FAQ - From Diamonds to Delivery, Your Questions Answered

Our promise to you is that our jewellery is made to a high standard, with each piece inspected before dispatch. We are proud of our 40 year history as an independent jewellers and our reputation is very important to us. We want you to be confident purchasing from our Gold Arts shops in Sussex and from us online, so we are offering a 2 Year Warranty on all new non-branded jewellery with a value over £150. Jewellery below this value, including silver jewellery will be covered by a 1 year manufacturing policy.

The 2 Year warranty entitles you to free claw tightening on gem set jewellery, free cleaning and rhodium plating. Any manufacturing defects that become apparent during the 2 years will be repaired or the item replaced. This warranty does not cover normal wear and tear or accidental damage, however our onsite goldsmith's workshops offer competitive quotes and we will always wait for confirmation from you before proceeding with any work.

To take advantage of this free service, bring your jewellery into one of our stores in Sussex or post your jewellery to us. Please ensure you use a postal service such as Royal Mail Special delivery or equivalent that insures your jewellery to the appropriate value.

We want your jewellery to stay beautiful and we will repair and help maintain it for a lifetime. Please contact us for further information. The terms of the warranty do not affect your statutory rights.

New Watches

Our new watches are covered by the manufacturers guarantee, which can range from 1 to 5 years dependant on the brand. Normal wear and tear is not covered, for example straps, broken glass, batteries etc. Misuse and accidental damage is not covered but we are happy to help with quotes for repair. Please read the terms of sale on the manufacturer's website or contact us for further information.

Pre-owned Watches

We take great pride in offering a fantastic selection of high quality pre-owned watches. We are experts in this field which means you can buy with confidence. The majority are sent for servicing before resale, which means that the guarantee period varies as each service-centre offers a different period of warranty post service.

As a generalisation most pre-owned and vintage watches will have at least 2 year's warranty against manufacturing faults and defects which were not apparent at point of sale. Please check the item's description before purchase or contact us for more information on specific watches. Normal wear and tear is not covered, for example straps, broken glass, batteries etc. Misuse and accidental damage is not covered but we are happy to help with quotes for repair

If you do have a problem with your watch please contact us first and we can advise you of the correct returns procedure. We want you to enjoy your watch and we will repair and help maintain it for a lifetime. The terms of the warranty do not affect your statutory rights.

If you are unsure of your finger size, then it is best to take the ring in the current size to check that you like it, rather than potentially resize it twice. We offer the first ring resizing for free in all our branches regardless of whether purchased in-store or through our web-shop.

If you are local to one of our stores, we are always happy to measure your finger, or tell you the size by measuring one of your other rings. If you are not local then you could visit another jeweller who is local to you who should be able to help. Our sales staff offer this to all customers, so I would hope that the same is true for other retailers.

Yes, most of our designs can be changed to suit your budget but keep the original look. For example, a Platinum 1ct diamond solitaire ring with diamond set shoulders could be remade using 9ct white gold and a slightly smaller diamond or the same size diamond but of a lower colour and clarity which would bring the price down to suit your budget. Let us know what you would like and we will aim to deliver within your budget.

Our stores are always happy to order in loose diamonds or coloured gemstones for you to view, so you can choose the one you like best. Every step can be tailored to you.

Yes, most of our new rings and jewellery are available in Platinum, 9ct or 18ct White Gold. Please contact us for a quote for any of our jewellery in the precious metal you would like.  

A certificated diamond is the same as any other diamond except that its quality has been graded by a regulated company under controlled laboratory conditions. The detailed assessment confirms the weight (carat), colour, clarity, cut, symmetry, florescence and other factors.

A certificate can act as your guarantee that the diamond you are buying is of the quality stated by the jeweller. The grading report number may also be laser inscribed on the girdle of the diamond as a further level of guarantee.

Not all diamonds come with a certificate for various reasons. For example, it might be too small to be economically viable to certificate, equally an uncertificated diamond is usually a little bit cheaper to buy so keeps jewellery priced within a budget. Jewellery with lots of diamonds together wouldn't be certificated as you would need to have a certificate for each stone!

Certification is a relatively new procedure which is becoming increasingly popular, so pre-owned jewellery and antique jewellery is less likely to be certificated.

This come down to the jeweller you are buying from. We are a trusted independent jeweller established in 1979. We only buy from reputable diamond merchants, and we have trained staff at each branch who are qualified to grade diamonds including a Registered Valuer as part of our team.

The diamond grading which is termed as an 'assessment' is carried out by a qualified member of staff, who will assess the carat, cut, colour and clarity. The grading will be assessed as a colour and clarity between 2 levels. For example, a certificate might assess as diamond as H colour Si1 clarity. We would grade the same diamond as H/I colour and Si1-Si2 clarity to allow for human error under non-laboratory conditions.

You are safe buying a diamond from Gold Arts, whether the diamond is certificated or not, we guarantee the diamond is natural and of the quality stated in the description.

We will always buy broken jewellery as the precious metal content has a scrap value. For higher end jewellery that we would want to restore for resale the nature of the damage would be taken into consideration in our quote. Our goldsmith is very experienced and capable of restoring broken items where viable. Jewellery not suitable for resale will be calculated at scrap value for the metals and gemstones. All of our pre-owned jewellery is professionally cleaned and polished before resale.

For watches it depends on the nature of the damage and would be taken into consideration in our quote. We have an excellent independent horologist and use specific brand service centres for watch repairs. All of our watches are sent for servicing before we resell them.

We can pay you immediately by Bank Transfer or Cash if you prefer. We are also happy to part-exchange against any jewellery or watches from Gold Arts.

Yes. Once we have agreed a price you will need to provide photo ID including proof of address.

For watches; if it has a box and any paperwork or servicing receipts, please do not forget to bring it along. It makes the watch more appealing to our customers and easier to sell, so we will offer you more money if its included.

For jewellery; if the diamonds came with a certificate, please do not forget to bring it along. It allows us a more accurate assessment of the grading and subsequent value. If your luxury jewellery is branded and you can provide the original gift box or certificates of authenticity this is a bonus. It is appealing to our customers and easier to sell if we have these extras, so we will offer you more money if its included. You are welcome to bring receipts and insurance valuations if you wish, these may be useful, but are not essential.

When you come in to see us, we will be adhering to current Covid Safe measures including the use of masks, a screen and sanitizer. A member of staff will greet you and look through your jewellery assessing the metals, gemstones and condition of the items. The items will be weighed and if required tests may be done in our workshop to confirm the purity of the metal, then a price will be calculated. We pay in you via bank transfer unless cash is preferred, proof of identity is required.

In most cases the quote will be given on the spot and a price offered. If there are a large number of items you may have to leave the jewellery with us for an hour or longer in busy periods, so we can measure and assess diamonds, test the metal purity and calculate a price. If your jewellery is something very rare or unusual that requires research, we will advise you at the time. We hope you appreciate that this is the fairest way to give you the best price.

No, we do not offer this service in our Gold Arts stores. We do offer this at our sister company GA Pawnbrokers. For more information visit www.gapawnbrokers.com