Quick answer: Usually, no.
If you are planning to sell a gold ring, bracelet, necklace, earrings, or other jewelry containing diamonds or gemstones, it is normally better to leave the stones in place until the entire piece has been evaluated.
Why?
Because the jewelry may have value from more than just the gold.
A diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, or other gemstone may have value of its own. The complete piece may also be worth more as jewelry than it would be if it were broken apart for scrap.
Removing stones yourself can also damage the stones, bend the setting, break prongs, or eliminate potential resale value.
At Gold Kings, we regularly evaluate gold jewelry where the precious-metal value and the stones need to be considered separately. The smartest first step is usually to find out exactly what you have before taking anything apart.
Should I Take the Diamonds Out Before Selling a Gold Ring?
In most cases, leave the diamond in the ring.
There are several possible sources of value in a diamond ring:
- The gold or platinum
- The center diamond
- Smaller accent diamonds
- Other gemstones
- The craftsmanship or design
- The brand or maker
- The value of the complete ring as jewelry
If you remove the diamond before having the ring evaluated, you may make it harder to determine whether the entire ring has value beyond its precious-metal content.
A Better Approach
Have the complete ring evaluated first.
Then you can determine whether:
- The ring should be sold complete.
- The diamond should be valued separately.
- The gold should primarily be valued for its precious-metal content.
- You want to keep the stone and sell only the mounting.
That decision should come after the evaluation, not before it.
When Should You Remove a Diamond Before Selling Gold?
There are situations where removing a stone makes sense.
| Situation | What to Do |
|---|---|
| You want to keep the diamond | Have it professionally removed |
| The stone has sentimental value | Remove it before selling the mounting |
| A professional confirms the stone has significant separate value | Consider separate evaluations |
| The jewelry may have resale value as a complete piece | Leave it intact |
| You do not know whether the stone is valuable | Leave it in for evaluation |
| You are selling strictly for scrap gold | Ask how the buyer handles stone weight before removing anything |
The important point is that you do not need to guess.
Have someone evaluate the jewelry first.
Diamonds and Gold Are Valued Differently
One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is assuming the entire weight of a diamond ring is gold.
It isn’t.
If a ring weighs 10 grams and contains a diamond, the stone contributes some of that total weight.
Gold Is Primarily Valued By:
- Weight
- Purity or karat
- Current gold market price
- The buyer’s payout
For example, 14K gold is approximately 58.5% pure gold, while 18K gold is approximately 75% pure gold.
The karat applies to the metal, not the gemstones.
Diamonds Are Evaluated Differently
A diamond cannot simply be priced by multiplying its weight by the gold price.
Diamonds are traditionally evaluated using factors including:
- Carat weight
- Cut
- Color
- Clarity
These are commonly called the 4Cs. The Gemological Institute of America explains that these characteristics work together when describing diamond quality and value.
That means two diamonds weighing exactly one carat can have dramatically different values.
How Much Weight Do Diamonds Add to a Gold Ring?
Diamond weight is measured in carats.
One carat equals:
0.20 grams
So a one-carat diamond weighs only about one-fifth of a gram.
For example:
A ring weighing 10.0 grams with a single 1-carat diamond would contain approximately 9.8 grams of metal, assuming there were no other stones or non-metal components.
This matters when calculating scrap gold value.
A knowledgeable gold buyer should understand that the gross weight of a stone-set ring is not necessarily the weight of the gold.
What About Lots of Small Diamonds?
Small diamonds are often called melee diamonds.
You may see dozens of them in:
- Wedding bands
- Halo engagement rings
- Tennis bracelets
- Pendants
- Earrings
- Diamond-encrusted watches
- Men’s rings
While individual small diamonds may not have the same resale demand as a larger center stone, you should not automatically assume they are worthless.
Their type, quality, total weight, condition, and marketability can all matter.
That is another reason to avoid pulling stones out before someone evaluates the jewelry.
What About Rubies, Sapphires, Emeralds and Other Gemstones?
The same general rule applies:
Do not automatically remove them.
Colored gemstones can vary enormously in value.
Factors can include:
- Type of gemstone
- Whether it is natural or synthetic
- Color
- Size
- Clarity
- Cut quality
- Treatments
- Condition
- Geographic origin in certain high-value stones
GIA notes that colored gemstone value can depend on multiple characteristics including color, origin, size, clarity and cutting quality.
Some stones may have little secondary-market value.
Others can potentially be worth considerably more than the gold holding them.
You cannot reliably determine that just by looking at the stone.
Removing Gemstones Yourself Can Cost You Money
A screwdriver and a pair of pliers are not gemstone-removal tools.
Trying to remove stones yourself can result in:
- Chipped diamonds or gemstones
- Broken prongs
- Scratched stones
- Bent rings
- Damaged mountings
- Lost small diamonds
- Destroyed jewelry resale value
Some colored gemstones can be particularly vulnerable to damage.
If you decide that you want a stone removed, it is usually safer to have a professional jeweler remove it.
Don’t Destroy a Valuable Piece Just for the Gold
Not every gold item should immediately be treated as scrap.
Consider a vintage gold ring containing a quality diamond.
Its scrap gold value might represent only one part of its overall potential value.
The same can apply to:
- Designer jewelry
- Antique jewelry
- Estate jewelry
- Signed pieces
- Quality diamond jewelry
- High-end watches
- Unusual vintage pieces
Breaking the piece apart before determining what it is could eliminate some of that value.
The Rule to Remember
Evaluate first. Disassemble second.
How Does a Gold Buyer Handle Jewelry With Stones?
This is an important question to ask before selling.
If you search for a gold buyer near me or where to sell gold near me, don’t evaluate buyers only by the advertised percentage they claim to pay.
Ask how they handle stones.
A transparent buyer should be able to explain:
- The total weight of the jewelry
- The gold purity
- How the purity was determined
- Whether gemstone weight is being deducted
- Whether any stones are being valued separately
- What gold price is being used
- How the final offer was calculated
You should understand the numbers before deciding whether to sell.
How Gold Kings Evaluates Gold Jewelry
At Gold Kings, precious-metal testing is an important part of determining what an item actually contains.
A stamp such as 10K, 14K, 18K, 585, 750 or 916 is useful information, but a hallmark should not always be treated as the final word.
Professional testing can help verify the metal.
Gold Kings uses professional precious-metals testing equipment, including XRF technology, to help analyze metallic composition rather than relying only on the stamp on an item. The jewelry can also be weighed and the evaluation explained before the customer decides whether to sell.
XRF testing is used to evaluate the metal, not to grade a diamond.
Diamonds and gemstones require a different type of evaluation.
That distinction is important when you are selling jewelry containing both precious metal and stones.
Selling Gold Jewelry With Diamonds
If you have an engagement ring, wedding band, diamond pendant, earrings, bracelet, or other gold-and-diamond jewelry, consider having the entire item evaluated.
Gold Kings evaluates diamond jewelry as well as gold and other precious-metal items. You can learn more about selling diamond jewelry to Gold Kings and review the broader list of items Gold Kings buys.
This is especially important if you are unsure whether:
- The diamond is natural
- The stone has meaningful resale value
- The ring is 10K, 14K or 18K
- The item is solid gold
- The jewelry has value beyond its gold content
Don’t dismantle it just to find out.
Thinking About Selling Gold Jewelry?
Bring the jewelry in complete whenever possible.
Gold Kings can help determine what precious metal you have, how much it weighs, and whether there are other factors that should be considered before you decide to sell.
There is no reason to remove a diamond simply because you are considering selling the gold.
What If I Want to Keep the Diamond but Sell the Gold?
That is different.
If the diamond has sentimental value—or you simply want to use it in another piece of jewelry—you can keep the stone and sell the gold mounting.
In that situation:
- Have the complete ring evaluated.
- Make sure you understand the potential value of both components.
- Have the stone professionally removed.
- Keep the gemstone.
- Sell the empty gold mounting.
This is often safer than trying to pry the stone out yourself.
What If the Buyer Doesn’t Pay for Gemstones?
Ask before you sell.
Different buyers specialize in different things.
Some precious-metal buyers primarily purchase the gold and may place little or no value on common gemstones.
Other buyers may evaluate certain diamond jewelry separately.
Gold Kings’ current What We Buy information notes that gemstone-only items without precious metal are not typically purchased, while Gold Kings does evaluate diamond jewelry and precious-metal jewelry.
That is why knowing what is being valued—and what is not—is important.
Should You Remove Stones From Scrap Gold?
If the piece truly has value only as scrap metal, gemstone weight still needs to be considered.
But that does not necessarily mean you need to remove every stone yourself.
Instead, ask the buyer:
“How are you accounting for the weight of the stones?”
For a heavily stone-set ring or bracelet, the difference can become meaningful.
The buyer should be able to explain the process rather than simply presenting you with a final number.
Before Selling Gold Jewelry, Ask These 7 Questions
Before accepting an offer, ask:
- What karat did the jewelry test?
- How much does the item weigh?
- Are you deducting weight for the diamonds or gemstones?
- Are any of the stones being valued separately?
- What gold spot price are you using?
- How did you calculate the offer?
- Is there any reason this jewelry may be worth more complete than as scrap?
A few questions can help you understand exactly what you are selling.
Gold Kings also provides additional information about the process in its gold and silver selling FAQ.
Have Your Jewelry Tested at Gold Kings
If you are unsure whether you should remove the diamonds or gemstones from your jewelry, bring the complete piece in first.
Gold Kings has locations in Snellville and Commerce, Georgia, where customers can bring gold, silver, coins, bullion, jewelry and other precious-metal items for evaluation.
Gold Kings – Snellville
3635 Stone Mountain Highway
Snellville, GA 30039
770-771-4650
Learn more about selling gold in Snellville.
Gold Kings – Commerce
480 Banks Crossing Dr
Commerce, GA 30529
706-336-0043
Both locations accept walk-ins according to the Gold Kings FAQ.
Rather than removing stones based on a guess, find out what the metal is, what the jewelry weighs, and what parts of the piece may have value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do diamonds increase the value of scrap gold?
Diamonds do not increase the gold content of the jewelry, but a diamond may have its own value. A complete diamond ring therefore may be worth more than the scrap value of its gold alone.
Will a gold buyer pay for the weight of the diamonds?
The diamond is not gold, so its weight should not be treated as gold weight in a scrap calculation. Ask the buyer how stone weight is deducted and whether the diamond is being evaluated separately.
Should I remove small diamonds before selling gold?
Usually not. Have the entire piece evaluated first. Small diamonds can be difficult to remove without damage or loss, and removing them may not improve what you receive.
Should I remove a large diamond before selling the ring?
Not before you know what it is worth. A larger diamond may deserve a separate evaluation, but it is generally better to determine that while the ring is still intact.
Can I sell a gold ring and keep the diamond?
Yes. If you want to keep the diamond, have it professionally removed and then sell the gold mounting separately.
Are gemstones worth anything when selling gold?
Sometimes. Gemstone value varies enormously depending on the type, quality, size, treatment, origin and market demand. Do not assume a stone is valuable—or worthless—without having it evaluated.
Does the jewelry stamp tell me exactly how much gold is in the ring?
Not necessarily. A hallmark can be a useful starting point, but professional testing helps verify the actual precious-metal content.
Where can I sell gold jewelry with diamonds near me?
If you are in the Snellville, Gwinnett County, Commerce or Northeast Georgia areas, Gold Kings evaluates gold and diamond jewelry at its two Georgia locations. Bring the jewelry intact so the metal and other potential value can be considered before you decide what to do.
Before You Remove That Diamond, Find Out What You Have
If you are considering selling a diamond ring or gemstone jewelry, don’t start by taking it apart.
Start by finding out what you own.
The gold may have significant value.
The diamond or gemstone may have value.
And in some cases, the complete piece may deserve consideration beyond its scrap-metal value.
Bring your jewelry to Gold Kings in Snellville or Commerce and let us help you understand the precious-metal content, weight and relevant value factors before you decide whether to sell.
We test it. We weigh it. We explain it. You decide.
