Have questions before bringing your gold, jewellery and valuables to Trentham Jewellery Centre for a free valuation? See the most commonly asked questions answered below

All countries use different standards of gold. The UK standard is 9ct for jewellery although some pieces can be found in 18ct and 22ct, which is why we test your gold in front of you using our state-of-the-art XRF Precious metals analyser to identify different carats of gold even without a hallmark.

If you have Victorian pieces, then you may even find a piece that is 15ct gold.

Many foreign countries use 14ct and 18ct gold in jewellery, although there aren’t the same hallmarking standards as here in the UK. You should normally expect to see marks for 14k/585 and 18k/750.

Gold from Asia is often high carat from 18ct to 24ct in some instances. Due to gold being such a high value commodity in some countries like India, Pakistan & China etc. We often notice that poor quality gemstones, synthetic stones and even glass is often used to adorn jewellery because it’s the gold that the items are made from that really matters to them.

If you can see markings for 375, 416, 585, 625, 750 or 916 then it’s likely you have a piece of gold.

There is also a lot of gold that is unmarked, this could be from years of wear, resizing or some handmade pieces weren’t marked also so just because there isn’t a mark, doesn’t mean it’s not gold, silver, platinum etc!

Being the only jewellers/gold buyers in Stoke-On-Trent to have our own brand new £20,000 XRF precious metals tester, bring your jewellery to us to find out what type of gold you have and how much it's worth.

We can pay out instantly in Cash, Cheque or Bank transfer while you wait with free refreshments in our secure showroom.

If you’re looking to sell then please bring valid proof of address such as a driving licence (provisional or full), or passport & a letter or utility bill in your name dated within the last 3 months to prove the address matches your driving licence.

Absolutely not, unlike a standard jeweller, we are able to presell our gold and we are the largest buyers in the region, spending from £5 to £50,000 on a regular basis per transaction.

If you have over £20,000 to sell, then please always call ahead so we can advise what our quieter times are that day because this could take over 30 minutes to appraise.

Yes, we can provide you with a proof of sale receipt, we will need valid ID (drivers licence or passport + letter/utility bill) to complete this.

Your solicitor may have already informed you that a probate valuation is used to enable HMRC to calculate the correct amount of inheritance tax payable. It can also be useful to ascertain the correct value of chattels before they are dispersed amongst family and friends.

We offer specialist probate valuations in Staffordshire and the surrounding area.

We provide these valuations for inheritance tax purposes in accordance with section 160 of the inheritance tax act 1984.

Charges:

• Call out including the first hour £120 + VAT (extra cost for over 20 miles from our shop may apply at variable rates)
• Thereafter- £60 per hour + VAT

Most jewellery of reasonable value should be documented on your insurance for the unfortunate possibility that it is lost or taken. Having a valid and up to date insurance valuation certificate will ensure you can replace or get paid out accurately if you have them insured.

An insurance valuation is also a great way of identifying exactly what you have, we can identify stones and gold purity which is great to know and compare to what you thought.

With the most advanced modern technology, you can ensure the valuation is accurate and that your piece of jewellery is covered should you ever need to make claim.

Insurance valuations start from just £60 and are conducted on site. For this you will receive an A4 valuation with two pictures. For diamond set jewellery, a surcharge of £50 per carat will apply to cover the cost of identification and testing. For our full breakdown of optional extras, please see our valuations page.

Yes, we are the only jewellers in the region to have our own natural vs laboratory grown diamond testing machine.

The DiamondSure was built by deBeers and sold through merchants like the GIA. It uses advanced technology to identify if a diamond is suspected as being synthetic/man made in a matter of seconds.

Tests start from £35 for a verbal assessment and £75 for written assessment.

We can sell your items through auction at the most competitive rates.

Drop your boxes of valuables off at our showroom while you enjoy a wander around the Tentham shopping village or italian gardens estate and we will have them appraised the same day.

We have a team of experts around the UK specialising in Militaria, Rare pottery, Fine jewellery & Fine Art all on hand via video call to help authenticate and value rare items for auction consignment or a cash offer.

If you want us to sell your jewellery in the shop and don’t mind waiting, we offer a Sale or return option instead of a cash offer for certain items only so please call ahead to discuss this.

We charge 15% + VAT Sellers' Commission on the hammer price of the item (18% inc. VAT).

Entry Fee:
We also charge an entry fee of £2 + VAT per lot (£2.40 inc. VAT) that is entered in the auction regardless of whether the item is sold or not, this is to cover general admin, advertising, and secure storage.

There are no further fees payable. We don't charge photography fees, insurance fees, storage fees or any other form of fee as some auction houses do. We strive to provide a high value service for our vendors as we appreciate your custom.

Case Example:
An item sells for £100 hammer price; you would receive £79.60 paid directly into your nominated bank account.

We buy all diamond and gemstone jewellery, as well as loose diamonds with or without certificates.

We can test for natural, and lab grown diamonds on site with our state-of-the-art tester and also offer grading services from years of experience dealing in second hand diamond jewellery.

Yes, we have good customers for branded jewellery and are always on the lookout for new pieces from the better jewellery houses such as Van Cleef and Arpels, Tiffany, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Theo Fennel, Harry Winston, Chopard, Georg Jensen, Buccellati, Boucheron, Hermes, Chanel, Mikimoto, DeBeers, Piaget, Fabergé.

Yes, Scrap gold and broken gold is one of the busiest areas of our shop. We are the largest known gold and precious metals buyers in the Stoke-On-Trent area and regardless of condition, we will pay out instantly on the spot at the best possible rates.

Yes, we buy silver jewellery and antique silver flatware, holloware and tea sets, figures, novelty items etc.

Yes, we are always on the lookout for sterling silver items such as salvers, tea sets, picture frames, spoons, cutlery sets, tankards, vesta cases and other small novelty pieces considered.

Yes, we repair all precious metal jewellery and offer resizing, rhodium plating, custom rings or bespoke jewellery, wedding ring remakes etc.

Yes, we can take watch repairs in and service all makes from rotary to vintage and modern Rolexes which come with a guarantee and also only use genuine Rolex replacement parts. We can also refurbish/polish Rolex or other luxury watches.