Jewellery that mixes gold and diamonds rarely has a single value, and The Gold Avenue wants sellers to understand why before they walk through the door. The Sandton based buyer of gold, diamonds, luxury watches and Krugerrands is explaining this November exactly how it assesses pieces where precious metal and stones come together, from an engagement ring left over from a past marriage to a tennis bracelet that never quite matched its owner’s style, or a pendant with small stones that has sat untouched for years.
Many South Africans describe such items simply as “gold”, yet each one really holds two separate sources of value: the metal that forms the setting and the diamonds it secures. As the festive season draws closer and January’s bills loom, plenty of households are opening safes and jewellery boxes to find out what their unworn pieces might fetch. With mixed jewellery, a fair answer has to account for both components, and each one needs its own kind of check.
Metal and stones, assessed separately
The Gold Avenue does not treat gold and diamond jewellery as scrap metal, nor does it base its price purely on the stones. Instead, the gold is tested and weighed, the diamonds are examined and graded, and the final offer combines both results. The entire assessment takes place with the seller present, inside a private consultation room on the 8th floor of Illovo Point.
A rushed glance across a shop counter can easily misjudge a piece, either undervaluing the metal or overlooking the stones. With a weighty chain and no diamonds, the value sits mainly in the gold. With a delicate ring on a slim band, the stone may account for most of it. Plenty of jewellery lands between those two extremes, which is why sellers should be shown how each portion of the offer was worked out.
Testing the gold
To measure the metal, the company uses a Niton XRF analyser that it has invested in, which scans a piece and reveals its precise carat content. The item is then placed on a gold scale while the client watches. Combined, the scan and the weight establish what the setting is worth in gold, without any guesswork involved. The Gold Avenue buys yellow, white and rose gold as well as platinum, and every metal goes through the same testing process.
Anyone weighing up different Gold Buyers in Johannesburg would do well to ask how testing is carried out. When a buyer weighs and tests in the open and talks the seller through the result, offers become easy to compare. When that work happens behind closed doors, they are not.
Grading the diamonds
Diamonds are handled by specialists who bring more than 25 years of experience in the diamond industry and who hold certificates of accreditation from the GIA, the Gemological Institute of America. Their training means stones are graded honestly and professionally. Each diamond is weighed on a scale where the seller can see it, and after every factor of the stone has been established, it is valued in line with the diamond index.
Items bought include polished diamonds, diamond rings and engagement rings, diamond earrings, necklaces, tennis bracelets, pendants and brooches. Where stones are set in gold, they are assessed without being removed, so there is no need for sellers to have pieces taken apart beforehand.
One offer for the whole piece
When the gold testing and diamond grading are complete, the consultant walks the seller through a single offer covering the entire item. Valuations cost nothing and carry no obligation, giving sellers the freedom to hear the number, raise any questions and make up their minds at their own pace. Some sell a mixed piece on the spot. Others hold on to something with sentimental meaning and instead sell the plain gold items they arrived with. Either choice is perfectly common.
People often type Cash For Gold into a search bar even when the jewellery in their hands contains diamonds too. At The Gold Avenue, both can be dealt with in one appointment, together with rings, earrings, pendants, brooches, chains, bracelets, bangles, rose gold items and antique jewellery.
Four simple steps
Every seller follows the same route. To begin, they get in touch with the team by phone, WhatsApp or online chat to describe what they have, or simply walk in during business hours. Next, they book a valuation slot with a consultant and receive directions, complete with photographs of the entrance, parking and lift. Then, after a valuation lasting only minutes, they receive an offer. Finally, if they accept, payment is made straight away, either by EFT directly into their bank account or in cash, subject to compliance and the amount of cash available on the premises.
Sellers need to bring a South African ID, passport or South African driver’s licence, plus proof of their banking details. Each purchase is recorded on a signed one page Sale Agreement, so the seller leaves with a clear record of the deal.
When choosing a safe Gold Exchange over a rushed transaction, the environment counts just as much as the price. Illovo Point is an AAA grade building offering boom-controlled access, underground parking, 24 hour CCTV and guarding. Every assessment is done across a desk in a private room, rather than at a counter in a crowded store.
Regulated and trusted
The Gold Avenue holds registration as a second-hand goods dealer under the Second-Hand Goods Act, is registered with both the National Credit Regulator and FICA, and belongs to the Second-Hand Dealers and Pawn Board and the Jewellery Council of South Africa. It opened in April 2022, has since assisted more than 3,000 clients, and carries a 5.0 rating on Google.
Learn more at https://thegoldavenue.co.za/
About The Gold Avenue
Operating from Office 804, 8th floor, Illovo Point, 68 Melville Road, Illovo, Sandton, 2196, The Gold Avenue buys gold jewellery, diamonds and diamond jewellery, luxury watches and Krugerrands. Trent Saldsman, Founder and Managing Director and a Finalist in the Absa Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award 2024, established the business in April 2022 to offer a secure, professional and transparent alternative to the traditional pawn and gold buying trade. It draws on an extensive network of local and international dealers. Trading hours are Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 17:00 and Friday from 08:00 to 16:00, with Saturdays available by pre-booked appointment only. The business is closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Media Contact
The Gold Avenue
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +27 10 109 0080
Website: https://thegoldavenue.co.za
