The ads on the radio promised money for gold at Perry's jewelry store, and Vatogna Steward didn't want to miss out. So she gathered her high school and college rings, a bracelet, a broken hoop earring, and an old ring her mother had left her and lined up in the SouthPark store.

After a half-hour wait and a few minutes in an appraiser's office, she left with a check for $288.

"Basically, I got back almost what I paid for most of it," said Steward, 45, an accountant who lives in north Charlotte. "I was really shocked."

As the price of gold has climbed to record highs this year, jewelry stores report a flood of customers ready to sell everything from old wedding bands to gold dental fillings.

For some, it's a chance to purge outdated accessories and get some extra money. Others are driven by the economy, trading in jewelry for checks to help pay medical bills or a mortgage.

Gold futures peaked above $1,200 an ounce this month and closed Monday at $1,107.90 an ounce, up 25 percent this year. No one's sure how long such record highs will last - but trading in gold for cash remains hot.

Source: CharlotteObserver.com