A friend of my DD just had a "Cash for Gold " party. Like a tupperware or pampered chef party, but you leave with a check.
My DD may book one, I'll have to go through my broken chains and single earrings.

I posted a similar question about this in Nov/Dec in 2009. I got alot of good hints from the members here so you don't get cheated. I used the money I got to buy Christmas presents, so it came in handy for me.

Yes, cleaned out jewelry box in 2007 and 2009. Got a much nicer return in 09.

You can figure out what you should get from your jewelry if you know they karat value and weight. There are many articles on line that outline how the equation goes. 24 kt. is pure gold, 18 k. is 75% (notice on the back of a piece where there is a stamp with the ()K. If there isn't a stamp, don't be alarmed I had a lot of 18 pieces that weren't stamped. Separate your gold into different types, 18, 14 10 k., do your homework online to see what gold is going for. If you can weigh it, do so. If you know what you are doing, you will be more confident in doing business with your jeweler. At the suggestion of MIL, I went to her jeweler first, he wanted to give 1/2 of what I was due for 1 pc. of 18kt jewelry. I thanked him for his time (I knew he was ripping me off) and went where I should have gone in the first place, my own jeweler.

I've not been to a home party, but I think I would stick to my regular jeweler. The home based parties remind me of the mail your gold for cash type deal. Unless the hostess is very well versed in what gold is selling for at the day of the party, separates and weighs everything properly, you may get less than your jewelry is actually worth. Also, if you sell something that stones need to be removed from, do they do that at the party? How does that work. I went back to my jeweler a few days later to retrieve the stones she couldn't get out easily when I sold.

I think I would also stay away from places that advertise. Just me, but I go to my local jeweler, where I go to buy jewelry as well. I know she isn't ripping me off.

There have been quite a few news magazine-type shows featuring the mail away businesses. They were not at all consistent in what they were paying. Offered little, then the customer complained, they would offer a little more. I dont want to do all that. I want to go to a reputable person, sell my jewelry and walk away with cash.

Good luck.

My friend & I sold our jewelry. She had gone to an old friend who owns a jewelry store to get a price first. Then we hooked up with a "gold guy", and he was paying more. She walked away with over $800, and I got over $600.
And he even came to my house. Now if you want to host a party, he asks what percent the hostess wants to keep for herself. In my case, I wanted my friends to get all they could and I kept nothing from their take.

What about gold with diamonds in it? thinking of having diamonds removed and rings made for dh and I,bands to match, but the price of a new band will prob. be higher then what we get??? also heard they use catagories, like 10k, 14k and so on, is this true?

susieq - your jeweler should be able to pop out any stones. As far as the catagories, separate your jewelry into karat type - 18k, 14k, 10k.

Whether or not your new bands will be more $$ (I am thinking probably will be) depends on the value of what you are selling, weight of gold x karat worth.

Best of luck.