Buying secondhand jewelry can be more interesting and fiscally responsible than buying new jewelry.

Though not a one-to-one comparison, it’s like buying a used car: the price of being new is marked up by the company and often not reflective of the actual value.

But there are more factors than just price when buying secondhand!

Are you in search of more bling? Then here are other great reasons to check out antique stores, pawn shops, or jewelry stores that sell secondhand.

A Better Deal

There’s this prevalent idea in modern culture that the value of jewelry is reflected in its price. So, obviously, if the jewelry is cheap, then the quality is poor. Right?

Not true! Buying secondhand jewelry from a pawn shop, thrift store, garage sale, or other kind of secondhand seller shouldn’t be viewed as a lesser way of purchasing jewelry.

Because they’re older (and sometimes less desired than certain modern designs), the price gets significantly marked down. A similar item at a jewelry store could be much cheaper at a pawn shop. If you’re looking for a wedding ring, a gift, or something for yourself, a good piece of jewelry doesn’t have to break the bank.

Sustainable and Ecofriendly

Not all jewelry can be or should be melted down and recycled into new jewelry. Because it’s made with precious and semi-precious resources, it can last quite a while and will end up in a store to be sold again.

Buying these older pieces (instead of putting in the energy and resources to melt them down to make something new) is much more environmentally friendly for the world-conscientious consumer.

Additionally, buying secondhand jewelry allows someone to buy jewelry without supporting the companies that strip-mine or provide poor working conditions for miners, like the mining of “blood diamonds.”

Though there’s a chance that a piece bought secondhand was made by a company that dealt in these practices, they don’t get a cut of the sale when resold. So, you wouldn’t be actively supporting them.

Older Styles

Jewelry goes through fashion cycles, just like clothes and hair styles do. This means that certain a style of jewelry can go out of fashion in jewelry stores. To find something a little more unique or not currently available in stores, buying secondhand increases the variety of pieces to choose from.

Additionally, many of these older pieces bring with them this aura of history, depending on how old they are.

Antique Pieces

Another term for secondhand (depending on age and perhaps a few other arbitrary factors) can be “antique.” Antique can describe your grandmother’s wedding ring or a locket found in a trunk dating back to the American Civil War.

Not all antique pieces need history to them, though it can be romantic and fun to know the history of a piece that has traveled the years. It’s maybe been around longer than you have! This added value can make a wedding ring or congratulatory set of earrings all the more meaningful.