check all moving parts and clasps. Replace any that are damaged. Non-working clasps can quickly turn your jewelry into scrap metal in the eyes of a pawn broker. Any paperwork related to the jewelry or the original box will help establish the piece’s validity. You may choose to have your pieces appraised at a jewelers shop prior to going to a pawn shop. This may make you feel better, having a second opinion as to the piece’s value.
Brands of jewelry to consider pawning
Tiffany & Co. has an unparalleled history. They have been a reliable name in jewelry since 1837, focusing on rare diamonds and unique sculpted pieces of jewelry. The Tiffany brand is synonymous with impeccable taste and top of the line pieces from glassware to diamond engagement rings.
Members of the New York City upper class pondered who Mr. Charles Lewis Tiffany really was when he opened his luxury store. They couldn’t help but go to his shop to see what he had to offer. Soon he became associated with names such as the Astors, Vanderbilts, Morgans, and Huttons as Tiffany became the premier jeweler for socialites of the twentieth century.
Very few people know that Tiffany & Co. designed Civil War swords. The luxury brand also designed the Congressional Medal of Honor and the seal on the dollar bill. For Presidents from Lincoln to Kennedy Tiffany & Co. provided fine china, gifts for dignitaries, and jewels for the First Lady. The Tiffany name has been used in songs such as “Santa Baby” and “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.” The first American Bond girl was overtly named Tiffany Glass after the brand. The Tiffany brand has attained iconic status in America.
When you hear the brand Bulgari you may think of watches, but they are an overall international powerhouse in the jewelry business. The founder of the business, Sotirios Voulgaris, comes from a long line of ancient Greek silversmiths. His original shop in his home village in Greece still remains to this day. In Rome in 1881 he opened his second store with his sons Constantino and Giorgio. Giorgio’s son, Gianni, was the force behind taking the company worldwide. Through his efforts the Bulgari company has stretched into fragrances, gifts, and hotels.
Cartier signifies timeless elegance in many people’s minds. They are well known for gorgeous jewelry and wrist watches. Louis-Francois Cartier founded the business in Paris in 1847. In 1874 his sons took over the business and expanded worldwide. Until 1972 the company remained a family owned business.
Cartier has a long history of sales to royalty and celebrities. King Edward VII of England referred to Cartier as “the jeweler of kings and the king of jeweler.” For his coronation, Edward VII ordered 27 tiaras. Today it is not unusual to hear of celebrities wearing Cartier jewelry on the red carpet.
David Yurman may be best known for his men’s jewelry collection. David Yurman’s background is in sculpture, having studied with multiple well known sculptors. In his early adult life he paired up with Sybil Kleinrock and established the Putnam Art Works. Through this venture he learned about jewelry and art, laying the groundwork for his iconic jewelry. In 1982, Yurman released the cable bracelet, the item that would become his signature piece. It is a twisted helix of sterling silver with gemstones at the ends.
Over time Yurman has created jewelry for both men and women. He has also expanded into production of fragrances and eyewear.
You may know Harry Winston as the person who purchased the Hope Diamond in 1949 but he has a much richer history than just that. Mr. Winston started in the trade as a boy, working with his father in the family jewelry business. By the age of 19 he started his own company, The Premier Diamond Company. A little later in life he ventured into the world of estate sales. Realizing that he could purchase unwanted old jewelry inexpensively, remove the stones, then recut them and place them into more modern settings for resale he was able to earn quite a bit of money.
Harry Winston has continued to acquire large uncut stones as well as cut stones. Today the Harry Winston Diamond Corporation operates throughout the world.
Chopard is known for watchmaking, but has also branched out into making some of the finest jewelry available. It wasn’t until 1963, when forced to seek a buyer because his sons did not want to become owners of the business, that Paul Andre Chopard (grandson of the founding Chopard) met Karl Scheufele. Scheufele was a descendant of a family of German jewelers and watchmakers. He quickly purchased the company and built it to what it is today.
The Chopard brand is known for its creativity, use of state-of-the-art technology, and excellent craftsmanship. So while the Chopard family is no longer involved in the company, their ideals of precision and reliability live on.
More than 100 years ago Kokichi Mikimoto succeeded in creating the world’s first cultured pearls. “My dream is to adorn the necks of all women around the world with pearls,” stated Kokichi Mikimoto. His drive for perfection and love for these lustrous pure gems has fueled the formation of the house of Mikimoto.
Today, Mikimoto is a world leader in jewelry design and the foremost producer of fine quality cultured pearls. The company chooses only the finest materials, has expert craftsmen, and is committed to exceptional customer service. Mikimoto combines timeless elegance with sophisticated modern design.
Van Cleef & Arpels is the creation of a man, Solomon Arpels, and his son-in-law Alfred Van Cleef. Their business started in 1906 with the opening of their first Paris boutique. Over the following 30 years the business grew as they opened stores in various locations in France. Due to World War II most of the Arpels and Van Cleef family moved to America. In 1940 they opened a boutique in Palm Beach then later opened their more famous store on 5th Avenue in New York City.
Van Cleef & Arpels is credited with many milestones in the jewelry industry. They brought out the first leather strap wrist watch and created the “mystery setting” in which no prongs are visible. Many royalty have chosen to wear their jewels.
The House of Faberge started as a jewelry business founded in 1842 by Gustav Faberge in St. Petersburg, Russia. Adding the accent to the last ‘e’ in the name may have been an attempt to give the name a more French sound which would have appealed to the Russian aristocracy. Today when you hear “Faberge” many people think of the Imperial Faberge eggs. The ornately jeweled eggs were produced for the Russian Tsars in a limited number by Peter Carl Faberge, son of Gustav Faberge, between 1885 and 1917.
The war and politics of Russia slowly forced most of the Faberge family to leave Russia for other European and Scandinavian countries. Following the death of its founder, Faberge heirs lost the rights to the Faberge name. Through the years the Faberge name has gone through many combinations and uses outside the original jewelry business. Since 2009 there has been a major effort to bring the Faberge brand back around to jewelry, watches, and high end collectibles. In July 2011 the company launched 2 collections of egg pendants, including a dozen highly jeweled egg pendants.
Many more fine jewelry collections and makers exist worldwide. These include Autore, Beccellati, Graff, John Hardy, and Piaget. No matter who the maker of your jewelry is consider bringing it in to use as collateral for a loan at Arizona Jewelry and Loan. The need to pawn jewelry in order to get cash now is all you must have in order to set up a collateral loan.