A-1 Jewelry & Coin Buyers

Walked in, walked out — 5 mins tops. Got the best offer on a coin after trying to sell on ebay. Saved some dough too. Thanks.

Great service and prices! Dealt with the owner Ralph and he is very knowledgeable! I have purchased jewelry where he has included free insurance appraisal.

Quick, informative, friendly, experienced. A pleasure to do business with and I would go there again. Everything was looked at and priced with care. If you are bringing in jewelry/​coins to sell, and see something in the case you like, be sure to ask as that’s a great time to take it in trade.

First of all; This is a Pawn shop not a jewelry store! The guy is a typical pawn broker. He prays on the naïve and ignorant! Think I’m being unfair? You have read all the great reviews? Well, Mark Twain said, «It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.» Yep these guys are all opportunists!
I took some gold to sell and the guy and he really tried to put it to me. I knew exactly what I had.
If you’re gonna sell gold… make sure you weigh it in penny weights… convert to ounces and multiply by current gold spot… then factor for assay (karat) ! 14k is 58% …so multiply percentage of gold to get actual value! 18k is about 75% !
If you let this guy do the math you are gonna get screwed! NO QUESTION!

Very nice place — Ralph is a great guy to work with. Staff was extremely friendly and easy to talk with also. We had some jewelry that was handed down to my son that we needed to find out the value on and Ralph was right there to step in and lend a hand. Thank you so much for stepping up. His pricing was more then fair for the pieces that he appraised for us. I We aren’t ready to sell them as of yet but when we do we will definitely bring them back here. It was very much a five star experience for us and I Would highly recommend these guys to everyone I know.

Best jewelry repair and sales in the city! With all my watches and stuff they are the only place in Chicago that I trust. Thanks Gerhard you rock buddy!

This is a five star experience for sure! My husband had a coin collection that he wanted appraised, and Ralph, the owner of A-​1 Jewelry and Coin, came to our home to take a look. We appreciated Ralph’s willingness to make this house call, so we didn’t have to lug all the coins to his store. With Ralph’s years of experience, it took him no time to look through all the coins and give the appraisal of each. We decided to cash the coins in that evening, and didn’t have to wait for the check. Ralph gave a check on the spot!
If you don’t want to exchange anything for cash, you can purchase beautiful pieces at his store. When I stopped in, I saw beautiful jewelry pieces: rings, necklaces, watches, etc. You can get the best prices on both exchanges and purchases, so stop in and see Ralph. He’s a great guy… knowledgeable, personable, fair, and honest. You won’t be disappointed!

I had a wonderful experience in this little jewelry store! Don’t let the unassuming exterior deter you, the service you’ll receive inside will win you over!
I worked with Ralph and he was very helpful and forthcoming about a bracelet I wanted to adjust. His advice was sound and he actually recommended something that didn’t benefit him or the store, which won me over! I will be returning with my old gold jewelry. Instead of just letting them buy it off me, I wanted to melt down the pieces that my grandmother bought me and he said I can bring it any picture of jewelry I want and he’ll use the SAME gold to create it. He warned me that other shops may claim that they’ll do that same, but most won’t mess with it.
I am excited to actually create some jewelry that I will enjoy instead of it sitting, collecting dust!
P. S.- My co-​worker has bought over 3 watches with Ralph… I’m not a watch person, but apparently he has some really nice pieces

I have been dealing with Ralph and John for years. They pay the highest price for gold of any of the other gold buyers, that I know of. I have sent many of my friends there and they were all amazed at the better price offered to them at A1. They are honest and very knowledgeable and a pleasure to deal with. Also, if you need a gift or something special for yourself they have some lovely pieces, and the silver rings, etc. are a really good deal.

I did not think they give fair prices. Some places offer better deals. Some places offer worse deals, such as James & Sons. However, you can find better places to take your jewerly to sell.
Also, please note that you get your appraisal from them based on your gold. If you take your golden ring with a gemstone to them, your gemstone is likely to be unnoticed. Thus, it is not worth selling based on the gold alone.
Whatever you do, do not take your jewerly to James & Sons. I had the worst appraisal from them out of all other places I have been to. I took my jewerly to several places before. A-​1 Jewerly & Coin falls slightly below average, but not the worst place there is.

In these tough economic times, you will see many shops and ads offering «Cash for Gold & Jewelry». The buyers generally take a percentage of the value of the items, leaving you with the balance. These percentages can vary widely.
Ralph, one of the owners of A1 Jewelry Diamonds & Watches was very forthcoming when I asked what the percentage was that they take. He explained that when they sell the precious metals, they receive 90% of the value from their buyer. A1, in turn, charges only an additional 10%. You walk away with 80% of the value of your treasure! There was only ONE other place that offers such GREAT payouts, and they’re on the far NW side of Chicago. A1 is conveniently located in the Lakeview neighborhood. Parking is plentiful, too.
I say if you must sell your valuables, this is THE place to take them! Ralph was pleasant, funny, honest & generous with his knowledge. The shop is super clean, very secure & visually pleasant. The level of customer service was impeccable!
It’s no wonder they’re listed so high up on Unilocal!They get a BIG thumbs up from me! :)

The economy sucks… but this place doesn’t.
A recent visit there netted me a few hundred dollars. Ralph, the owner (and very likely the guy you’ll see there) is SUPER nice, honest and pays a fair rate.
I brought in some rare coins and gold jewelry to sell. I got a fair price (I knew what I was looking at before I went in, so I know I didn’t get ripped off). He was very friendly and offered to give me back some of the stones in my jewelry, as he was buying for the gold, rather than semi precious stones.
He also has jewelry for sale, but I didn’t take a look. Store is clean and super convenient to the el. If you need a little extra cash, stop in and have Ralph hook you up!