Blog: buying jewellery online – insider guide

We think it’s time to embrace the word recycled. Recycled used to mean toilet paper – rough toilet paper! These days recycled means ideal, sustainable and noble.

As a company, we have been recycling fine jewellery since 2011. We buy items made by distinguished jewellery houses like Cartier and Tiffany & Co. We then service and polish the items so that they look new or nearly new. Our engagement rings are always sold in “Proposal Ready” condition which means what is says!

As we do not support manufacturing at its source – our items are already made and do not require much in the way of additional resources. We are practically carbon neutral!

Pre-owned, second hand, recycled used to mean second best. We think that idea has been turned upside down. As we all seek to make the planet a better place to live we must embrace recycling in all its forms whether it’s paper or jewellery.

We are proud to sell recycled fine jewellery and we think you’ll be proud to wear it.

Cartier as investment? Can we expect that our Cartier jewellery purchases will increase in value?

Since its founding in 1847 the Cartier name has been synonymous with luxury. "Cartier is the King of Jewellers and the Jewellers of Kings" said Edward VII, more than 100 years ago. A brand with such fine pedigree, standing the test of time for more than 150 years should be looked at with more seriousness than just a purveyor of fine jewellery.

We have found that since Bloomsbury Manor began in 2011 the price of pre owned Cartier jewellery has markedly increased. We are looking at rises of 20-30% particularly across collectors pieces such as Panthere, C de Cartier, Bamboo and Trinity. There are more modest increases from the more well known Love collection. The slightly rarer collector's pieces are more rare and demand is strong from people wanting to invest in a piece which is both wearable and likely to increase in value. The Panthere range has been fashionable since the 1930s, King Edward VIII's consort The Duchess of Windsor was a keen fan. The collection has never been out of fashion as far as we are aware! C de Cartier, Trinity and Bamboo have all evolved over time and customers are both interested in vintage and current designs.

With Global financial uncertainty becoming constant background noise we would counsel that a solid investment in a tried and tested asset class would be wise. With dwindling supply and demand increasing we foresee that any Cartier collector's piece bought now might be worth 20% more in 5 years.

How can anyone resist?

Here are some investment pieces.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are no guarantee of future growth.

So, you're thinking of popping the question or maybe you just have? The thing is, you have an idea but you're not sure about the pitch. You know why you think it's a good idea to go down the pre-owned route but you're not sure how to approach the subject. You need help. You need some good points. Here are a few:

1. You Get a Bigger Diamond.

"You know the money we would have spent buying a brand new ring? Well we can put that into buying a bigger and better stone. Now isn't that a good thing"?

2. It's Sustainable!

Recycling applies to engagement rings too. It's environmentally friendly and wastes no new resources. Mining is a very resource heavy industry so you can feel better about your engagement ring being more green.

3. Diamonds are already around 2.5 billion years old.

Did you know this? Diamonds were created billions of years ago. The majority between 1.5 and 3.5 billion years ago. What's another few years added on to that?

4. When you polish and service you get "Proposal Ready".

If you buy from a company like Bloomsbury Manor Ltd you can rest assured that you will be receiving a ring that deserves the name "Proposal Ready". Once we polish and service a ring, to all intents and purposes it looks brand new.

5. You get the same returns policy.

Both us and Tiffany & Co offer 30 day returns.

For a conversation about your engagement ring needs please call us on 0207 692 5103 today.

The most valuable jewellery in the world is also the rarest. This is not a coincidence. Since the beginning of time human beings have cherished the rarest commodities. Would gold be so valuable if our rivers ran full of it?

Every year Tiffany & Co puts together an exclusive collection of gemstone jewellery. This collection "Colours" travels the world and comprises of one off pieces. Tiffany's renowned gemstone department curates a collection of large, unparalleled stones to be set in the finest settings, in which to display unique fire, scintillation and presence.

You might imagine that one off jewellery pieces are expensive. They absolutely are! Our unique Tiffany & Co Spessartite Garnet Earrings made for the 2009 Colours Collection were originally sold for £40,800!

They are available from us for just £11,700 and are sure to be a future investment. If you are more generally interested in the Colours collection it is touring right now and pieces are available in Harrods, London to view. There is a similar pair of rubellite earrings available for £41,000.

For enquiries about these earrings please contact us on +44(0207) 692  5103.

It's that time again! If you're thinking of buying pre-owned Cartier, Tiffany & Co or Bulgari jewellery for a significant other this Christmas then of course you have come to the right place. 

We were wondering about how to make our gift offering a little better. Obviously we cannot send your item ready gift wrapped otherwise you wouldn't be able to inspect it!

We decided the best thing to do would be to send out a stylish gift bag with tag and smart stickers to seal it. That way you can inspect the item, pop it in the bag, seal it up. 

Please let us know if the item you are purchasing is to be a gift and we'll make sure you receive a gift bag.

There will never be another jewellery house like Cartier. Since its creation in 1847 by founder Louis-Francois Cartier, the eponymous jeweller has been regarded as the jeweller to the Kings and Queens of Europe. King Edward VII was the first to grant his royal seal of approval "by appointment" to Cartier in 1904. His consort, Queen Alexandra purchased an Indian influenced necklace. 

Cartier's interest in the Orient and Africa provided much scope for creativity and out of this interest unique and primarily naturalistic depictions of animals became a signature of Cartier Jewellery. Perhaps it was the Duchess of Windsor who became the first to wear a Cartier Panthere.

With more than a hint of royal approval, Cartier has become the jewellery brand of cultivated luxury. Perhaps more than any other brand - Cartier says "Because I'm worth it"!

At Bloomsbury Manor we cherish our pre-owned Cartier jewellery. Only the finest jewellers are trusted to polish and clean it. It is then photographed to bring out its outstanding beauty and elegance, not to mention superior craftsmanship.

Whether you are looking for Cartier diamond earrings or a Cartier necklace. Or simply anything Cartier Panthere, our range of pre-owned Cartier provides choice and value for money. Please remember that if you are not based in the EU we will cover ANY import duty or sales tax. You will only pay the purchase price of the item. In addition, we actively manage post sales, tracking every single item until it reaches your doorstep.

We hope you enjoy your shopping experience with us.

Jean Schlumberger was arguably Tiffany & Co's most important designer. His talent with colour and enamel proved to be an instant hit with wealthy, well-heeled women. Many of his designs from the 1950s onwards are still in production today, with his 'Jackie' paillonne enamel bracelet being the most famous example. 

Perhaps more than any other of Tiffany & Co.'s designers, Jean Schlumberger pieces not only hold their value, but tend to increase in value over time. His jewellery is highly collectable amongst the well-healed connoisseur.

With a firey orange spessartite garnet weighing 6.71ct at its centre and an additional 2ct of scintillating white diamonds, in a classic Schlumberger setting, this piece is sure to delight the wearer or collector. Please see the ring here or call 0207 692 5103 for more details.  Please note that this ring is re-sizable by Tiffany & Co. Currently size 5 (J 1/2 to K).

Do you have a Cartier Engagement ring to sell? You have come to the right place. Bloomsbury Manor Ltd will offer you more than local jewellers and pawnbrokers (we offer 25% to 45% of original purchase price typically) and pay you directly into your bank account within 24 hrs of receipt. Lets explore why the alternatives might not work for you.

A local jeweller is unlikely to be a specialist in Cartier Engagement rings. As such they will probably offer you a price based on selling the engagement ring on to a specialist or holding on to the item for years which means they will offer you a low price. The pawnbroker is similar though they will not be working on the idea that they will hold the item. In both of these scenarios you will be achieving scrap or near scrap value for your precious jewel - not ideal! 

You could of course decide to sell the ring yourself. This is absolutely fine but a couple of things to consider:- You will be entering the world of the jewellery seller. This means that you should not expect to sell your ring immediately. There is a joke in the jewellery world "You sold something?" What this joke highlights is the fact that jewellery takes a long time to sell, even for "experts" like us. It might be even longer for non experts like you. If you are going to sell the ring yourself you might want to know that the average time to sale in jewellery is around 12-18 months. If you want to cash in earlier than that it might be worth speaking to us instead!

The other thing you might want to consider when thinking about selling your item yourself is safety and security. Do you really want people coming to your house to look at the ring or meeting up in a coffee bar? Most people to want to examine items before they buy and this could prove awkward for you. When selling to a limited company like ours you are able to come to our secure Central London offices which provide you with the safety and security you need when dealing with expensive jewellery. What's more we will transfer the money to you there and then and wait to make sure it's in your account. If you're thirsty we'll even offer you a drink!

Alternatively you may choose our postal service where we will send you an "Agreement to Purchase" via email so that you have a document that states what you will receive. We will then send you a fully paid and insured Special Delivery envelope for you to send your items back to us. As soon as we receive the items the money is paid into your account. Please note that when you submit items to us we will make you a concrete offer, not give you a range or charge you any fees. Some companies will offer a range so that you are enticed into thinking that you can negotiate the top price. That is not how it works! On inspection it is usually found that your item sits at the bottom of the range and your negotiating power is nil because you're not the only person with a Cartier Engagement Ring to sell.  Sorry to be blunt but we prefer to be straight. A price and an agreement will yours within 24-48 hrs of submission if you choose to sell to us.

You might be wondering why you only get 25% - 45% of the original purchase price. Here's the rub, once your item has left the Cartier store it is worth less. Just like a car. A large proportion of the price you originally paid goes towards Tiffany & Co's overheads. What you are left with is a beautiful ring with a beautiful stone but it's not going to be worth 75% of the original price in the secondary market. You need to be conscious of this fact. On the plus side, because it has been made by Cartier it does have brand value so at least with us you will not be offered scrap. Not by us anyway!

Are you ready to contact us about selling your Cartier Engagement Ring? Please use this form to provide us with the details. Alternatively you can call us on 0207 692 5103 or email info@bloomsburymanor.com for more information. Whatever you choose to do with your ring we wish you the best of luck.