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Phoenix Pawn & Title Loan Center

3505 East Thomas Road

Phoenix, Az 85018

602-808-9298 

Hours: 

Monday thru Friday: 10am-7pm

Saturday: 10am-6pm

Central Phoenix

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Phoenix Pawn & Title Loan Center

2415 East McDowell Road

Phoenix, Az 85008

602-275-5996 

Hours: 

Monday thru Friday: 9am-7pm

Saturday: 9am-6pm

Sunday: 10:30am-5pm

 
Central Phoenix

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Phoenix Pawn & Title Loan Center

9825 N. Metro Parkway East

Phoenix, Arizona 85051

602-944-2032 

Hours: 

Monday thru Friday: 10am-7pm

Saturday: 10am-6pm

North Phoenix

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Pawn1st Pawn & Title Loan Center

450 North Country Club Drive

Mesa, Az 85201

 
480-962-8888 

 
Hours: 

Monday thru Friday: 10am-7pm

Saturday: 10am-6pm

 
Mesa

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Tempe Jewelry & Loan Center

234 West Southern Ave

Tempe, Az 85282

480-894-8666 

Hours: 

Monday thru Friday: 10am-7pm

Saturday: 10am-6pm

 
Tempe

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Scottsdale Pawn & Title Loan Center

3116 North Scottsdale Road

Scottsdale, Az 85251

480-990-3739 

Hours: 

Monday thru Friday: 10am-7pm

Saturday: 10am-6pm

 
Scottsdale

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Gilbert Pawn & Title Loan Center

848 North Gilbert Road

Gilbert, Arizona 85234

 
480-632-9000 

 
Hours:

Monday thru Friday 10am-7pm  

Saturday 10am-6pm

 
Gilbert

Enhanced or Altered Diamonds

• An enhanced diamond is one that has been treated to disguise the feathers and inclusions in the stone.
• Enhancement makes the diamond appear to be a higher quality stone, therefore commanding a higher price (value).
• Enhanced diamonds only sell for 50% of a real diamond, based on certain wholesale prices.

How to detect Enhanced or Altered Diamonds

• Enhanced diamonds are drilled (by a laser) down to the inclusion, then filled.
• As you evaluate the diamond, turn it at all angles and look for any flash of color that is planar.
• It is common to see colors in an enhanced diamond that are blue and purple or pink and green.
• Inclusions in a natural diamond usually produce a flash of color that is spectral (more than two colors visible in the flash).
• When heat is applied to enhanced diamonds, the filling dries and expands, causing the inclusion to be worse than before.
• Enhanced diamonds are more and more frequent in the marketplace so beware!

For more information visit our Diamond Buyers page .

Watch movements we typically see at the Pawn1st Pawn Shops

The ‘movement’ is the mechanical part of the watch that creates its ability to keep time.  Let’s look at a few of the most common types of watch movements that we see in our stores. For more information on watches and our services feel free to visit this Watch link.

Stem-wind movement

• The mechanism of a stem-wound (wind-up) movement is its mainspring. As the watch is wound, the mainspring is compressed. As the mainspring unwinds, it generates the power which makes the watch run and the hands move.
•  A watch employing a mainspring (mechanical watch) should be wound once a day, preferable at the same time each day.

Automatic self-winding movement

• Essentially the same as the stem-wound movement, but with one major difference:  instead of winding the watch manually, the motion from simply wearing it keeps it wound.  The mainspring is powered by a rotor which rotates freely 360°.  Every movement of the wearer’s wrist keeps the rotor in motion, in effect winding the watch.
•  If an automatic watch is put away in a drawer for a few days it will, of course, stop. To restart, shake it gently to wind it and get it re-started.

Quartz crystal digital

• LCD – is the abbreviation for Liquid Crystal Display.  The LCD system inside the watch  displays the time constantly on a permanent screen just under the face.

Quartz analog

• An analog system simply displays the time using an hour hand and a minute hand.
• Most watches are quartz powered, which provides split-second accuracy.  The quartz used isa man-made substance, chemically identical to rock crystal. This is purer than natural crystal, thus offering better performance.  The crystal is vibrated by a electric current from a battery. Impulses are then fed into a tiny motor, which turns a gear train, turning the hands.

As watch buyers we have to be familiar with an entire industry not individual aspect of it. Watches are a vary detailed part of our company and we use information like what you see above to educate our pawnbrokers as well as our customers. This is a small sample of knowledge we take into consideration when evaluating watches. Visit these links to further educate yourself. Watch evaluation & Glossary.

Helpful information

Water Resistant Watch information

Watch marketers are not allowed to label their watches as “water proof”, based on guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission.  Even watches designed for deep sea diving cannot claim to be “water proof”.

Water resistant watches have several features designed to keep water out of the movement.  The most important are the gaskets (or O-rings).  Made of rubber, nylon, or Teflon, the gaskets form a water tight seal at the joints where the crystal, case back, and crown meet the watch case.  On a chronograph watch, the chronograph pushers will also have gaskets.  In addition, the watch is lined with a sealant which helps keep water out.

Water resistance on a watch is not guaranteed to be permanent, so older or worn watches need to be checked regularly and preventative maintenance performed to avoid potential failure.  Simply changing the battery could render the watch ineffective if not performed properly.