Category Archives: Selling Gold

Gold Buyers in New Zealand

Jewellery Buyers

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Anita

For thousands of years gold has been used in the creation of jewellery, art, and coins. Through time gold has been an important factor in economic policies all over the world. It is usually bought as jewellery in times of abundance or investment bullion in times of crisis, and is sold as a method to release capital.

Reasons to Sell Gold

People think of selling gold for the most varied reasons. Whether by necessity or desire, it’s  a quick and easy way to unlock some money. Some of the most typical reasons why Kiwis sell gold jewellery are:

Unlocking value reserves

In times when business cash-flow is tight or one is temporarily out of work, it’s handy to know you have something valuable that can be quickly sold. Selling your gold is one of the quickest and easiest ways to unlock the gold value of your old jewellery items.

Sell because the time is right

Some people know the right time to sell gold in order to gain better profits. For instance, if you are following gold prices, you know that prices are historically really good at the moment.

Get rid of what is not needed

Some people buy jewellery, accessories or decorative items by impulse, when in reality they do not need it. They later end up not wearing the jewellery – better sold for cash than unloved in the jewellery box.

To buy something needed or desired

It’s normal for people to sell their gold to buy or pay for something special. This may be a household appliance, a new car, a house, school costs for the children, or an unexpected bill.

Regardless of your reasons, when you’re ready to sell your gold and/or silver items look for good, reputable and reliable buyers.

Gold Smart has been in business delivering high quality services and fair prices to customers for years now. If you take a look at our testimonials on our website you will see the glowing feedback from our happy customers. Our best price guarantee policy ensures that both customers and company are satisfied in every deal.

Enquire today via our contact page or give us call. We will be happy to assist you selling your gold and silver items.

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Gold Rate – Without Debt in 2012

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Anita

Like many people, if you’ve spent more than you should with gifts and parties at the end of the year and started 2012 in the red, it’s time to take a deep breath and take charge to organise your finances to a healthy position this year.

Avoiding over-indebtedness is having control over your money. This involves two paths: firstly you can increase income, for example, a pay rise or change of employment or other activity that ensures an extra income. Secondly you can evaluate monthly expenditures and sort expenses into essential or non-essential.

Organising your spending is not always an easy task. It requires discipline and monitoring. There are many tools available that can help you such as worksheets, and computer software. Simple hint: take a 12-month calendar, and begin to record all events that will happen, such as birthdays and anniversaries (e.g. Mother’s Day), in addition to current expenditure and also installments already incurred.

Putting everything on paper makes it much easier to gauge exactly how much you earn and how much you spend.

If you are a fair amount in debt you need to list all fixed bills and the delayed ones. Try to renegotiate your debts and also assess the need to change a bad debt for a better one. For example, if you are in debt with your credit card or account overdraft, opt for a more suitable line of credit with lower interest rates. Overdraft is a product intended only for emergency situations and should be used for a very short period of time.

It’s not good just paying the bills. A person who is in debt needs to cut unnecessary expenses to balance their budget. In this case, you must observe even small expenditures, such as eating out or having coffee out every day. It is important to realize that small expenses can generate a large expense at the end of the month.

If your budget is deep in the red and you see no way out ahead, the option may be to take a line of credit. Another option is the Gold Smart Way…

Who wants to have a bad credit score and not enjoy the occasional treat? Getting high-interest loans (especially from loan sharks) can make matters worse. In other words, acquire more debt to pay debt? It doesn’t sound very smart.

Don’t be stuck on the trap. If you have any unwanted gold or silver jewellery/items, today might be the day to bring it to us. You will be pleasantly surprised with our service quality, friendly staff and most important of all, our prices. Call now to make an appointment. You will be glad you did.

P.S. please download our free gold buyers guide to selling gold.

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Create a Christmas spending plan to save money

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Anita

Christmas is the time of year to celebrate and enjoy time with family and loved ones. On the other hand this can easily become a time of stress, due to financial commitments and pressures. Even though there are only a couple of weeks to go it’s never too late to save money this year, start by creating a spending plan for Christmas. (We prefer to call it a spending plan rather than a budget!)

Always make a list of Christmas gifts to offer

There’s nothing like having a list of Christmas gifts to work with: in addition to being practical and avoid overspending, it allows you to define at the beginning how much you want to spend with each recipient. Once you have compiled this list of names, group names according to spending amounts – we already know that we always have a few more expensive gifts than others, and everything becomes easier as you have an immediate picture of upcoming expenses. In addition, these initial accounts will also allow you to make adjustments in the value of a gift if you think it is beyond your budget and you can work out if you have some room to manoeuvre in case you wish to get some extra money for Christmas presents.

Make a list of other Christmas expenses

Remember to make a list of all expenses, without forgetting important aspects such as:

  • Christmas decorations
  • Christmas tree (including whether to buy a real pine or not)
  • Wrapping paper, ribbons, bows
  • Labels, adhesive tape
  • Christmas cards, envelopes, stamps
  • Shipping fees for gifts that will be send by mail
  • Food for the festive season (Christmas dinners, Christmas Eve night,
  • Christmas Day, chocolates, sweets, etc)
  • Clothing/footwear for the Christmas holidays
  • Travel expenses in case you will be spending Christmas away from home.

Examine your budget

Now that you know your costs, you need to check your funds available for Christmas and analyse your savings. It involves answering one or both of these questions: How much money do you have to spend this Christmas? How much money do you want to save this Christmas? From there, and knowing what is the final value you have to spend during the month of December, establish how much you want to spend on each area of Christmas expenses, correcting the values that you may have already outlined in the preparation of lists of Christmas gifts and expenditure.

In order to “stretch” their available funds, many kiwis are selling their unwanted gold and silver jewellery to Gold Smart. With the high price of gold and silver you would be surprised with how much you can earn to make your Christmas even more exciting.

Think and research before you buy

A Christmas spending plan is not just a piece of paper with names and numbers. It implies action and, if you want to save money (or at least avoid debt), you must research before buying. Once you know you have a certain amount to spend per person, work out an idea of what you will buy for each person. By knowing in advance what you want to give to each person in your list, it will be easier to search the best place to purchase each gift, whether online or in a physical store. In addition, you should keep an eye on brochures and discount coupons to save you money on everything you need for Christmas.

Follow the Christmas spending plan no matter what

Once you’ve created a spending plan for Christmas, now comes the most important part: Follow it! Although this is not always easy, it is crucial if you want to avoid unnecessary debt and even save some money. Some tips to help fulfill the Christmas budget:

  • Always take the list with you!
  • If possible, bring the exact amount of money in cash you wish to spend. This will avoid overspending on eftpos and credit cards and unnecessary purchases.
  • Avoid shopping in the hours/days that you know it will be very crowded because in these environments shoppers are prone to impulse and/or unnecessary buying. The earlier you start the better.
  • Try Christmas shopping all in one day or at least concentrating shopping in large blocks, thus avoiding extra costs of fuel, parking, etc.
  • If you shop online, avoid the credit card as much as possible, opting instead to pay via ATM, bank transfer or PayPal. In addition, try to group as many items to avoid multiple shipping charges.
  • Keep a record of all expenditures carefully and follow your Christmas spending plan to not to exceed your limit. When you finish your Christmas shopping, keep the budget to review, and to use it next year.

Good savings and Merry Christmas, from Gold Smart!

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Gold, its colours and applications in jewellery

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Anita

Demystifying the Gold Colour

It is very common to hear expressions such as “this jewel is from this or that region” or “this jewel is from this origin” because of its colour.

Others can often say “Gold with this colour??? No, this is not gold!” or “18 carat gold from that place is better”. However this couldn’t be further from the truth. Gold is a metal, therefore it is the same anywhere in the world.

Pure gold is 24 carat. 75% of 24 equals 18. Thus, a piece of jewellery that has 75% of pure gold is 18 carat (750/1000). The other 25% corresponds to the metal alloy that is combined with the gold. The colour of the jewellery is defined by the selection and composition of these alloys.

Colours of Gold

Gold remains always pure, even when connected to other metals. To be turned into jewellery, for being soft, gold requires the addition of other metals. This union with other metals is called league, which is also responsible for the colour of gold. Depending on the percentage of each of the metals that make up the alloy, the colour of gold can vary:

Gold + silver and copper = YELLOW GOLD

Gold + nickel or silver and palladium = WHITE GOLD

Gold + copper, silver and zinc = RED GOLD

18 Carat White Gold

Based on these facts 18 carat white gold would comprise 75% gold (Au) plus a mixture of palladium (Pd) and silver (Ag) or Nickel (Ni)

White gold is as valuable as the other colours. Usually it is made with a mixture of nickel or silver and palladium, and for this reason, the final appearance is dull and grey. In order to add shine, it is necessary to go through a technical process of finishing, popularly known as “rhodium plating.” Basically this process consists of immersing the jewel in a specific device which is placed another metal in solid state (usually platinum) that causes the rhodium in its liquid state to set in the jewellery. For this reason it is common that after a long period of usage, white gold jewellery require new rhodium plating, since the frequent use of the piece can wear off its shininess (but never the gold). Unlike plated gold, which has the noble metal only on the surface, white gold has gold as the main component.

For helpful advice on selling your jewellery, and a friendly and professional service, call GoldSmart and book an appointment with us today.

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Why is gold so valuable?

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Anita
110 kilos of pure gold

King Tut's mask was made of more than 110 kilos of pure gold!

In human society we have developed various systems and methods for trading goods and services. Over time most cultures have come to use paper money as the preferred method to exchange value. Paper money is light, portable, uniform and generally non-degradable.

In some places in Africa, shells were used as currency. Ancient Roman soldiers were at times paid in salt (“worth their salt”). There were also societies that had used a type of seed as a symbol of value. The difficulty with all those items was that once they have turned into a symbol of value, it may have been easy for people to find, make, steal or collect more.  Normally what gives things value is how scarce, unique or rare they are and if the unit of currency is in plentiful supply (or becomes so) then inflation may occur. Meaning two carts full of shells (or paper currency) are now required to trade for a wagon of wheat.

Precious metals are different – it’s hard to get more. This creates a control over how much is available to everyone (supply and demand). Value is influenced by how much can be mined every year and how much is coming onto the market for sale. Gold’s excellent properties and aesthetic appeal have made it highly popular in jewellery and electronics.

Gold is the most malleable of all metals, it does not corrode and it’s virtually indestructible. Almost always found in pure form in nature it calls attention to the beauty of its colour and brightness. For these reasons, gold in ancient Egypt was already the favourite material for the manufacture of jewellery and other ornaments – and since then has never ceased to be associated with symbols of prestige and power. Their rarity also makes it extremely valuable. If these metals were in abundance, this would not happen. Gold was only adopted by England in 1821 – before then silver was the monetary metal. About 40% of the world’s gold came to be reserved by central banks of the richest nations, to guarantee their money’s worth.

Good time to sell gold

With prices up again now is a great time to make extra money from selling your old unwanted jewellery. The New Zealand dollar has also been showing signs of weakness, pushing the price of gold and silver even higher.

Call Gold Smart today and book an appointment with us. Our friendly and professional team will be ready to assist you selling your items in an easy and transparent way.

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Up to 50% off what?

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Anita
Michael Hill

Michael Hill jewellery auction - Queen Street, AKL

It’s that time of year again when shopping stores around town start to put out Christmas decorations to entice customers. Retailers want to make sure those who like to start buying gifts early get what they want at a good price. Stickers with the word “sale” start to appear at the stores windows, but what does it mean?

A store is a business like any other – it relies on profits in order to pay for overheads including manufacturing, materials, shipping, insurance, retail shops, staff, commissions, and so on. Naturally profits have to be high to cover the various costs associated with running a retail business.

Many people when they see the word “sale” immediately assume that purchasing then they will be saving lots of money, not contemplating that the original mark-up may be very high and it doesn’t make sense to spend-money to save-money!

One of the Gold Smart team was walking along Queen Street this morning and came across an unusual sight. At first he thought there was someone famous inside Michael Hill Jeweller due to the number of people gathered outside, however soon noticed that what was happening was an AUCTION. That’s right! An auction for jewellery was happening in the middle of the street. He talked with one of the organisers to see what was happening and the staff member confirmed the street auction.

The Michael Hill staff were yelling, “$320…who gives more?” and people appeared excited about the “good deals” they thought they were making. Asking the staff for a little more information, she mentioned their store is currently selling gold and silver at half price, and that now is a great time to buy. Our colleague was thinking, 50% off what, retail prices?

Interestingly, the value of a jewellery in New Zealand is not sold or marketed on the inherent metal value (unlike many other countries around the World), but the aesthetic design, branding, manufacturing and sense of value to society. When people buy jewellery they normally pay much more than the metal price. Some items can go over 1,000% above the actual gold and/or silver value. This is especially true with certain brands and how well known they may be.

The price carries the workmanship, the brand, the design, overheads and you will be paying much more than the actual material costs. Jewellery may be considered like a work of art for it’s aesthetic value. Those aware of gold and silver metal value will be naturally more aware of the true worth of such items and will avoid spending too much money.

Next time you hear someone screaming they have a half price gold and silver jewellery sale – be aware. You might be getting a deal compared to normal retail mark-ups, however in most cases you will still end up spending much more than perhaps you should. If you want to know what something is worth, take it back to the shop the next day and see what they will pay you for it!

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10 Favorite ways to Spend and Invest your money from Gold Smart

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Anita

We are told time and again that we must save money to try to control our expenses, all in order to achieve our financial freedom at some point. But spending money is a necessary part of life, few people actually tell us that we must spend it or invest to accelerate our financial independence.

Here are some good ideas about how to spend your money or invest to achieve that goal:

  1. Pay your credit cards. It is impossible to achieve financial independence when you owe money. Paying interest on debt can cost you a lot of money over time. So if you have money, pay your debts as quickly as possible to reduce the servicing of the same service, draining your savings.
  2. Spend money to save or make money. There are many ways to do this. For example, acquiring a credit card that gives you points or special discounts for its use. Look for stores and markets that provide loyalty cards for their customers, this way you can spend and receive special offers from time to time. Sometimes, a way to get money is spending.
  3. Repair, renovate and maintain the things you already own. Have old equipment, damaged or broken reduces their efficiency and there goes a lot of money. Be sure to repair, renovate your appliances or vehicles. Proper maintenance of this equipment is an expense, but extends their useful life by creating a significant savings and extending the life of them.
  4. Invest in yourself. Learn new skills. Paying for education is money well spent and is a way to get better job opportunities or business. You can even attend Saturday courses, evening or online.
  5. Stay healthy. Attend a gym, private health insurance coverage, buy quality food, are prudent ways to spend your money. Healthy food means lower medical costs and less downtime to produce. All this amounts to savings in the long term.
  6. Get insurance. This is not an expense, is an investment. Insurance gives you the assurance that you are financially covered during difficult circumstances. In addition to health insurance be sure to insure your car, your home, your life if you have young children and to protect your family. Without insurance, a small hill becomes a mountain; a crisis can become a catastrophe.
  7. Invest in your appearance. You do not have to buy the latest fashion or make a thousand of plastic surgeries, but you can buy a good pair of shoes and clothing for all occasions. Also a good haircut can help influence your success as an individual. By simply following good hygiene, wearing clean clothes and practice good manners you can open many doors.
  8. Renovate your home. The money invested in your home increases the value of it and improves your quality of life. When you spend money at your home, you are doing indirectly something to yourself.
  9. Keep updated with the times and the modernization of your environment. If you plan to spend on material things, one thing to consider is technology. If you need items for your business or to help manage your daily life, then spending on electronics is a must. It is not that you should become addicted to whatever gadget comes out, but you should not have a brick as a phone and still walk without a laptop.
  10. Spend your money on high priority items. An anniversary gift for your partner can be a priority, and the birthday party of your children. No need to waste money, but these things are important in the lives of all people and observe them may bring future savings by avoiding family conflicts.

These are some of the ideas for you to spend your money wisely, enjoying the good things in life and at the same time saving for the future. Best regards from the Gold Smart team!

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Wedding season

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Anita

Spring is finally here, after the cold of the winter months… and so begins another exciting New Zealand Wedding season.

Choosing the right jewellery and accessories is an essential part of the details that make an unforgettable day. The items should be delicate and discreet and complement, never ‘overpower’ the dress. Keep an eye out for more wedding related posts as we progress through Spring and Summer.

We’ve found from experience with our customers that an easy way to obtain some extra money to help with expenses is to sell your old unwanted jewellery that has been forgotten in storage for ages. It gives us a great feeling to help couples facilitate the purchase of items for their very special day.

We at Gold Smart make selling your old jewellery an easy and fast process. You will be surprised how much you can get from selling unwanted gold and silver items, even broken items, and you’ll be glad you did!

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What ‘Carat’ Means?

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Anita

The carat (abbreviation ct or kt) is a measure of the purity of gold alloys, 24-carat being pure gold. The carat system is increasingly being complemented or superseded by the millesimal fineness system, in which the purity of precious metals is denoted by parts per thousand of pure metal in the alloy.

Where did such an unusual unit of purity come from?

The word carat is derived from the Greek kerátion (κεράτιoν), “fruit of the carob”. Carob seeds were used as weights on precision scales because of their reputation for having a uniform weight. (However, a 2006 study by Lindsay Turnbull and others found this not to be the case). This was not the only reason. It is said that, in order to keep regional buyers and sellers of gold honest, potential customers could retrieve their own carob seeds on their way to the market, to check the tolerances of the seeds used by the merchant. If this precaution was not taken, the potential customers would be at the mercy of “2 sets of carob seeds”. One set of “heavier” carob seeds would be used when buying from a customer (making the seller’s gold appear to be less). Another, lighter set of carob seeds would be used when the merchant wanted to sell to a customer.

In the distant past, different countries each had their own carat, roughly equivalent to a carob seed. In the mid-16th century, the Karat was adopted as a measure of gold purity. The most common carats used for gold in jewelry making are 9 and 10 carat in New Zealand.

The value of your gold is determined by three things – the weight, the carat and the current market price. Higher carats of jewellery contain more gold (e.g. 18ct has two times more gold than 9ct) and the heavier the total weight means more cash for you.

At Gold Smart you will receive the highest price for your gold and silver because we are transparent about the entire pricing process.

Original Source – http://en.wikipedia.org/

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Find Gold Buyers in New Zealand

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Anita

gold_buyersRecent movement in the markets have caught some by surprise. Technically we are in the summer doldrums for gold prices and as gold buyers we have seen many customers pleasantly surprised by the recent strength in rates.

Again it appears that concerns around the Eurpoean Union and in particular the downgrade by Moody’s of Portugal’s credit rating to junk has seen markets respond by moving to investments seen as safe (or safer than government bonds). The New Zealand dollar also responded to the earthquake by moving down against the United States dollar – yet has bounced back to record high levels.

When selling gold it’s naturally a benefit to have higher prices because you get more from your items. This can be hard to time perfectly however as markets move quickly and as the common saying goes, “Bulls move up the stairs and bears go out the window”! The ideal timing really depends on what works for you and the benefit of the cash instead of unwanted jewellery.

The diversity of uses for “gold capital” is always something we find interesting and enjoyable to see the benefits Gold Smart is creating.

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