We’ve all been dazzled when window shopping for luxury jewellery at some point in our lives. Whether it’s the pristine diamonds, gold rings, precious stones and everything in between.

Jewellers’ markups mean high prices

When looking at a ring, bracelet or any other piece of jewellery, have you ever wondered what the item you are looking at is actually worth, rather than what you see on the retail price tag? You may be surprised to know the price you pay on the high street doesn’t always match up to the true value of the item.  

This is because every store needs to make a profit, but in the case of jewellery, although the materials used are valuable, the markups on these items are often HUGE, ranging from anywhere between 5-10x of the material value. This pricing model, has now also become the norm on the high streets. 

So how do you avoid these high costs?

Buy pre-owned instead!

It’s as simple as this title suggests! As well as the instant savings you see from being VAT exempt (VAT is only on new items) you can also find MASSIVE savings when comparing like for like items with retail stores. 

Put it to the test

If you don’t believe us, here’s what you need to do... 

Visit your favourite high street jewellery store, find the item you want and note down the price. Then visit a second-hand specialist, such as William May, filter the items to find the same or a similar piece and compare.

You’ll then see for yourself just how much you can save. 

As an online jeweller, our team at William May specialises in reconditioning, restoring and selling pre-owned jewellery in an ‘as new’ condition.

Our in-house workshop even offers a 6-month guarantee on all stock - that’s longer than some retailers offer new!