Antiques & Appraisals Series Starts with Talk on Gold

“WE BUY GOLD.” Signs like these are ubiquitous today. Jewelry dealer James Levinson of James Levinson Inc. explained the mystery surrounding these offers Tuesday at the Chappaqua Library. His presentation was the first in the New Castle Historical Society’s seventh annual Antiques Lecture and Appraisal Series.

Levinson demonstrated the importance of choosing a reputable dealer when selling gold. He began with a cautionary tale of a woman who asked him whether he would pay her more for a bag of assorted gold jewelry than a cash-for-gold enterprise would. Levinson replied that he would guarantee that he would pay more and offered to reimburse her shipping costs to find out. She sent it and told him that the entity had offered $1,500. He told her not to sell. Next she took her treasures to a gold party where she received an offer of $1800. “What would you think if I paid you $6,000?” he asked. The advice Levinson provided was priceless. He exhorted the audience not, “to deal with anyone who says how much do you want?” Before shopping a piece around, he recommended consulting a trusted dealer to ascertain exactly how many karats of gold it is worth and whether it is real.

Levinson explained a few facts about gold. Although most people know that the metal is measured in ounces, visualizing an ounce is not self-evident. “An ounce of pure gold is about the size of a half dollar coin,” he said. He also explained that much of the gold that has been mined is still around, although in different forms. “My wedding band may once upon a time have been Cleopatra’s wedding band,” he mused.

The appraisal segment of the program revealed many surprises. Some participants were thrilled to find out how much their jewelry was worth, whereas others faced the reality that their pieces were not worth as much as they had thought.

“He’s very knowledgable,” said Betty Hayman, an audience member who enjoyed the talk. Janet Wilson was also enthusiastic, describing it as “very interesting.”

The subsequent installments of the series will be focus on vintage costumes and textiles and early American glass. These will be held on Jan. 18 and Feb. 1, respectively.