The Osprey Gold Buyback Process
Melinda, one of our experts at Osprey, meeting with a client
The evaluation of your gold jewellery
As you probably know, many jewels are gold-plated, that is to say, they contain only a few microns of gold on the surface to give it a golden shine. Technically, the plating is done by electrolysis. Gold dissolved in a solution is deposited on a metal thanks to electricity, which allows it to be of a thinness impossible to achieve otherwise. As a result, over 99% of the jewellery is not gold. Being a gold buyback company, you will understand that plated jewellery does not interest us, except for old jewellery (before 1900). Diamonds or beautiful stones interest us a lot. Our gemologists will be able to tell you what it is worth. Obviously, the service is free and without obligation.
It’s easy to tell if your jewellery is gold. Our specialists have a touchstone. It is an abrasive black plate which after rubbing the jewel will reveal a trace of gold on it. The tester will deposit a drop of acid on the trace and if the trace disappears, it is not gold. We also have an XRF spectrometer that allows us to analyze metals without touching them.
Pure gold is a softer than average metal. It is generally mixed it with other metals to give it its rigidity. Almost no jewellery is made of pure gold, in 24 carats. 18 carat gold is the most common in France and contains 75% pure gold. But there are also 14 carats and 9 carats, much less sought after in France.
Once tested, your jewellery will be weighed. All our scales are approved and regularly checked by controllers. These are special scales that can have an accuracy of 0.01 g. We generally round up to 0.1 g as all gold buyback professionals do.
The value of your gold jewellery
Once weighed and tested, the expert will give you the price that corresponds to the value of your gold jewellery, or even more for antique, signed or gem-set jewellery. If you approve, he or she will write you a check. Bring your ID to make the transaction. It is absolutely mandatory. No transactions are made in cash.
Gold is a metal whose value fluctuates enormously on the commodities market. The price may vary between morning and afternoon. This means that no price is given over the phone.
Only branded, old or gem-set jewels can have a value beyond the price per gram of gold. Our experts will be able to tell you exactly their value.
Osprey is a company that has been in the gold buying business since 1993, and at least one of our experts since 1981. It is a company that has initiated a new way of buying back gold in French villages. Before, there were only gold redemption shops in Paris and in a few big cities. Many French people wishing to resell their gold had to take their car to go to Paris to sell it. In short, it was not profitable; between the price of gasoline and the time lost. Osprey was responsible for bringing buyers to French people from all over France to allow them to resell the jewellery they no longer used. Hotel rooms for resale, relocation and provision of an expert are free for our customers. Finally, the winner is the customer who could not have had this money without it and gets away with the price he would have had in a Parisian store. All customers have been free to make the sale and are generally very happy with the price paid. We have done hotel transactions with over 300,000 customers between 1993 and 2022.
Today, in addition to our store in Paris, our activity is diversifying, and our new online store gives you access to some of our jewellery.
To see our page dedicated to the purchase of gold and jewellery
Osprey Paris
278 rue Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris 01 4015 9000
Our team of experts:
Melinda, expert gemologist,
expert jeweler since 1987
Mike, jeweler since 1981,
antique jewelry expert
and hallmarks, author
of the reference book
The Jewels of the French .
