At 5 Star Gold Silver & Diamond, we understand that diamonds are more than just precious stones they are symbols of love, commitment, and timeless beauty. If you’re looking to sell a diamond, we are here to provide you with exceptional service, fair pricing, and expert guidance.
A diamond’s value comes down to four factors industry professionals call the 4Cs: carat weight, cut, colour, and clarity. Two stones of identical size can be worth very different amounts depending on how they grade across the other three, which is why a proper evaluation looks at all four together rather than carat weight alone.
Some diamonds come with a GIA certificate, a report from the Gemological Institute of America that documents the stone’s grading in detail. A certified stone gives us a documented starting point for assessment, while uncertified stones are graded in person using the same criteria; either way, every diamond is evaluated on its own merits.
Whether a diamond is loose or mounted in a ring, pendant, or bracelet also changes how it’s assessed. A mounted stone is examined separately from its setting, since the gold, platinum, or silver holding it has its own metal value calculated independently. That means an engagement ring’s total offer reflects two separate valuations working together, the stone and the metal, rather than one blended guess.
The single biggest change in diamond valuation over the past decade is that a stone’s origin now matters as much as its grade. Natural and lab-grown diamonds are chemically the same material and look identical to the eye, including under a jeweller’s loupe, but they trade in completely different markets. Neither can be told apart by appearance, which is why every stone is tested rather than assumed.
There is a third category worth knowing about. Cubic zirconia and moissanite are not diamonds at all, and they turn up regularly in older jewellery, in replacement settings, and in pieces where a stone was swapped at some point in a repair. Testing identifies these too.
Whatever your stone turns out to be, you are told which category it falls into and why before an offer is discussed. If you inherited a ring and have no paperwork, this is usually the first useful thing you learn.
Diamonds are the one category where the offer is not a weight calculation, so the process differs from gold and silver in every step.
The stone is identified. Natural, lab-grown or simulant, established by testing before anything else is considered.
It is graded across the 4Cs. Carat weight, cut, colour and clarity together, not carat alone. Two one-carat stones can differ widely in value depending on the other three, and cut in particular is often the factor sellers have never had explained to them.
Any certificate is checked against the stone. A GIA or comparable report from an independent laboratory gives a documented grading to work from. Uncertified stones are graded here using the same criteria; a certificate is helpful but never required.
The setting is valued separately. The gold, platinum or silver holding the stone is weighed and priced on its metal content independently of the diamond. An engagement ring therefore carries two valuations that are added together rather than one blended guess.
Melee and side stones are assessed as a group. Small accent stones are valued collectively rather than individually, since grading each one is not practical or meaningful at that size.
You get the breakdown and decide. The stone figure and the metal figure are explained separately so you can see where the offer comes from. There is no obligation to sell.
One thing worth setting expectations on: a retail replacement or insurance appraisal is not a selling figure. Insurance appraisals are written to cover the cost of replacing a piece new at retail, which sits well above what any buyer pays in the resale market. That gap surprises people, and it is not specific to us.
For a value on diamond jewellery before you decide anything, see our jewellery appraisal in Kelowna page.
People bring diamonds and diamond jewellery to our Kelowna office from across the valley, from Vernon and Lake Country to West Kelowna, Penticton, Summerland, Oliver and Osoyoos. Every stone is tested and graded in our private office, in front of you, by our GIA-trained specialists, and the stone and any setting are valued separately so you can see where the offer comes from. The assessment is free and there is no obligation. If you accept, you are paid by cash or e-transfer before you leave.
We are at Unit #206, 307 Banks Road, Kelowna, open 9:00 to 17:00 seven days a week with free parking, so a trip from anywhere in the Okanagan works on a weekend as well as a weekday. Selling an engagement or wedding ring? See our guide to selling an engagement ring in Kelowna.
What sellers most often want to know before bringing in a diamond.
Almost every appraisal people hold is an insurance replacement appraisal, which states what it would cost to replace the piece new at retail. That is a different figure from what a diamond sells for in the resale market, and the gap between the two is usually large. Ask us to walk through the stone and the metal separately so you can see how the offer was reached.
No. A certificate from an independent laboratory gives a documented grading to work from, which can make the assessment quicker, but uncertified stones are graded here on the same criteria and bought on their merits.
Yes, by testing. Lab-grown and natural diamonds are visually identical and cannot be separated by eye or by loupe, so every stone is tested rather than assumed. You are told which yours is.
No. Bring the piece intact. The stone and the metal are assessed separately during the evaluation, so there is no benefit to unmounting it beforehand, and unmounting risks damage.
Melee and accent stones are assessed as a group rather than graded one at a time. They contribute to the offer, but the centre stone and the metal content are usually the larger part of it.
Yes. We buy diamonds and diamond jewellery from sellers across the Okanagan, including Vernon, Lake Country, West Kelowna, Penticton, Summerland, Oliver and Osoyoos. Assessments take place in our private Kelowna office at 307 Banks Road, open seven days a week with free parking.