A city that used to make the gold it now sells
Long before anyone in Newark was selling gold, the city was manufacturing it. From the late 1800s into the middle of the last century, Newark was one of the country's leading makers of fine gold jewelry, with workshops clustered downtown turning out brooches, cufflinks, lockets and collar studs for stores across the nation. The Newark Museum of Art has mounted exhibitions on that trade. Pieces from those benches still surface in North Ward and Vailsburg jewelry boxes, often marked 14K and sometimes carrying a maker's mark that is worth a second look before anything is weighed.
Today the city runs from the Ironbound, wedged between Penn Station and the Passaic River, up through the Central Ward and University Heights, out to Forest Hill and the cherry trees of Branch Brook Park, and south to Weequahic and its park and lake. Each of those sections carries a different kind of gold, and that is the useful thing to know before you pack a bag for Middlesex.
Portuguese 19.2K and Brazilian 18K from the Ferry Street families
The Ironbound's Portuguese and Brazilian households hold some of the highest-purity jewelry we see from anywhere in the state. Traditional Portuguese gold is commonly 19.2 karat, marked 800, which is 80 percent pure: filigree hearts from Viana do Castelo, heavy link chains and religious medals given at baptisms and first communions. Brazilian pieces are usually 18K, stamped 750, or 75 percent gold. A buyer who only thinks in American 10K and 14K can easily price an 800 piece as if it were 14K at 58.5 percent, which quietly leaves real gold on the table.
That is why each piece goes under the XRF analyzer by itself. The reading shows the actual fineness, so a 19.2K chain is paid as 19.2K and never averaged down with a 10K ring sitting next to it. South Asian and West African families across the city bring in 22K, at 91.7 percent, and the same rule applies. More on how karat drives value is on the gold jewelry page.
What one seller said after a visit
“Ed was very transparent in evaluating my silver and gold and taught me a lot in the process. Very nice polite guy, I would strongly suggest to anyone in the area to sell their valuables here!”
Alfonzo, five-star Google review of Cash 4 Gold Trading Post in Middlesex
Weequahic estates, Forest Hill silver and downtown office watches
The older one- and two-family houses around Weequahic Park and in the South Ward are where full estates tend to come from: a grandmother's rings, a cigar box of Kennedy halves and silver dimes, a sterling tea set that only came out for company. In Forest Hill, with its big early 1900s homes near Branch Brook Park, the flatware is often complete and heavy. Sterling reads at 92.5 percent and is split from silver plate before it is weighed, and coins are checked for date and mint mark before they are ever treated as metal.
Then there are the pieces a working city collects: a watch bought after a promotion at one of the downtown insurance offices, a nameplate chain from a Broad Street jeweler, a pair of hoops with one earring missing. All of it counts. Broken and single pieces are bought on gold content, and the estate buyers service can see a whole household at home when carrying it on a train is not realistic.
Three ways from Newark to 748 Bound Brook Road
By car, most people take Route 22 west through Hillside, Union and Mountainside and drop down to Route 28 near Dunellen, or run I-78 west and come in on I-287 and Route 28; allow about 35 minutes outside rush hour. The slow, steady option is Route 28 itself, which starts in Elizabeth and runs through Cranford, Westfield and Plainfield straight to our door, where it becomes Bound Brook Road. Without a car, the Raritan Valley Line from Newark Penn stops at Dunellen and Bound Brook, each a short ride from the store.
Which Newark wards and neighbors do we hear from?
The Ironbound and the Ferry Street and Wilson Avenue blocks, downtown around Military Park and the Four Corners at Broad and Market, the North Ward and Forest Hill, Vailsburg on the Irvington line, and Weequahic in the South Ward. East Orange, Irvington and Belleville sellers follow the same roads, and Harrison is just over the Passaic.
What do Newark sellers bring most?
High-karat family gold leads, then medals, nameplates, coins and sterling. Pick a category to see how it is judged.
Once a Newark seller reaches the counter
Hand over your ID and set the pieces down. The analyzer reads each item for fineness, backed by an acid test, the scale shows the weight on a display facing you, and that day's live market sets the gold and silver value. Anything with a stone, a signature or a collector date is called out and priced on its own. Say yes and you are paid before you leave; say no and you head back to the station with everything you came with.
Newark cash for gold: frequently asked questions
Can I get from Newark to the Middlesex store without a car?
Yes. NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line runs from Newark Penn Station to Dunellen and Bound Brook, and the store at 748 Bound Brook Rd sits on Route 28 between those two stations, a short cab or rideshare from either. Call (732) 629-7600 if you want to check anything first.
How long is the drive from Newark?
About 35 minutes outside rush hour, by Route 22 west to Route 28 near Dunellen or by I-78 west to I-287 and Route 28. Route 28 from Elizabeth through Cranford, Westfield and Plainfield also goes all the way, but slowly.
My jewelry is Portuguese gold marked 800. Is that 14K?
No. A mark of 800 means 19.2 karat, or 80 percent gold, well above 14K at 58.5 percent. Brazilian pieces marked 750 are 18K, or 75 percent. Each piece is read by XRF so it is paid at its real purity rather than lumped in with lower-karat items.
Do you buy religious medals and baptism jewelry?
Yes. Medals, crosses and pendants are bought on their gold content, along with their chains and bails. Nobody will pressure you to part with a family piece; you can hear the number and still take it home.
What are the store hours and do I need an appointment?
No appointment. Middlesex is open Monday through Friday from 10 to 6 and Saturday from 10 to 4, and closed Sunday. Bring a valid government photo ID, which New Jersey requires for every precious-metals sale.
Is this a pawn loan?
No. We buy outright and do not lend, so there is no ticket to redeem and no interest. If you want to borrow against a piece and get it back later, a licensed pawnbroker handles that.
Which places that buy gold are worth the trip from Newark?
Look for places that buy gold outright, test it in front of you and pay the same day. For Newark sellers our nearest counter is the Middlesex store at 748 Bound Brook Rd, about 35 minutes outside rush hour or a short ride from the Raritan Valley Line, open Monday through Friday 10 to 6 and Saturday 10 to 4.
More for Newark sellers
Sell gold near me · Jewelry buyers · Sell diamonds · All 8 Central NJ locations