Getting engaged is an exciting time for couples of all ages. While this rite of passage includes an emotional declaration of love and promise to marry, it also may include the gift of a diamond engagement ring. Although a common token of engagements, the diamond ring can be a costly gift that deserves proper care and cleaning. Considering the average cost of diamond engagement rings was $4,000 in 2012 alone, placing effort into caring for your ring is smart.
If you've found unfamiliar gold or silver U.S. coins in that dresser bequeathed to you by your great-grandfather (or even in an unassuming pile of spare change), then you might have something extremely valuable on your hands. Here are some steps for finding out what your coins are worth and getting the highest possible price for them.
Determining Your Coins' Value
Before you trade in your gold and silver coins to the local metal merchant for their "
Most Americans simply don't have the cash on hand to make large purchases and will need to take out a collateral loan, which basically means that they will need to put up an asset to back up the loan. Depending on one's income and financial standing, collateral loans may still need a co-signer. If you decide to do a favor for a family member or a friend and co-sign the loan, be prepared to be stuck with the loan because 3 out of 4 primary borrowers default on their loans according to the Federal Trade Commission.
If you have been gifted with a fine piece of jewelry, one of the first things you will want to do is to have it appraised. This is not done because you want to know how much the person giving it to you spent, but because you will need this to make sure you have it insured. An appraisal is also a valuable document to have in case anything should happen to your jewelry in the future, or if you ever decide to sell it or even place it as collateral for a loan.
You might know that pawnshops are a popular place to find great deals on jewelry, electronics and other valuables. But there's plenty about pawn shops and pawnbroking that you might not know about. The following offers 5 little-known facts about pawnbroking:
Pawn Shops Have Been Around for Longer than You'd Think
The idea of pawning possessions for temporary cash has a history that stretches thousands of years. The ancient Chinese were among the first to try their hand at pawnbroking over 3,000 years ago, with most of those early establishments owned and operated by Buddhist monasteries.
