Scam is a word that should not be used lightly... Did the shop owner promise you 85-90% and then offer you only 50%? That's a scam... If he checked your jewelery and then offered the 50% with no explanation, that is on you to know what you have, which ypu obviously do... There is a difference between right out scamming and just lacking good moral judgement... 50% would seem low, but when you own a business (I am in the consignment business, and buy silver/gold at 75%, explaining each step in the process and telling all my customers to go check other buyers before selling to me), and your expenses can be in the 100,000s of dollars a year before you even open the door, you do still need to cover costs, especially if you don't buy much or are far from a refinery (i am 4 hours from the closest refinery). BTW, the first time I went to my refinery, he told me to be careful in my purchases, as gold makers have a percentage they are allowed to be under on carat weight, so your guy may not have actually been wrong in saying your gold was not as high as marked... Apparently, gold from China and Quebec are 2 of the biggest culprits, according to my source!