We use fully insured, tracked Royal Mail Special Delivery for everything, which covers your items for their full declared value in transit. You pack them using our free prepaid postal pack, designed specifically for jewellery. Once they arrive, we sign for them and log them in immediately. If anything were to go wrong in transit — which in over 20 years has been exceptionally rare — you're covered. If posting still doesn't sit right with you, you're welcome to visit any of our three stores in Bexleyheath, Maidstone or Gravesend and hand everything over in person.

We're Blackwell Jewellers — we've had physical shops on the high street in Bexleyheath, Maidstone and Gravesend for over 35 years. You can walk in, meet us face to face, look us in the eye. We're registered with all the relevant authorities, we have a workshop, trained goldsmiths, and a reputation in our communities that we've spent decades building. We're not a faceless website that appeared six months ago — we're your local jeweller, just with a postal service for people who can't get to us easily. Look us up, check our reviews, or just pop into the shop for a chat.

The big difference is that we're actually jewellers — not a financial services company or commodity trader. Those TV companies process huge volumes of metal as quickly as possible, which is exactly why their prices are often disappointing. We have in-house goldsmiths who assess every piece properly, which means we understand what we're buying and can price it accordingly. We also have three real shops you can visit — there's genuine accountability here. After 35 years on the same streets, our name means something to us.

It's more secure than most people expect. Everything goes via Royal Mail Special Delivery — fully tracked, requires a signature at every stage, and insured for the value of the contents. We send you a prepaid, padded postal pack with clear instructions. The moment your parcel arrives, we weigh and photograph everything and send you a confirmation — you're never left wondering. The whole system has been designed to be as straightforward and worry-free as possible, and if at any point you'd rather do it face to face, our stores are open six days a week.

That reputation exists for a reason — some operators in this industry do pay poorly. We've built our business on repeat customers and word of mouth over 35 years, and that only works if people feel they've been treated fairly. We price based on live gold market rates and assess each piece properly using our in-house expertise — we're not just chucking everything on a scale. We tell you exactly what we're offering and why, so you can see the working. And if you're not happy with the offer, you get everything back — no quibbles, no charge.

It depends on the piece. If something is purely decorative and has no value beyond the metal content, then scrap rate is what it's worth. But because we're working jewellers with a workshop and a shop floor, some pieces are worth more to us as jewellery — a well-made ring, a recognised hallmark, a piece in excellent condition. In those cases, we'll say so and reflect it in the offer. We're not in the business of buying a piece as scrap when we know it's worth more than that.

Then by all means take it — we'd never tell you not to get the best price you can. But make sure you're comparing like for like. Some companies quote a high price upfront and then find reasons to revise it downward once they have your jewellery. Others quote on weight without accounting for solder, clasps, or non-gold components — meaning the final payment can be significantly less than expected. We give you a clear, honest offer based on a proper assessment, and that's the number we pay.

Weight is part of it, but it's the starting point, not the whole picture. Our goldsmiths test each piece to confirm the metal content and purity — we don't simply rely on hallmarks. We weigh the gold content specifically, not the total weight (chains have clasps, rings have stones, and those don't count). If a piece has gemstones of value, we assess those separately. The whole process takes place in-house, meaning there's genuine expertise behind every valuation — not just a set of scales and a price-per-gram table.

It's simpler than most people think. Step 1: Get in touch — by phone, email or through the website — and we'll send you a free prepaid postal pack. Step 2: Pack your items using the materials provided and drop it at any Post Office using the included Special Delivery label. Step 3: Once it arrives, we sign for it, log everything, photograph it, and carry out a full assessment. Step 4: We contact you with a clear offer — usually within one working day. If you accept, payment goes out the same day by bank transfer. If you don't, we return everything free of charge.

From the day your parcel arrives, you'll typically have an offer within one working day. If you accept, payment is made by bank transfer the same day — most people have the money in their account by the next morning. From posting to payment, the realistic timeframe for most customers is three to five working days including transit time. If you're in a hurry, come into one of our stores and we can value and pay you on the spot.

Then we send everything straight back to you, fully insured, at no cost whatsoever. There's no pressure, no quibble, and no charge for the return. We'd rather you walked away happy than felt pushed into a sale you weren't comfortable with — that's not the kind of business we are. The offer is valid for a set period so you have time to think about it and compare if you want to.

We buy gold in all carats — 9ct, 14ct, 18ct, 22ct, 24ct — as well as silver, platinum, and palladium. Condition doesn't matter: broken chains, single earrings, old engagement rings, watches, coins, dental gold — it all has value. We're also happy to look at items you're unsure about, including pieces with no hallmark or items that have been in a drawer for decades. If you've got a mixed bag, just send it all in and we'll go through it piece by piece.

Absolutely — and for many people that's the preferred option. All three stores — in Bexleyheath, Maidstone and Gravesend — offer the same cash-for-gold service in person. You bring your items in, we assess them while you're there, and if you're happy with the offer, we can pay you on the spot. It's also the quickest way to get paid — no waiting for post or bank transfers.

Any of the three — they all offer the full service and are run by trained staff who know what they're doing. The Bexleyheath store is our original shop and has been on the high street for over 35 years. Maidstone and Gravesend have both been established for many years too. All three have the same standards, the same process, and the same commitment to giving you a fair price. Just head to whichever is most convenient for you.

The main ones are speed and reassurance. You can watch the assessment happen, ask questions at every stage, and walk out with your money the same day. It also means you're dealing with a real person in a real shop. That said, the postal service is genuinely secure and offers the same pricing — it's really just a question of what suits your circumstances. If you're local, come in; if you're further afield, the postal service works just as well.

No appointment needed — just walk in during opening hours. If you have a large or particularly complex collection of items, it's worth giving us a quick call beforehand so we can make sure there's enough time to go through everything properly, but for most people it's just a matter of walking in. We're there Monday to Saturday, and we're always happy to have a no-obligation look.

I've been in the jewellery trade for over 35 years, and buying gold from the public for more than 20 of those. The team across our three stores includes trained goldsmiths and bench jewellers — people who make, repair and restore jewellery for a living. We're members of the National Association of Goldsmiths and hold all the appropriate licences for buying second-hand goods. This isn't a sideline or a trend — it's something we've been doing carefully and professionally for a long time.

Not necessarily — and that's one of the advantages of buying through a working jeweller. If a piece is in good condition and has merit beyond its metal value, there's a chance it'll be given a second life rather than sent to the smelter. Pieces with quality stones, good craftsmanship, or particular character often go through our workshop, get cleaned up, and find their way to someone who'll love them. Either way, we handle everything with care and respect; we know that some of these items have personal histories, and we don't take that lightly.

The large TV-advertised companies have one exit for everything: the smelter. For them, it's purely a metal transaction, which means they need to build in a big margin. Because we're jewellers with three shops and a working workshop, some of what we buy goes back into the trade as jewellery — which is worth more than scrap. We also operate with lower overheads relative to the national operators, and we're not spending millions on television advertising. That money stays in our offers.

Yes — send the lot, or bring the lot in. That's exactly the kind of mixed bag we're set up to deal with. Broken pieces are fine; we buy metal, not condition. Silver is absolutely worth including — it's often overlooked but it adds up. For anything you're unsure about, our goldsmiths will test it on the spot rather than guessing. Items with no hallmark, old foreign pieces, jewellery that looks like it might be gold-plated — we can work through all of it and give you a clear answer on each one.