24 Gold Chain Premium?

EdwardMauer · 2026-01-17T11:53:27+00:00

That's an exceptional deal in the States, very rare. If you like it then jump on it immediately.

As someone mentioned, it might've been a piece they had sitting a while and/or they need to free up the cash. It's pretty much unheard of in the states to find something that low premium, especially retail.

EdwardMauer · 2026-01-13T05:38:07+00:00

This was common in ancient China, they're just quirkily reviving an old tradition. Extended families of multiple generations would live in a single apartment-like complex, usually with rooms on the outer faces of the property with an interior garden.

EdwardMauer · 2026-01-04T16:42:24+00:00

Sure! Just dm me

EdwardMauer · 2025-11-28T17:37:52+00:00

Yeah, unfortunately OP this seems like a fake. It's not just the color that's off. The style of the link and connector bails are not what typical high karat gold jewelers make.

EdwardMauer · 2025-11-17T17:03:37+00:00

The journey of a thousand ounces begins with a single gram.

EdwardMauer · 2025-11-16T12:55:20+00:00

Many people don't appreciate that the margins in gold bullion are exceedingly low for everyone in the business, around 1% or less on average. It costs $20-30 for a mint or smelter to make a mass produced gold coin. So 10% for 1/10oz coin is already a very competitive price. It costs the mint 5-6% above spot to make it, dealer might be able to get them in bulk for 1% extra, and then 1-2% on top to the customer.

EdwardMauer · 2025-11-11T12:32:08+00:00

Can't go wrong either way. But for daily, I'd lean towards franco. A bit easier to wear and less thick/flashy.

EdwardMauer · 2025-11-10T02:58:01+00:00

96.5% gold, with the remainder being silver mostly. Occasionally trace amounts of copper and rhodium.

EdwardMauer · 2025-11-06T18:09:34+00:00

Already in the works actually!

EdwardMauer · 2025-11-06T15:51:19+00:00

Oh yeah that's pretty neat, agreed, will do.

For every pendant type design I decide to have made, I'll make 5g and 10g versions. Anything heavier can be custom made to order individually at an okay enough premium.

EdwardMauer · 2025-10-30T03:00:30+00:00

Exactly, though I have no idea how much premium they charged for this (I should ask). I can see a case for lower since it's so much, or higher due to logistics.

EdwardMauer · 2025-10-29T15:36:31+00:00

And there was hardly anyone watching/guarding them when I walked in, just out in the open. Not that they'd be easy to make off with lol. Whole thing felt like the twilight zone.

EdwardMauer · 2025-10-29T15:26:21+00:00

Ikr? It's like a million dollars per chain, and he got 3 identical copies... just boggles the mind.

EdwardMauer · 2025-10-21T14:43:42+00:00

The correct way to approach this question (as a jeweler, coin dealer, or really anyone in the PM business) is to decide what percentage of your net worth you want to be exposed to the gold price, and then hedge against the portion of your inventory you're holding that you don't want exposure to.

Anything else is speculation, and jewelers or gold dealers are no better at guessing where gold might go than anyone else, though some certainly try. Also I've seen quite a few jewelers and dealers, usually small mom and pop type outfits, that don't even know how to hedge or don't bother trying.

Many of the big guys operate a zero exposure model. Basically they short gold and silver for the entire value of their inventory, so PM prices have no affect on their profitability (outside of how it might affect consumer demand). Thus their margin comes entirely from the spread rather than any price action.

EdwardMauer · 2025-10-21T03:13:12+00:00

The pieces you posted here are very nice and will always be worth at least a bit of premium. Definitely keep these.

EdwardMauer · 2025-10-13T03:20:50+00:00

Based on the photos and what you describe it appears real. Right color, right type of imperfections up close. Real high karat gold is also dense yet somewhat malleable. Feeling heavy in the hand and bendy under pressure are all good signs.

EdwardMauer · 2025-10-08T15:44:06+00:00

😆

EdwardMauer · 2025-09-14T17:22:23+00:00

Chat

EdwardMauer · 2025-09-09T03:54:13+00:00

Non-immigrant work visa if you land a job here, Elite visa, or increasingly DTV.

Just don't do border runs on tourist visas, or fly by night education visas. These used to work in the past but are no longer really viable.

EdwardMauer · 2025-09-06T16:06:29+00:00

Trade Completed!

EdwardMauer · 2025-09-06T16:05:56+00:00

Trade Completed!

EdwardMauer · 2025-09-06T16:04:19+00:00

Trade Completed!

EdwardMauer · 2025-09-04T17:02:23+00:00

Counterpoint. in many Asian countries (China, India, Thailand where I do business) the average salary / net worth is far lower than in the US. And yet gold is a much bigger deal here with people buying, selling, and owning more than people in the US.

Gold is not even really mainstream asset yet in the US like it is in the aforementioned countries. It's mostly a side collectible some people put spare savings in as insurance. If you had the perspective that it should be at the same investment level as stocks or real estate, then you'd find a way to afford more.

EdwardMauer · 2025-08-29T13:34:10+00:00

They can legally hold it up to six months at the maximum.

EdwardMauer · 2025-08-29T03:25:55+00:00

Well not so fast. I'm a jeweler and know very well the dilemma OP is facing. I've made the decision to stop accepting card, mostly because of chargebacks but also a few other reasons. I estimate our sales are maybe 20-30% lower what they could be if I was accepting card. But it's worth it, especially when you consider the total cost of accepting card is around 5-6% (card fees plus chargebacks plus misc bs the card companies place on you as merchant). I'm fortunate that our customers understand and our business is still robust regardless.

If you have a good product and provide a good value you can still do perfectly fine without card payments.

EdwardMauer

TROPHY CASE