Gold is a precious metal in every sense of the word. Over the years it has always been among the most sought after of commodities and with prices near an all-time high there has never been a better time to sell.
-
Some Press and Journal online content is funded by outside parties. The revenue from this helps to sustain our independent news gathering. You will always know if you are reading paid-for material as it will be clearly labelled as “Partnership” on the site and on social media channels.
This can take two different forms.
“Presented by”
This means the content has been paid for and produced by the named advertiser.
“In partnership with”
This means the content has been paid for and approved by the named advertiser but written and edited by our own commercial content team.
But gold’s value goes beyond that. Gold and the pieces fashioned from it are often passed through generations, bound up in memories and tradition. With that in mind, it’s important for those buying gold to be understanding of a customer’s needs beyond a simple financial transaction.
McCalls Jewellers in Aberdeen offer a straightforward service that guarantees to treat the customer with sensitivity and discretion.
How do I go about selling gold?
For those who wish to sell their gold through McCalls the process is simple. No appointment is necessary, so customers can just visit the store with their items.
Karen Pirie, Sales Manager at McCalls, explains: “We firstly assess the jewellery by checking the hallmarks, it would then be categorised into precious or costume jewellery so that the customer has a clear indication of what would be valuable.
Items are then separated in piles according to the precious metal they are made of – usually silver, gold or platinum. Gold pieces need to be identified further into separate carats – 9ct, 14ct, 18ct or 22ct. This is for customer transparency as the rate of gold goes up according to the purity of the carat, with more being paid for an 18ct item than a similar 9ct item.
If a piece is suitable for resale, rather than just scrap price, then this is taken into account and a higher offer will be made.
As Karen says: “As a reputable jeweller we recognise that the value of some jewellery is in the precious stones it contains, and not the metal it is made of, therefore it is important that any offer we make reflects this”
Once an offer is made and accepted, payments will be made with cash, cheque or by bank transfer.
The store offers the most competitive price and checks with other providers to ensure they are paying the top rate.
Buying gold is a sensitive service
But what sets McCalls apart is that agreeing a price is only part of the picture.
The company prides itself on its discreet, confidential and personal service and it fully understands the emotional attachment that may exist between a customer and the items they are selling.
As Karen says: “As a company we listen to people’s stories. We recognise it can be quite daunting selling jewellery for the first time, so we ensure we deal with customer sensitively by listening to the reasons that bring them to us. If someone wants to share the family folk lore or memories that go with a piece of jewellery, we are happy to listen, and we believe this sympathetic approach sets us apart from other stores”
That also means being sensitive to a client who is simply testing the water.
Karen adds: “Sometimes we have had customers who we have sensed are not quite ready to sell, and I have said to them, ‘come back when you feel the time is right and my offer will still be there.”
Altogether it’s about focusing on the people and taking an honest and open approach to the customer’s needs.
McCalls has been a fixture on the jewellery scene for more than 130 years.
And as owner Iain Hawthorne says: “The fact we’ve been established since 1887 ensures our honesty. You can only survive that long in this game if you’re straightforward, you’re honest and the customers come back.”
To know more about selling gold in Aberdeen, visit McCalls website.
