American Jewelry and Loan

What American Jewelry and Loan does

American Jewelry and Loan is a privately held, family-owned pawn retailer founded in 1978 in Detroit, Michigan by the Gold family. The company operates five physical storefronts across the Detroit metropolitan area (Detroit, Hazel Park, Pontiac, Southgate, Lincoln Park) and supplements them with an e-commerce storefront at shop.pawndetroit.com plus an eBay marketplace channel. The flagship Detroit location became the setting for the truTV reality series Hardcore Pawn, featuring owner Les Gold and his son Seth Gold.

The business is built around three revenue engines: collateral-based pawn loans (90-day terms at 3% monthly interest plus a $3 monthly storage fee), direct purchases of customer valuables, and retail sales of pre-owned jewelry, electronics, tools, watches, vehicles, and luxury items. Adjacent lines include custom jewelry creation and repair, jewelry and electronics protection plans (the Classic/Radiant Care Plan and the 6-month Electronics Plan), fee-free Layaway, and a licensed vehicle dealership offering cars, motorcycles, boats, and jet skis. Underlying technology is limited to standard loan management and POS systems; no proprietary technology platforms or AI capabilities are evidenced.

The customer base is horizontal and consumer-focused, comprising three core personas: individuals seeking quick cash via collateral, bargain shoppers purchasing pre-owned goods below retail, and sellers converting valuables into cash. Marketing relies on physical footfall, organic social presence, email, Google Reviews (4.8-star ratings), and the residual media reach of the Hardcore Pawn franchise. Loyalty mechanics — VIP Gold Card, Gold Bars rewards, 0% Interest referral loans, Loan Guarantee, and the Max Cash Guarantee — drive repeat usage, with the company citing an 80%+ customer-reclaim rate. Recent positioning has shifted toward a digital-first identity under the Pawn Detroit brand, launched in 2020.

Name

American Jewelry and Loan

Legal name

American Jewelry and Loan

Website

https://pawndetroit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

American Jewelry and Loan is a family-owned pawn retailer founded in 1978 in Detroit, Michigan, operating five storefronts that provide collateral loans, buy valuables, and resell pre-owned jewelry, electronics, tools, and vehicles to local consumers across the Detroit metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pawn Shop Services and Pre-Owned Retail

NAICS

Jewelry Retailers (458310), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)

akta.pro primary industry

Traditional Pawn Loans (Pawnbrokers) (FSAKALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Precious Metals & Jewelry Collateral Loans (FSAKALAC), Pre-owned Fine Jewelry Dealers (CRAKAKAC), Pawn & Collateral-based Jewelry Retail (CRAKAGAL)

Keywords

• Collateral lending
• Pawn loans
• Used jewelry sales
• Pre-owned electronics
• Layaway programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Pawn Loan Interest and Fees: The primary revenue stream comes from 90-day collateral loans with a 3% monthly interest rate plus a $3 monthly secure storage fee. Customers can extend/roll over loans by paying only the interest.
2. Merchandise Sales: Revenue from selling pawned merchandise including jewelry, electronics, tools, watches, musical instruments, sports equipment, vehicles, and luxury items. Items are sold at fraction of retail prices through retail locations and online channels.
3. Jewelry Protection and Care Plan: Annual protection plans for jewelry covering repairs, stone replacement, and appraisals. Classic Plan at $49 for items under $500; Radiant Plan at 10% of retail price (max $500) for items $500-$5,000.
4. Electronics Protection Plan: Six-month protection plan for electronics at 15% of retail purchase price, covering manufacturing defects.
5. Layaway Program: Fee-free layaway program for jewelry and merchandise. 3-month option for items $50-$599 and 10-month option for jewelry $600+. Requires 25% deposit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

American Jewelry and Loan operates five pawn shop storefronts in the Detroit metro area providing 90-day collateral loans secured by jewelry, electronics, tools, vehicles, and other valuables at 3% monthly interest plus a $3 monthly storage fee. The company also purchases items directly from customers for resale, sells pre-owned merchandise (jewelry, watches, electronics, tools, instruments, vehicles) at below-retail prices, and offers custom jewelry creation, repair, layaway, and jewelry/electronics protection plans.

Product overview

American Jewelry and Loan is a multi-location pawn shop operating as a unified retail and lending platform. The core offering consists of pawn loans (collateral-based lending), direct purchase/sale of items, and retail sales of pre-owned merchandise. These core services are supported by add-on programs including Custom Jewelry (creation and repair), Jewelry Protection and Care Plan (warranty), Electronics Protection Plan (warranty), and Layaway (installment payments). Customer loyalty programs include Gold Bars (rewards points), VIP Gold Card (preferred customer status), 0% Interest Loans (referral-based), Loan Guarantee (locked-in values), and Max Cash Guarantee (price matching). The company operates 5 physical locations in Michigan (Detroit, Hazel Park, Pontiac, Southgate, Lincoln Park) and sells merchandise in-store and via eBay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pawn Loans Short-term collateral-based loans secured by jewelry, electronics, tools, and other valuable items. Loans carry a 3% monthly interest rate plus a $3 monthly secure storage fee with 90-day terms, renewable by paying interest only. No credit check required.
• Sell Your Item Service allowing individuals to sell valuables directly to the store for fair market value, including jewelry, electronics, tools, musical instruments, and vehicles.
• Custom Jewelry Custom jewelry creation service including design consultations, wax modeling, casting, stone setting, and finishing. Also offers jewelry repairs, prong rebuilding, stone resetting, ring resizing, and watch repair.
• Shop (Pre-Owned Merchandise Sales) Retail sales of pre-owned merchandise including fine jewelry, GIA certified diamond jewelry, luxury handbags, watches, electronics, sports memorabilia, musical instruments, tools, and equipment at below-retail prices. Available in-store and via eBay.
• Layaway Program Fee-free installment payment program for jewelry and merchandise. Requires 25% deposit with 3-month option for items $50–$599 and 10-month option for jewelry $600 and up. No credit check required.
• Jewelry Protection and Care Plan Annual warranty and maintenance program for jewelry covering diamond replacement (0.25 carat and below), prong replacement, rhodium treating, stone resetting, ring resizing, and polishing. Offered as Classic Plan ($49 for items $499.99 and under) and Radiant Plan (10% of retail price up to $500 for items $500–$5,000).
• Electronics Protection Plan Protection plan for electronics purchases covering defects in materials or workmanship. Plan costs 15% of retail price, valid for six months, covering televisions, home theater, audio equipment, laptops, and computers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80%+ of customers return to reclaim their items (industry benchmark from National Pawnbrokers Association)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• eBayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmerican Jewelry and Loan sells merchandise through their eBay store, expanding their customer reach beyond the local Michigan market to national and international buyers. eBay handles the marketplace platform while the company lists inventory.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FirstCash Holdings: FirstCash Holdings is the largest publicly traded pawn operator in the Americas with thousands of locations across the U.S. and Latin America. Directly comparable to American Jewelry and Loan's core pawn lending and pre-owned retail model, but at vastly greater scale and with public-market capital access.
• Cash Converters: Cash Converters is a global pawnbroking and second-hand retail franchise with operations across Australia, the UK, and other markets. Directly comparable to American Jewelry and Loan in offering collateral-based pawn loans alongside resale of pre-owned goods, though primarily franchised and geographically outside the U.S.
• Pawn America: Pawn America is a Midwest-focused pawn retail chain offering collateral loans and resale of jewelry, electronics, and tools. Closely comparable to American Jewelry and Loan's store-based pawn model and similar regional positioning, though concentrated in Minnesota and surrounding states.
• Superpawn: SuperPawn is a multi-state U.S. pawn chain providing collateral loans and resale of jewelry, electronics, and tools. Closely comparable to American Jewelry and Loan's core business model with a similar product mix and physical store distribution strategy.

Broad incumbents

• EZCORP: EZCORP operates the EZPAWN and Cash America Pawn chains with hundreds of U.S. and Latin American locations offering collateral-based lending and retail resale. Comparable business model to American Jewelry and Loan, but operates as a publicly traded incumbent with broader geographic footprint and additional financial services.
• Sotheby's: Sotheby's is a global auction house for fine jewelry, watches, and luxury collectibles. Overlaps with American Jewelry and Loan's high-end jewelry resale activity at the upper end of the market, but operates a much broader luxury platform without pawn lending services.

Regional players

• H&T Pawnbrokers: H&T is the UK's largest pawnbroker with a national high-street footprint offering gold-backed lending and pre-owned retail. Operates the same core business model as American Jewelry and Loan but in a different regulatory and geographic market.

Emerging players

• Borro: Borro is an online platform providing asset-backed lending against luxury watches, jewelry, and fine art. Comparable to American Jewelry and Loan's collateral-based lending on luxury goods but operates purely online with a higher-end ticket focus rather than a physical retail store footprint.
• The RealReal: The RealReal is an online marketplace for authenticated pre-owned luxury goods including jewelry and watches. Comparable to American Jewelry and Loan's resale arm but focuses exclusively on authenticated luxury resale rather than broad second-hand merchandise and does not offer pawn lending.
• Vestiaire Collective: Vestiaire Collective is a global peer-to-peer marketplace for pre-owned luxury including jewelry, watches, and handbags. Comparable to the e-commerce resale component of American Jewelry and Loan's business but operates a curated consignment model rather than physical storefronts or pawn lending.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pawndetroit
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanJewelryAndLoan
• Instagraminstagram.com/americanjewelry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Jewelry and Loan