Frequently Asked Questions

Perry's Diamonds & Estate Jewelry is located at 6525 Carnegie Blvd, on the first floor of the Roxborough II building. We are across the street from the Dillard's entrance at SouthPark Mall.

Perry's is open Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm, with the last appointment at 5:15pm. On Saturdays, our hours are 10am to 5pm, with the last appointment at 4:15pm. We generally have extended hours around the holidays and will announce them in late November.

Walk-ins are welcome. You can also schedule an appointment or call us at 704-364-1391 during business hours.

Visit our Schedule an Appointment page, or call 704-364-1391 during store hours.

It depends on what you bring us.

If a piece is valued for its gold or silver content, the math is straightforward: we weigh it, test the karat, and price it against the metal market that day. We'll show you the scale and walk you through the numbers.

Many pieces are worth more than their metal. A diamond of a certain size and quality, a signed piece from a particular maker, a period design, or a watch with its original papers all carry value beyond weight, and our buyers price them accordingly. That's the difference eight graduate gemologists and six professional buyers make: we can recognize what a piece actually is, rather than defaulting to melt value.

If your piece is worth more than its gold, we'll tell you.

You'll meet with one of our buyers in a private office, and your items stay in front of you the entire time. We examine each piece, explain what we're seeing, and make you an offer. There's no obligation to accept it, and no pressure if you'd rather think it over.

If you accept, you're paid that day. Most visits take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. If you have a large estate or a collection with many pieces, the appointment could take several hours.

Although appointments aren't required and walk-ins are always welcome, we strongly suggest an appointment so that we can ensure the proper staff is available to evaluate your items.

No. Walk-ins are always welcome in the buy office.

That said, an appointment is highly encouraged if you have coins, bullion, watches, handbags or many pieces so that we can ensure the proper staff is available when you come in. We also have buyers fluent in Spanish, French, Italian and Arabic. Please let us know if you need an appointment with a buyer in a language other than English.

You can book an appointment at perrysbuyingoffice.com, or call us at 704-364-1391. Handbag appointments are currently only accepted on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

We're open Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm, with the last appointment at 5:15pm. On Saturdays, our hours are 10am to 5pm, with the last appointment at 4:15pm.

Bring your items, including the broken ones, the single earrings, and anything you're not sure about. We'd rather look at everything than have you decide in advance what isn't worth our time.

If you have them, bring original boxes, papers, diamond certificates, receipts, or previous appraisals. They can meaningfully affect value, particularly on watches, diamonds and larger gemstones. If you don't have them, that's fine.

You will also need to present a valid government-issued photo ID, as North Carolina law requires this for all precious-metal purchases. All information is stored in a secure computer system that reports to law enforcement regularly as required by law. Please note that all checks must be written to the person presenting the identification. Only the person who owns the item(s) may sell them to us.

Yes. Tangled chains, bent rings, one earring, a clasp that no longer works: damaged pieces are bought and sold by weight and content, and condition usually doesn't change what they're worth.

We currently buy gold, silver and platinum jewelry in any condition, natural diamonds, natural colored gemstones, coins and bullion, watches and pocket watches, and sterling flatware and hollowware. We are also currently buying designer handbags in very good to excellent condition.

There are a few things we don't buy: antique furniture, ivory, bone, crystal, china and fine art. If you're unsure whether something qualifies, give us a call at 704-364-1391 and we'll tell you honestly rather than have you make the trip for nothing.

Yes, we buy all three categories, but each has its own considerations when evaluating them for purchase.

Bullion (bars, rounds, and modern sovereign coins) is priced against the metal market, so the number moves with the market that day. It's the most straightforward thing we buy.

Coins are more involved. Certain coins have numismatic value above their metal content. Date, mint mark, and condition can carry a coin well above melt, and a single coin in an accumulation is sometimes worth more than everything around it. That's the reason to have someone look rather than weigh.

We also buy US paper currency, including silver and gold certificates, high denomination notes ($500, $1,000, $5,000 or $10,000 bills), star notes, pre-1928 US paper currency, and errors and misprints. Condition matters enormously here, more than most people expect. A note that's been folded, trimmed, or taped is worth a fraction of the same note preserved flat, so bring currency as you found it and let us handle it.

A word of caution that applies to all three: don't clean anything. Polishing a coin or pressing a note almost always lowers its value, sometimes dramatically, and it can't be undone.

If you have more than a handful of pieces, an inherited collection, or an accumulation you haven't sorted, call ahead and we'll schedule you with our coin specialist. It's worth the extra step to have the right person take a look.

Yes, we purchase Rolex, Cartier, Omega and comparable makers, along with vintage wristwatches and pocket watches, in working or non-working condition.

Bring everything that came with it that you currently have in your possession. The original box, papers, warranty card, extra links, and any service records all affect what we can offer, and on some references they affect it substantially. A watch with its full set is worth meaningfully more than the same watch on its own, so it's worth bringing them with you on your visit.

We'll need to open the case back on most watches. Authentication happens at the movement, not the dial. Serial and reference numbers, the caliber itself, and the finishing inside are what tell us a watch is what it appears to be, and there's no way to confirm that from the outside. Our watch professional does this in front of you, with the proper tools, and it does no harm to the watch. If you'd rather we didn't open yours, we understand, but we won't be able to make a firm offer on it and may choose not to make any offer.

One thing worth knowing about us: we aren't an authorized dealer for any watch brand. Everything we do in watches is preowned, which means we're valuing your watch on what the secondary market will actually pay for it, not against a retail list price.

Bring it in and we'll look at it while you wait. For a collection or anything unusual, call ahead so we can have the right person available.

We accept several brands of designer handbags in very good to excellent condition. All bags are authenticated prior to purchase. We are currently accepting Chanel, Chloé, Dior, Goyard, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Saint Laurent and Valentino.

Handbag appointments are currently only available on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Please note that authentication on some handbags can take a few hours, and authentication on Hermès pieces can take up to 48 hours.

This is the most common question we hear, and it's a fair one.

An insurance appraisal answers one question: what would it cost to replace this piece at retail, today, if it were lost? That figure is meant to protect you, so it's built on full retail replacement cost, including the cost of finding a comparable item and having the piece made.

An offer to buy answers a different question: what can we pay for this piece and still resell it? That figure accounts for what the piece will realistically sell for and what it costs us to hold, prepare and sell it.

Both numbers are honest. They're just measuring two different things. Any buyer who tells you they'll pay appraisal value is likely telling you something that isn't true.

It depends on the piece and on your timeline.

Selling outright means you agree on a price and leave with payment the same day. It's simple, it's certain, and for most gold, coins, and everyday jewelry it's the right choice.

Consignment means we offer your piece in the showroom and pay you when it sells. It usually nets more on distinctive pieces like an important diamond or gemstone, a signed or period piece, or something genuinely rare, because it reaches a retail buyer instead of a wholesale one. The tradeoff is time: it may sell in several weeks, or it may take longer. The maximum length of time we will consign a piece is two years.

Not every piece is a candidate for consignment. When you bring in your items for evaluation, we'll tell you which route we think serves you better.

The short answer is no.

We only buy what we're prepared to sell on the retail side of our business. Buying something we have no intention of putting in our own showroom would mean making you an offer on a piece we couldn't stand behind, and that's not how we operate.

The deeper reason is that antique and estate jewelry is the heart of Perry's. We specialize in pieces with decades or centuries behind them, bought one at a time because they were made well and have lasted. Synthetic gemstones have been around the jewelry trade for a long time, but lab-grown diamonds are still relatively new to jewelry. We don't yet have the long view on them that we have on natural diamonds.

If you have a piece with lab-grown diamonds, bring it in anyway. We can still buy the gold or platinum in the mounting, and if there are natural side stones, those have value too. We'll look at the whole piece and tell you exactly what we can and can't do with it.

This isn't a judgment on your jewelry. It's a judgment about what we know well enough to buy and what we can resell.

If you are looking for a general idea of what an item is worth, our buy office provides free verbal appraisals. Walk-ins are welcome, though an appointment helps if you have more than two or three items.

If you are looking for a full written appraisal for insurance or estate purposes, please let us know when you call, or schedule your appointment online.

As of January 2026, full written appraisals are $175 per item. If your item does not contain any diamonds or gemstones (all gold, silver or platinum), the appraisal is $85 per item.

Depending on the detailing and size of your item, appraisals are generally available for pickup in three days. Exact turnaround times are confirmed at drop-off. Day-of appraisals are possible but will incur an additional charge, determined at the time of drop-off.

Yes. Please schedule your appointment or call 704-364-1391 during store hours.

Generally, yes. When you come in, one of our jewelers will take a look at your items and determine if we can meet your specific needs. Occasionally there are situations where we do not recommend repair due to the fragility or condition of an item, but a jeweler will discuss this at your appointment and provide a recommended course of action. See our Jewelry Repairs page for more.

We currently offer watch battery replacement and watch band adjustments in store. We do not provide any other watch repair services at this time.

Yes. Please bring your pearls in and one of our sales associates will facilitate this for you. See our Pearl & Bead Restringing page for more.

We do. One of our sales associates will look at your jewelry under the microscope and check for any cracks or chips prior to a thorough deep cleaning, and will alert you to any issues that may arise beforehand.

Yes to both. Please see the front desk or your sales associate.

We accept all major credit cards as well as cash, certified checks, and personal checks with government issued identification.

Yes. A 20% deposit is due at the time of purchase, and the balance is paid out in four additional monthly payments via automatic draft. If you wish to pay it off early, just let us know. See our Layaway & Financing page for more.

Visit our Events page, and follow Perry's on Facebook and Instagram for the most up-to-date information. You can also sign up for our newsletter for the newest inventory updates and event invitations.

Sign up through the newsletter form at the bottom of any page, or email hello@perrysjewelry.com.