It's sad to think that some people have to sell their engagement rings and other sentimental jewelry. Some people choose to sell because their marriage has ended, while others are forced to sell because they need money to save their home from foreclosure or pay off mounting medical bills and other expenses. Regardless of why you have to part with these items, it's important to know how to effectively sell the jewelry so you are getting the most for your precious items.

Know What You Have 

Although you might think you know what you have, you could be wrong and the piece might be worth much more or less than you thought. To find out, you should take the jewelry to be appraised. To get the best value for the piece, bring it to an appraiser that doesn't sell or buy diamonds because they will be giving you their honest opinion. Further, don't assume that you have to pay to have the piece appraised. You can visit diamond buyers or pawn shops to see what they value the piece at. If going this route, it's important to visit several so that you're getting a range of opinions.

Price the Piece Realistically

When selling something sentimental, many people set unrealistic prices because their emotions are invested. It's important, although somewhat impossible, to take the emotion out of it and price the jewelry rationally. To make sure that a piece is priced right, use eBay to search for other similar items that have sold. This will give you a good idea of what pieces similar to yours are selling for.

Consider Your Options

When people have to sell engagement rings and other jewelry, they should look into where and how they can sell the pieces. At Have You Seen the Ring, we make it very easy for sellers to list their jewelry and find a buyer. One of the best things about our service is that people are selling their jewelry on their terms and not someone else's. 

Make Sure You're Ready

As mentioned earlier, people can become very attached to their jewelry and emotions often run high. To make a successful sale, it's important to ensure that you’re actually ready to part with the piece -- usually once you sell, there's no getting it back. 

Are you finding yourself recently single? According to Information is Beautiful, you're not alone. Why is that? According to data collected from Facebook status updates, two weeks before Christmas is the most common time of year to get dumped. Read on to learn why the Christmas holiday can lead to a breakup and how people can sell diamonds they might have bought for Christmas or Valentine's Day gifts before they were ditched.

Holidays = Commitment.  When a person spends a holiday with someone else, it shows how committed they are to the relationship. When they go to their boyfriend's/girlfriend's family function, they are there to meet everyone and form connections because they are going to be around for a while. If one partner doesn't see a future for the relationship, they aren't going to take the other to one of these functions because their family would automatically think that the relationship is serious. Many people get dumped before the holidays because the other partner doesn't want to raise their expectations.

Holidays = Gifts.  This is pretty low, but some people break up with their significant others prior to Christmas to avoid having to purchase them a gift. These people will often find themselves wondering what they can get for a person that won't send an "I'm crazy about you" message. To avoid the stress of finding a Christmas gift for someone they're just not that into, people opt to dump their girlfriend or boyfriend.

Holidays = Stress.  Everyone knows that the holiday season puts people on edge. The thought of spending time with family, finding the perfect gifts for everyone, and tight finances causes many people to go a little berserk. Some people can't handle the added stress of finding time during their already crazy holiday schedule to spend with their significant other and their family. They quickly realize that they're not invested in the relationship and say "bye bye" to their partner.

For those that were on top of their shopping game and purchased diamonds for their partner only to later be dumped, selling the diamonds is a viable alternative. Find a site online, register, and list the jewelry; interested buyers will then be able to make offers on the diamonds and work with the seller to agree on a price. People that are able to sell their jewelry will have a weight lifted from their chest and be able to move on more quickly. 

Whether you have an old engagement ring that you no longer wear or you recently split from your spouse, one question you may ask yourself is, “What should I do with this engagement ring?” While you could place it in a safety deposit box or in your jewelry box, the ring really does no good there. It’ll most likely just be tucked away and forgotten about. 

Instead, why not sell it? If your ring has lost its true meaning, what’s the point in keeping it, anyway? Today, lots of people who go through break ups or divorces sell their engagement rings, not necessarily to make a profit, so much as to let things go.  

If you’re ready to sell your engagement ring, but don’t know how, we’ve provided some tips to help you. 

1. Be emotionally ready

Selling a diamond engagement ring is not an easy thing to do. Even if you've been divorced for some time, it can be a lot to handle, emotionally speaking. Diamonds are symbols of love and passion and there are probably memories tied to the ring -- you need to take the emotional aspects out of the process so that you don’t sell the ring only to regret it later. Also, if you sell and you’re not emotionally ready, you may make the mistake of settling for too little.

2. Know what your ring is worth

You don’t want to get your hopes up by thinking that your ring is worth more than it really is. You need to be realistic so that, when you try to sell it, you know what types of offers to expect. It’s in your best interest to have your ring examined by an expert to determine the quality, authenticity and attributes that will affect its price. At Have You Seen The Ring, all items are carefully examined and verified by an independent GIA graduate gemologist. 

3. Be realistic with the price  

The fastest way to be disappointed when selling your ring is to set an unrealistic price. It’s important to know how much the stone is worth and what it will sell for in the current market. Otherwise, you may set a price and sit on it for months and even years as people pass your ring by for more lucrative offers. 

4. Know your selling options

Although you could pawn your engagement ring, put it in the classifieds, or go to a local jeweler to sell it, today the Internet makes selling your ring faster and easier than ever. And you can conveniently sell it on our website by simply creating a free listing and watching as the offers pour in. Or simply provide us with information about your ring and we’ll make you an offer within one business day!