Short answer
GoldPaid buys engagement rings by post UK-wide. The gold setting is XRF-assayed and weighed; the diamond is assessed separately on the written offer. Where the diamond carries materially more value than the metal, we explain how to sell the stone through a specialist route instead. Free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, bank transfer on acceptance, free return if declined.
Why diamond and metal are valued on separate lines
An engagement ring is the most stone-dominant piece of jewellery the average UK household owns. The diamond at the centre is usually worth more than the gold around it — sometimes many times more. Selling the whole piece at a single metal-weight price is the worst possible mistake; the diamond is the entire point of the ring economically.
Every engagement ring on our bench is treated as two valuations. The metal setting is XRF-assayed for purity, weighed, and priced at the per-gram rate for that carat. The diamond is assessed separately: estimated carat weight, estimated colour and clarity grade, estimated cut quality. Where the stone has a GIA, AGS or other recognised laboratory certificate, the estimate is replaced by the certificate.
What we can tell about a diamond from a clear photograph
Before you post anything, send a photograph of the ring on WhatsApp. The photograph alone tells us the approximate carat weight (from the diameter of the stone in the setting), the cut style (round brilliant, princess, cushion, emerald, oval, pear, marquise), and roughly the proportions. We cannot grade colour or clarity from a photograph reliably, but we can give an indicative valuation range that often saves the trouble of posting at all if the ring is worth substantially more than expected.
If the ring came with paperwork — a purchase receipt, an insurance valuation, a diamond certificate — mention it. The paperwork is rarely the final word on resale value (insurance valuations are typically 30 to 50% above genuine resale value), but it is useful context.
When the diamond is worth more sold separately
The general rule: if the diamond is over half a carat and reasonably well-cut, it is almost always worth more sold separately than as a complete piece of scrap. Specialist diamond buyers and auction houses pay close to the wholesale diamond price; scrap-rate valuation on the whole ring averages the diamond into the metal calculation and undervalues the stone significantly.
We say this on the written offer. The metal-only valuation is shown for transparency. The diamond valuation is shown. If the stone is worth more sold separately, we explain how to do that — reputable diamond dealers, the auction route, the specialist secondary market — and you can decline our offer and pursue the stone separately if you choose.
Engagement rings from ended relationships
The single most common reason engagement rings reach scrap is that the relationship ended. The honest practical answer for most ex-partners is that the ring is worth more cleared than kept; the question is whether the diamond is worth selling separately or whether the whole piece can go.
The decision becomes much easier once both figures are in writing. We provide both: the metal-only value, the stone-and-metal value, and the recommendation. There is no pressure to accept either; declining is free and the ring is returned tracked, signed for and insured.
How selling works here
- Start on WhatsApp. A couple of clear photos of your engagement rings are enough for us to give you a quick indicative figure at no charge.
- Claim your free postage. We issue a prepaid, tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery label, or a QR code for the Post Office.
- Post in your own time. Any padded envelope works, and there is no deadline to meet.
- Get a written valuation. Each item is weighed on calibrated scales and read by XRF spectrometry, and the itemised offer is sent to you in writing.
- Accept or walk away. Acceptance means payment by Faster Payments; declining means a free, fully tracked return.
Getting it here safely
Royal Mail Special Delivery cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. We post you a Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed label: tracked end to end, signed for, and arranged with that cover per parcel. If your items are worth more, the rule is simple, message us before posting and we will sort the right approach. There is more on postage and insurance.
If the offer is not for you
Then nothing happens except a free return. We send your items back by tracked, insured post at our cost, with no fee for declining and no follow-up. A valuation is only worth having if you can turn it down freely, so you can. See what happens if I decline the offer.
How payment reaches you
Accept the offer and the money is sent by Faster Payments straight to the bank account you provide. There are no cheques, no delays of that kind, and no strings.
The proof, not the promise
Anyone can say "best price". GoldPaid does not. Instead the process is laid bare: a measured XRF assay, calibrated weighing, the live market rate, and a written breakdown you read at home before you commit to anything. The reassurance here is structural, built into how the service works, rather than asserted in a slogan.
Common questions
What if I do not know the carat weight or quality of my diamond?
We estimate both on arrival. If the ring carries a laboratory certificate (GIA, AGS, similar), that takes the place of estimation. Either way the figure on the offer reflects what the stone is worth.
Should I get the diamond appraised before sending it?
Not necessarily. The valuation we provide tells you the stone's scrap-and-resale figures. If the figures are material enough that you want a second opinion, getting a separate appraisal is reasonable; if not, you can decide on our written offer alone.
Will you buy the whole ring or just the diamond?
Either. We can buy the whole piece, or buy the metal setting and return the diamond loose for you to sell separately. The choice is yours and we will tell you which usually pays better.
How is the diamond returned if I decline?
In the original setting if the ring is intact; loose in a small parcel if we agreed to separate it for you. Either way, return is by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery at our cost.
Do you buy engagement rings with synthetic or lab-grown diamonds?
Yes, though synthetic diamonds carry materially lower resale value than natural ones. The XRF reading distinguishes the gold setting normally; the stone is assessed for type (natural vs synthetic vs simulant) and valued accordingly.