Our address is 15 Market Place, Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 4SA. 

We are the light green coloured shop next to the museum in the centre of Warwick.

There are many car parks and street parking in walking distance to our shop. Our closest are: New Street, Westgate Car Park, Barrack Street, The Butts Car Park, Castle Lane, West Rock Carpark

Got a question? We are happy to discuss any of our items or services in more detail. Give us a call on 01926 492170 or email us on info@maddisonsjewellers.co.uk

Please return items by Royal Mail to Maddisons Jewellers at the following address:

Maddisons Jewellers

15 Market Place

Warwick

Warwickshire

CV34 4SA

We recommend that you return items via an insured and traceable method. Please remember to get a proof of postage receipt. Please note that we cannot be held liable for any items which go missing in the post and do not reach us.

To enable us to process your return more efficiently, please fill out the return form you would have recieved in your parcel. Please explain whether you want an exchange or refund, the reason for returning, and remember to include your order number and personal contact details.

When we receive a product returned to us for refund and are satisfied with its condition and the reason for return, we will process your refund for the full amount that was paid for the item using the same form of payment and account originally used for the purchase.

Please note: if you return an exchanged item for a refund then we reserve the right to charge an administration fee of £10 to cover our extra postage costs.

Depending on which type of valuation you require the answer will vary.

The main types of valuations we offer are: insurance, probate and price to sell. 

Valuations for insurance: 

We do not complete these instore. However, we use an independent valuers called Safeguard – which are attached to the Birmingham Assay Office. They are the industry leading experts. 

Many insurance companies require jewellery valuations to be update approximately every 3 years. With many insurers wanting valuable items listed separately on your contents policy. Precious items such as jewellery and watches can fluctuate in value. An up to date valuation is vital when making a claim for loss, damage or theft. 

Our top tip for insurance valuation is to make sure the valuer is registered and is independent to the shop you are purchasing from. You are after the true current value of the item, not someone bias inflated opinion. 

Probate Report: 

A probate report is required to calculate the value of the estate of a deceased person. This is necessary to make sure the value of the inheritance is fairly distributed according to their wishes and Inheritance Tax Assessment

The value is calculated based on the market value rather than the current value. The term ‘market value’ refers to the price you could expect to achieve if you were to sell the item – either at auction or selling to a dealer as pre-loved second hand jewellery. This considers the material value, condition, design and fashion/saleability. 

You may have been asked by a solicitor or the executor of the will to gather monetary value of your treasure family heirlooms. When you are ready, we are happy to advise you on the next steps. At the shop we are able give you an overview of the market value of your items. 

If the items are uncommon we can send them to an independent valuers called Safeguard – which are attached to the Birmingham Assay Office. They are the industry leading experts. 

Price to sell:

If you would like to know much an item is worth for cash – we provide a friendly service in store. Our calculations are based on current material value, weight, condition, design and fashion/saleability.

Our top tips for selling jewellery: 

If you are gathering quotes make sure the person is willing to pay the price. We hear … “A jeweller  told me I will get £…. but they weren’t buying that day”. Make sure the offer is for cash –  not a inflated claim. 

Give it a quick clean. Condition is a big factor of its value. Especially if its stone set this helps bring the stones back to life

We pride ourselves on having one of the best collections of second hand jewellery in Warwick. How do we have so much? Well, Jo (the owner) goes to auctions, jewellery fairs, purchase / part exchange from the public and we have a few trusted antique dealers that visit us regularly. 

Do you have old broken jewellery that you haven’t worn in a while. Why not pop in to see how much its worth?

Hallmarking has been a part of British history since 1558 – as a form of tax on precious metals. In 1973, the Hallmarking Act was created. This Act protects the consumer when purchasing a precious metal – Over 7.78g for Silver or 1g of Gold, Platinum & Palladium.  Below 7.78g or 1g of the corresponding metal it is not required to be hallmarked. However, anything over these weights it is then compulsory to be hallmarked in the United Kingdom. Other countries are not obligatory to follow the same strict system. 

Simply, if an item is not fully hallmarked we can only describe it as ‘Stamped’. Stamps commonly seen:

9ct  / 375  / 9k 

10ct / 417 / 10K

14ct / 585 / 14k

15ct / 625 / 15K

18ct / 750 / 18K

22ct / 916 / 22K

Items made before 1973 or purchased aboard may be stamped to indicated the metal – this is not a hallmark. To be hallmarked the item must have been to a Assay office (Birmingham, London, Sheffield, York, Edinburgh, Chester – Closed 1961, Dublin, Exeter – Closed 1882, Glasgow – Closed 1963, Newcastle – Closed 1883, Norwich – Closed 1701) where they will assay the purity of the metal and imprint it with the relevant information

100 years ago diamonds were cut and faceted by eye. They are wonderful pieces of individual artwork, capturing the ideals of the time. 

Key features of an old cut diamond:

* Small table (the top largest facet) – thought to trap light in the stone to make them appear lively.

* A small culet facet (at the point of the base) –  was thought to reflect light back to the viewer.

* When you view an old cut diamond from  the top you will notice it is not perfectly round – they tend to be oval or cushion shaped. Only with the invention of steam and electric cutting equipment in the late 1800s made it possible to get rounder diamonds. 

* Old cut diamonds were cut to emphasis and maximise their size therefore they tend to have a chunky pavilion (lower half). 

* Nowadays having a white diamond (D-H colour range) is the goal and modern cuts are designed to mask colour. Whereas old cut diamonds tend to have a slight yellow tint to them this is enhanced by the way they are cut.  This gives them a lovely warmth – and looks amazing under candle light!

In 1919, a 19 year old Marcel Tolkowsky designed the ‘perfect’ cut for a diamond. 57-58 facets in perfect harmony to bring out the brilliance and fire of this precious material. This is the most popular cut today – called the Round Brilliant cut.  Nowadays, the brilliant cut has been adapted into many different shapes – I.e. pear, heart, oval. 

Before your diamond is set into the mount, it can be send to an independent gemmological laboratory for a report. The report should grade the colour, clarity, cut & carat weight as a minimum (The 4 Cs). Some laboratories laser engrave tiny numbers on the girdle of the diamond which then links up to the report. 

It is a common misconception that non-certified diamonds are lesser quality. This is not the case though. They are created and mined the same way. Many jewellers will stock non-certified diamonds. Still, you do pay a premium for the paperwork. 

Our tip on buying any diamond is to quiz your reputable jewellers and experts! There is no such thing as a silly question so ask as many questions. We have studied diamonds for many years and are happy to share our wisdom.

Colour – The scale is based on the lack of colour present in a diamond. Colour D is the top of the scale and is completely colourless. Z being the most saturated in colour and could be called fancy diamonds. Most ‘white’ diamonds on the jewellery market are D-M. We can estimate the colour of the diamond. However, to get a better colour reading the stone must be out of the mount and compared to a master set of diamonds.

Clarity – All of our diamonds will have natural inclusions. These inclusions tell a story of how and where the diamond grew and how it reached the surface of earth. We like to look at as good indication that its all natural. Flawless diamonds can be found in nature but extremely rare.

Cut – Cut relates to the shape of the gemstone and how many facets (polished surfaces) it has. Common shapes:  Rose Cut, Round Brilliant Cut, Oval Cut, Pear Cut, Princess Cut, Emerald Cut, Cushion Cut, Cabochon, Bead, 

Carat – Carat is a measurement of weight not of size. For example, 1ct is 0.20g. We can estimate the weight by taking measurement and a few calculations. However, to get a precise carat weight the stone must be out of the mount. 

Carats refer to the purity of the gold. “Pure gold” is 99.9% pure as is equivalent to 24ct or 999.  Think of gold adding up to 24 parts. 9ct would like 9 parts gold and the other 15 parts other metals. 

9ct (also stamped 375/ 9k):  9 parts gold and the other 15 parts other metals. Equals 37.5% pure.

10ct (417 / 10K): 10 parts gold and 14 parts other metals. Equals 41.7% pure.

14ct (585 / 14k): 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals. Equals 58.5% pure.

15ct (625 / 15K): 15 parts gold and 9 parts other metals. Equals 62.5% pure.

18ct (750 / 18K): 18 parts gold and 6 parts other metals. Equals 75% pure.

22ct (916 / 22K): 22 parts gold and 2 parts other metals.  Equals 91.6% pure.

On site, we have a few different gemstone testing equipment to aid identification. Including a refractometer, thermal and electric probes, polarizing filters, Chelsea colour filters, spectroscope, London dichroscope. As well as a friendly gemmologist. If any stones puzzle us we can send them away for a second opinion. 

Gold is natural a yellow metal. To make white gold, gold is then mixed with white alloys and rhodium plated. Rhodium is a hardwearing white metal. Once the rhodium plating has worn off the piece of jewellery will look a dull yellow gold colour.

Most plain shank rings can be resized up or down with no problem. However, if the ring has multi-stone set shoulders, this will limit the amount we can size it. The shoulders need to stay the same throughout the process or the stones can pop out like a ice cube tray. Rings with diamond set shoulders can be left slightly egg shaped after resizing as the shoulders are left but the plain band is adjusted. 

Full eternities: We are unable to resize full eternities. 

Half eternities:  We are able to be resized up or down by 3 size maximum. This is because we need to keep the stones the same, as not to distort the setting.

Wedding bands: Plain wedding bands can be resized.

Patterned  bands: Patterned bands can be resized. If required, the workshop will try to match the pattern best possible after the resizing 

Solitaires/Trilogies: We are able to resize these multiple sizes.

No, we do not sell titanium rings. Titanium is a very hardwearing, lightweight and tough metal and is great for watches. Nonetheless in an emergency (i.e bee sting) the ring won’t be able to be cut off. For this reason we do not sell or recommend titanium rings – UNLESS they have a built in weak spot.

Garnet  – January 

Amethyst – Feb

Aquamarine – March 

Diamond – April

Emerald – May

Pearl – June

Ruby – July

Peridot – August

Sapphire – September

Opal – October

Topaz/Citrine – November

Turquoise/Tanzanite  – December

Quartz – Quartz mean it powered by battery. Most quartz watches have a accuracy of approximately  ± 15 seconds per month. Accumulating only a few minutes per year. This type of accuracy is sufficient for most people. Typically a battery will last 1-2 years depending on how efficient the watch is. 

Solar – Solar means its powered by light. Works in a very similar way to quartz however it will not need the battery replacing. 

Automatic – Automatic means its powered by the movement of your wrist or can be wind up by the button. Once fully wind the energy is released over 30± hours. Once fully wind the energy is release over 3 months. Accuracy of a standard self-winding movement is 25± seconds per day, so should only gain or lose 25 seconds over two days.

Kinetic – Kinetic means its powered by the movement of the wrist. The power is kept in a spring which slowly releases the energy. Once fully wind the energy is release over 3 months. Accuracy of a standard self-winding movement is 25± seconds per day, so should only gain or lose 25 seconds over two days.