Services
Carreras provides its customers with detailed jewelry and fine metal appraisals, jewelry redesign, repair services, engraving, gift wrapping and mailing as well as jewelry and gold buying. Uptown, downtown, South of the River or from out of town, we will take care of you. See details of our services below.
REPAIRS, RESTORATIONS & CLEANING
We are here to assist you with your jewelry repair needs; Carreras is your source for jewelry repairs, restorations and cleaning. Jewelry is meant to be worn for a lifetime. With a little care… You should not hiding your jewelry in a drawer because it is broken, dirty, tarnished, needs to be re-strung or is missing parts. Bring your jewelry to us and we will give you estimates for any repair work, restoration or cleaning needed.
Trusted Expert Repairs
- Re-size, clean and polish rings
- Re-set, tighten or replace stones
- Refurbish mountings, re-tip and replace prongs
- Re-string and clean pearls and beads
- Shorten or lengthen chains
- Change clasps
- Solder charms
- Restore life to Estate & Vintage Jewelry
We offer basic jewelry cleaning while you wait and suggest that you bring in your jewelry twice a year for a complimentary inspection to insure the condition of the piece. We do not charge to inspect or clean your jewelry.
The price for repairs is dependent on the service required.
BUYING OFFICE
Carreras has had a dedicated buying office for over 15 years. Our Certified Gemologist Appraiser/Buyer, Mark, will buy gold, diamonds, platinum or silver.
We will be offering BY APPOINTMENT ONLY non-contact buying office hours. The buyer is not purchasing any silverplate, pearls, loose gemstones, or costume jewelry at this time. We look forward to helping you.
Mark, our Appraiser/Buyer, will give you a purchase quote for anything from hollow-ware to jewelry to miscellaneous broken metal pieces. He specializes in period time pieces, generally from the 1930s and earlier, but has extensive knowledge of modern pieces as well.
When evaluating items, he determines the offer based on age, condition and desirability of the particular piece. We cannot give you a phone estimate – your item must be seen in person by Mark to receive a cash offer; please call for more details: 804.282.7018.
Buying Office Location
Carreras Jewelers
121 Libbie Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23226
Hours Of Operation
Buying Office:
Tuesday - Friday (By Appointment Only)
10:00am - 4:00pm
REDESIGN & CUSTOM WORK
At Carreras, our passion is jewelry design and custom jewelry creation. We look forward to working with your current jewelry, or starting from scratch to design a look that is right for you. Creating one-of-a kind pieces is our forte and we make sure the process is stress-free and seamless.
You will love your unique jewelry and the experience of designing with our expert team. We specialize in redesign and restoration of Estate, Vintage and Antique jewelry.
We will make sure that your family heirloom—whether it be a vintage brooch or a new-to-you estate engagement ring—is secure and safe to wear and enjoy. Our jewelers will give your piece the “once over” by repairing settings, reinforcing worn areas, etc. to ensure that you will enjoy the piece for years to come.
Were you handed down a gorgeous Estate engagement ring, but now left with finding a wedding band to coordinate? We will design a band that is a perfect fit and style to keep the look and integrity of your family piece.
The options of design are limitless and we have a team full of creative experts to assist you.
customize with us
Below Are Some Examples Of Our Custom Designs:
ENGRAVING
Make your jewelry or gift extra-special with custom engraving. Carreras’ in-house machine engraving can personalize most items: charms and lockets, inside rings, frames, baby gifts, even wine bottles!
Choose from our many font styles for lettering and monogramming, or we can create a custom design from your digital image. A perfect way to commemorate that special occasion!
Do you want to match the engraving on Great-grandma’s baby cup? Do you just prefer the “old world” look of hand engraving? Carreras also offers hand engraving services that can duplicate just about any existing style, or add engraving to create a new family heirloom.
Below Are Some Examples Of Our Engraving Work:
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| Engraved Serving Tray | Engraved Case |
INSURANCE APPRAISALS
Appraising is a complex procedure that must be performed by professionals who are trained in the appraisal sciences. Carreras Jewelers is staffed by Certified Gemologists and Certified Gemologist Appraisers.
They are the best in the business; they meet or exceed AGS stringent guidelines. With the aid of a fully equipped Accredited Gem Laboratory, our Certified Gemologist Appraisers are able to accurately determine the value of your most precious keepsakes.
Why do you need an appraisal? Most insurance companies require an appraisal before they issue a policy, you might need one for tax purposes, or maybe you’ve always wondered what that old family heirloom of yours is worth. By choosing an AGS-certified Appraiser, you can rest assured that you’re working with a professional who has been trained and certified. Our appraiser will thoroughly inspect your jewelry and get you a value that is as accurate as possible.
Our Certified Jewelry Appraiser can give you a fair and accurate appraisal for:
- Insurance to cover loss, damage or theft
- Estate tax evaluation
- Value comparison
- Dissolution of marriage (divorce)
- Collateral
- Liquidation
Metal prices can fluctuate quite dramatically. We recommend getting your jewelry appraised by us every three to five years to update your insurance policy so you will be covered in the case of loss, or to get a measurement on your investment.
Contact us today to speak with our Certified Gemologist Appraisers or to make an appointment for a jewelry appraisal.
QUESTIONS ABOUT SELLING JEWELRY
Bring in anything that is made of silver, gold, or platinum, with or without gemstones or diamonds, no matter the condition or age. We will make an offer, paying premiums for items that are in very good condition and are saleable in our market. We are especially interested in items that are from the 1930′s or older. Not sure if your items are “worth it?” Bring whatever you are considering selling and we will go over it all with you.
We will buy silver (jewelry, flatware, gifts, etc.), but the items need to be Sterling or European Silver (800 silver or finer). We do not purchase silver-plated items. Please feel free to call with a description of your pieces and we may be able to determine if it is something on which we would make an offer.
We will make an offer on silver or gold coins based on precious metal weight. We are not numismatists (someone with a background in coin grading), but if the coin is gold or silver, it does have a material value.
We do not buy costume jewelry. That being said, please feel free to bring in that box of costume from your attic…we will go through it to look for any treasures. We have found platinum brooches in bags of costume, and cannot count how many gold and silver chains!
We definitely purchase loose diamonds—of any size or shape! As for color, while we have purchased some colored gemstones of impressive size and quality, the market is saturated right now, so even the most important colored stones are going for fractions of their original values. Bring in what you have and our buyer will take a look, making an offer based upon the size, quality and current condition of the gem(s).
Our offer will depend upon a number of factors including age, condition, and style, not simply a percentage of “original value” or the basic weight of the piece. Another important consideration is our market for the piece…Is it something we can re-sell in our store on a retail level? Will it more likely go to a dealer (here or overseas)? Or will it be broken down for the scrap value? Our buyer will go over all of this and determine a fair price for your item(s), and possible alternate ideas for you if appropriate.
Due to all the factors stated before, it is impossible to give you an accurate purchase offer without our buyer seeing your pieces in person.
An appraisal is not necessary, but if you have one, go ahead and bring it with you. Our buyer will independently evaluate your item(s), but having that paperwork could speed up the identification process. If you are selling a diamond, and have the original lab report (from AGS or GIA especially), definitely bring it, as that document can add value.
There is no need to clean your items before bringing them to us. In fact, some of our dealers like items to have a certain “aged” look, or to be cleaned a certain way, so cleaning could potentially lower the value!
Our buyer is a Graduate Gemologist (GIA) and Certified Gemologist Appraiser (AGS), and has been with Carreras for over twenty years, more than half of that as our full-time buyer. Having that expertise allows him to be up-to-date on the market, and evaluate your piece of jewelry as “a whole,” rather than simply giving you material value no matter what.
When you accept our buyer’s offer, we will write you a company check immediately. In order to properly comply with all state and federal regulations, we will need to see your driver’s license or other state or military photo I.D. We are also required to take a photo of you while in our office.
Due to COVID-19 we would like for our customers to set up an appointment. We are open anytime from 10am to 4:00pm Tuesday – Friday. We always suggest calling the day you are planning on coming, just to confirm that the buyer is available. That being said, if you have a large lot of items, please specify while setting up your appointment so that we can accurately adjust our schedule! Our phone number is 804-673-1967.