Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Finds and Photo by Mark G. Last Week. |
Mark G. sent the above photo and following email message about his hunt and what Copilot told him about his finds.
Before I get into Mark's email, it should be a good reminder of two important things that I've said multiple times. First, there is always something to be found and somewhere to hunt. If you give up and don't go out, you won't find much. As you might recall, the biggest factor in my formula for metal detecting success is the time spent detecting. And as I often say, when conditions aren't right for one type of hunting, adjust and shift to another. You might have to wait for beach conditions to improve if you want to find shipwreck treasures on the beach, but you can adjust. You can also hunt other types of things, such as modern jewelry, fossils, or bottles, but you have to hunt if you want to make finds. For everything there is a time and a season.
Now, back to Mark's email.
I had a really good week this week getting out Monday, Thursday, Friday, and the weekend and wanted to share what I found and what I found out. I see I was mentioned in the 6/8/26 posting which inspired me to write this email (I don't need much inspiration). This week the hot find was silver earrings in pairs. The square setting I found with the backings on about 2 feet apart the fancier bow tie setting I found without backings and about 20 feet apart and the single silver stud no backing, I did not find the other, but I am going back. Also found a 10.26-gram 14k Peruvian gold chain, the how and where I found that is a whole separate subject. The crux of this story though is not what I found but what I found out using AI. Here is a photo of my week's finds tell me which of these finds is worth the most money in scrap value? If you guessed the 10.26 grams of 14K Gold, you would be wrong. The single silver stud is actually a 5.5mm diameter round cut brilliant natural diamond. I've found diamonds mounted in silver rings before I had a vintage silver ring that has 3 fairly large diamonds, I will be taking another look at that. I usually test every stone with my cheap diamond tester even if it's mounted in an obvious junk setting but this one, I did not test until later to my surprise.
This is where I bring in my CoPilot who has helped me with determining scrap silver and gold value before, but what about diamonds? Turns out there is a small market for diamonds.
“Scrap Diamond Market” — Does it exist?
Yes — but it’s nothing like gold.
Diamonds do not have a melt value, so there is no universal scrap price. Instead, diamonds resell for a percentage of retail, and that percentage depends on size, quality, and certification.
Real resale numbers (2026 market):
Natural diamonds typically resell for 30–60% of retail
Lab‑grown diamonds resell for 10–25% of retail
Moissanite has negligible resale value (usually $0–$50)
Example from current market data:
A 1‑carat natural diamond (H color, VS2) typically resells for: 👉 $1,800–$2,600
Small diamonds (like in earrings, pendants, rings you find detecting):
Melee diamonds (0.005–0.03ct) usually sell in bulk to jewelers
Typical payout: $0.50–$3 per stone, depending on clarity and size
Jewelers buy them mainly for reuse, not “scrap”
So yes — there is a market, but it’s not melt‑based and not high‑paying unless the stones are large and certified.
Diamonds , like silver and like gold selling them on the scrap market you will only get a percentage of the value (metals 70% to 90%).
Here is what my CoPilot said about the diamond in the photo:
A 5.5 mm diamond is NOT small — that’s a serious stone
A round brilliant diamond with a 5.5 mm diameter typically weighs: 0.60 to 0.70 ct.
That’s over half a carat.
That is NOT melee. That is not scrap, that is a real, individually valuable stone.
Here are the estimated scrap values of the chain and Diamond:
Bottom line
You didn’t just find a silver earring with a “maybe” stone.
You found:
✔ A 14K chain worth $300–$400
✔ A 0.60–0.70 ct. diamond worth $400–$1,000 depending on grade
That’s a monster day for a beach hunter.
Thanks for sharing Mark. Great finds. Congrats!
It is often said that something is only worth what someone will pay you. So true.
A couple years ago I had an estate appraised which involved over a hundred pieces of jewelry. I had the lot appraised by three different appraisers and the appraised values varied a lot - for larger items sometimes 2 or 3 times and thousands of dollars.
First, you should understand that there are multiple types of appraisals, each of which is for a different situation or purpose and the appraised value you get can vary by several times and thousands of dollars for each type of appraisal and from different appraisers.
One type of appraisal is the insurance or retail replacement value appraisals. Those will be high.
The insurance or replacement value is typically higher than resale value because it accounts for labor, new metals, and gemstones required to replace or remake the piece. Insurance appraisals should be updated every 3 to 5 years to reflect market fluctuations and ensure adequate coverage.
If you watch the Antiques Roadshow you know that the insurance value they give is much higher than the value they put on the item.
Then there is the fair market value appraisal. A fair market value appraisal reflects the price a willing buyer and a willing seller would agree upon under normal market conditions, without pressure to buy or sell. This type of appraisal is based on the jewelry’s current condition and the secondary market rather than replacement cost. It is often used for selling, tax purposes, or legal matters.
An estate appraisal determines the value of jewelry as of a specific date, often the date of death, for purposes such as probate or estate planning. The valuation is based on fair market conditions at that time, which can significantly impact the final value. Estate appraisals are essential for tax reporting and asset distribution.
A liquidation appraisal is used in urgent situations, such as estate sales, divorce settlements, or financial emergencies. It provides a lower valuation than fair market value, reflecting the immediate resale potential of the jewelry.
Below is an example of a formal appraisal for one specific diamond ring. I removed the top of the appraisal that had the personal data and the name and signature of the certified professional appraiser.
This estate appraisal cost $90. I had two other appraisals done, both were done for free even though there were a hundred or more individual gold items, including this ring. One of those appraisals was done by a well-known pawn and jewelry store in St. Lucie and the other by a Jeweler in Vero.
The other jeweler gave me the price that he would pay for the individual items but did not provide a printed form. He just gave me the numbers, which I wrote down. That was the first appraisal I got. The appraiser explained what would be involved for him to buy and sell the ring. It involved several steps. Among other things the larger diamond was to be recut, then rest and then he would have to send it to be recertified for weight, etc. and some other steps. It was a lot he would do before selling it. I believe the number he would pay for that ring was $7,500, which is obviously much much less than the replacement value, which is what you would spend to replace the ring. To buy a ring like that, you would probably pay more like $34000.00. A big difference. It is not uncommon jewelers to markup diamond rings 300 - 300 percent, so of course you are not going to get anything like what you would pay for the same ring.
The jeweler also explained that he had an large oversupply of gold in the back that was going to be sold to be melted, and he didn't need any more. I've seen pawn shops online saying that they wouldn't bother buying a lot of silver that in the past they would have bought.
The other appraisal, the one by the pawn and jewelry store, did not value the diamonds and stones at all. Their appraisal was basically gold melt value. As I recall, what they would pay for the ring with a replacement value of around $34,000, was something like $800, as I recall. That appraiser put the gold in bags and priced them per bag. Lab diamonds were becoming a popular alternative to natural diamonds.
Bottom line is that there is a big difference in appraised values. There are different kinds of appraisals, but also very significant differences between appraisers.
To sell an item you can expect somebody purchasing to resell to pay anything near the market value. They have overhead, expenses and have to be able to sell for a profit. Furthermore, the markets change.
To get a good price for your items, you might have to shop for the best buyer. Auctions can be good if they are well advertised and draw the right type of person to appreciate your item.
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Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net
