What a fair price looks like
Condition on WishThrift is described by the seller against five grades, and nobody inspects it on your behalf — so the description and the photographs are what you are buying on.
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £1,200 (~$1,599) | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £1,020 (~$1,359) | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £780 (~$1,039) | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £540 (~$719) | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £300 (~$400) | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Sterling guide ranges with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). Sellers set their own asking price; these are a starting point for judging an offer. All five grades explained.
The checklist before you pay
Metal content misdescribed as solid when it is plated, and stones described as natural when they are lab-grown or simulant. Both are common and neither is always deliberate.
Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether an engagement ring is worth what is being asked:
- No certificate, which makes buyers cautious about the stone
- Chipped or abraded stones, common on daily-worn rings
- Worn claws that need rebuilding before the stone is safe
- Very dated settings that a buyer would pay to have reset
And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:
- An independent certificate for the centre stone
- Larger, well-cut stones with good colour and clarity
- A recognised maker, particularly with the original box
- A setting in current style that needs no rework
Common faults and fakes
Hallmarks can be faked but are rarely faked well, and a jeweller will read one in seconds. Plated pieces wear through at edges and clasps first.
Ask for a close photograph of the hallmark and the item’s weight in grams. Those two facts alone put a floor under what it can be worth.
WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or grade anything, and no marketplace check replaces your own. If a seller will not answer a direct question about condition or origin, that is the answer.
Questions to ask the seller
These are the three that get asked most often about an engagement ring, and the answers tell you most of what you need:
Say yes or no plainly and photograph it if you have one. Certification is the single biggest price factor on a diamond ring.
Answer honestly from your paperwork. Lab-grown stones are perfectly sellable but worth substantially less, and a buyer who discovers it later has a real complaint.
Say yes. A buyer willing to pay for their own valuation is a serious buyer, and WishThrift does not authenticate or verify items, so welcoming independent checks is entirely in your interest.
Also worth establishing before you commit:
- Find any certificate and note the stone’s carat, cut, colour and clarity
- Have a jeweller check the claws and confirm the metal
- Compare sold listings for a similar stone and setting rather than the retail price
Photographs to ask for
If the listing does not already show these, ask — a seller who has the item will send them in minutes:
- The ring straight on, on a plain neutral background in daylight
- The centre stone from directly above, in focus
- The hallmark inside the band, legible
- The certificate if you have one, and the claws and setting close up
Details to confirm before you commit
- Metal and carat from the hallmark, and total ring weight
- Centre stone type, carat weight, and whether it is natural, lab-grown or a simulant
- Whether a certificate or valuation is included, and from whom
- Ring size, and whether it has been resized
Live engagement ring listings
Nothing matching is listed at the moment. Browse jewellery & watches for what is live now, or everything on the site — stock changes daily and new listings are free to post, so it is worth checking back.
When to buy
A slower, more considered sale than most jewellery, often several weeks. Certificated rings sell markedly faster. There is a modest lift before Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
Prices move against that cycle for a buyer: the cheapest time to buy is when sellers are listing most, not when demand peaks.
Paying and collecting safely
WishThrift does not process payments, hold funds or offer buyer protection — you agree the price and the method with the seller directly, which is what keeps the platform free on both sides. Meet somewhere public where you can, inspect before you pay, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed. Be wary of any seller who wants to move the conversation elsewhere before you have agreed anything.
Selling one instead?
If you already have an engagement ring sitting unused, it is free to list and there is no commission — the price you agree is the amount you keep. Read how to sell engagement ring for what to photograph and how to price, or what engagement ring is worth at each condition grade.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pay for a used engagement ring?
Around £65 to £780 in good condition, more for barely-used examples and less for anything with a described fault. Compare against the seller’s photographs rather than the grade alone.
How do I check an engagement ring before buying?
Ask for a close photograph of the hallmark and the item’s weight in grams. Those two facts alone put a floor under what it can be worth.
Is buying an engagement ring second hand safe?
Yes, with the ordinary care any private sale needs. WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or hold funds, so inspect before you pay where you can, meet somewhere public, and keep the conversation on the site. Metal content misdescribed as solid when it is plated, and stones described as natural when they are lab-grown or simulant. Both are common and neither is always deliberate.
See also: all buying guides · engagement ring value guide · selling engagement ring · Jewellery & Watches · condition grades.