If you intend to buy and sell gold jewelry, perhaps the safest way to do it is online.  It is also a very good way to find the best matching price.  When selling, one of the most important things to consider is how to find the right buyer.  After all, finding one from among hundreds is not easy considering that a lot of these so-called interested buyers are not legit and are just out to make a quick buck from you.  Extreme caution is therefore advised before agreeing to any buy or sell transaction.
So, what are right buyers?  The right buyers, although out to make a profit, must be fair in their dealings and should be able to come up with fair offers for you precious gold jewelry.  Because the industry is not strictly monitored and regulated, a lot of dishonest people take advantage and perpetrate fraud.  Even if the pieces of jewelry you are selling are made of pure gold, they may not be able to elicit decent offers from these people.  They will just make you sell old gold jewelry for only a fraction of what they are really worth.
Buy and sell only through safe channels. Reputable jewelry stores or known gold dealers are generally safe to deal with.  To be sure, ask people you trust if they are familiar with these buyers or you can do some research on your own.  Have your jewelry appraised first so you will know, more or less, if you are getting decent offers or not.
It is important to note that jewelry stores, in general, offer better prices than pawnshops.  When you want to sell your gold for cash, you may be better of to turn to jewelry stores.  Pawnshops may be good for short term loans.  If you intend to get your jewelry back, using them as collateral may be a good idea.  However, the money you will get for them is usually way below their real worth.  If you fail to redeem them upon maturity date, you risk losing them to foreclosure or you may be charged with exorbitant interest and other penalties.
Here are a few tips on how to find the right online buyers and subsequently avoid being scammed:

• Weigh your jewelry. – Before selling, make sure to weigh your gold jewelry first.  This is important because in most cases, you will be paid based on the weigh of your jewelry’s gold content.  Although there may be exceptions such as when you are selling antique jewelry, you will generally not be paid for the jewelry design or pattern.  Aside from the gold, semi-precious stones that come with the jewelry do not account for much.
• Check the karats. – Karats (or carats) are used to calculate the purity of gold, and whatever price your jewelry may fetch depends on how pure the gold is.  24 carat gold jewelry is considered to be the purest because its gold content is about 99.9% and there are no other metals or hardeners mixed with it.  Consequently, gold jewelry marked as 22 carats has about 91% gold, and an 18 carat piece of jewelry has 75% gold.

Next time you sell old gold jewelry, make sure to have them appraised first and tested in terms of purity before proceeding.  This way, you will be guided properly when you get into the process of negotiating for the price. After all, the people you will be dealing with are experts and really know how to buy and sell gold jewelry.

• Check out the prevailing rates in the market. – Take time to find out the current gold buying and selling rates.  This is important because the price of gold fluctuates daily and you wouldn’t want to get caught off-guard in case of sudden and sharp price changes.  Although gold prices are generally stable and are usually not characterized by wild variations, it is always safe to know the prevailing rates.
• Always be careful. – Especially when buying or selling online, extreme caution must always be observed.  In order to get a good online deal, several factors must be considered.  First, a responsible buyer will be able to offer generally secure and safe services.  Scammers usually want quick transactions and would want them over and done with at the soonest possible time.  You should be wary when you encounter people who seem to always be in a hurry and would be willing to skip some of the normal precautionary measures.

Experienced and authentic buyers usually are more meticulous and careful.  They normally videotape the entire testing process and how the price is determined.  Sometimes, recordings are done from the time the package is received until it is brought to their workshop.  Ideally, everything must be documented to avoid future problems.  This will also provide you with some assurance of a fair deal.

As gold has been one of the finest metals in the world since time immemorial, it will never go out of style.  Gold, for one, does not tarnish and does not generally react negatively to other elements.  It does not, in itself, cause allergies or health problems to people unlike some other metals.  It is also a fact that no woman can refuse a gold jewelry gift.  Although there may be more precious metals and stones than gold such as platinum and diamond, gold is still the generally-accepted standard used around the world.
Gold is also very flexible as it can be altered and shaped into a variety of ways.  It can even be made into tiny strands that are durable enough not to easily fissure.  An ounce of gold can even be flattened into a very fine sheet.  There is virtually no limit as to how gold can be fashioned out, except maybe the craftsman’s imagination.  After all, even in its original and crudest form, gold is valuable.
The business of buying and selling gold can be very lucrative.  However, to be really successful, you must not view it as a one time deal or just an easy way to get fast cash for gold. As long as you are properly guided and you exercise extreme caution in all your transactions, you will be alright.  Dealing fairly is the best way to build a solid reputation and attract a lot of suppliers and clients.  This will also give you the opportunity to buy and sell gold jewelry for a long time.