I went to this shop for probably the same reason most people do I was in a tight spot financially, needed to make it to pay day so I got out the old jewelry box and took in some gold that hasn't been worn in years. I first went to a few pawn shops that offered me basically nothing then I stumbled upon this shop in the shopping center on Fairview near five mile. I honestly had no idea what to expect but my mind was literally blown by the time I left. Not only did I get TOP dollar for my gold jewelry I also learned a lot and had a most pleasant conversation with the owner and his wife. I have no idea why people have reviewed this business so negatively in the past but in my opinion this is a wonderful shop ran by a very sweet couple with the best equipment in Boise and honest dealings through and through. Couldn't have asked for a better experience during such a low point in my life. read more

I was very nervous about selling some old gold jewelry that had Diamonds in them. I need the Diamonds removed and given a fair price for the gold. I had called and spoke with other gold buyers, and then I called Gem State gold and silver Marvin answered the phone I told him the things I had been told and how much they would pay and that they didn't remove channel laid Diamonds. Marvin told me he could remove them safely, pay more for the gold, and about his ability to give me confirmation of exactly what I had with his high tech equipment. He explain the process. He made me feel so confident in his knowledge and skill in his trade I met with him the next day. Not only was he honest and did everything he said he'd do. Such as let me watch and he explain to me exactly what and why he does each test. He never once made me feel ignorant he explained things scientific as well as in layman terms. As an additional bonus he is funny, and quick witted. The floor show was worth paying for...he kept me laughing. I think anyone who wants to feel safe, and confident in the person your dealing with Marvin is your guy. Everything he told was true and honest. I highly recommend Gem state gold and silver. Marvin thank you. read more

It was a pleasure to meet with Marvin Tanner. He was kind and I was treated as a very valued customer. Not something I experienced with a different gold dealer in Boise. Marvin explained every step to me as he performed tests on my gold jewelry I was there to sell. He answered every question I had. He showed me the difference in plated gold, filled gold and how many karts of gold, were in each piece. I had a lot of German gold and that was unexpected and fun to learn how he could tell. I found the whole experience fascinating, even exciting as each piece was evaluated. Marvin really does show you the SCIENCE, MATH and VALUE of your refined gold. Everything was OPEN and HONEST. If you are looking for HONESTY and INTEGRITY, GEM STATE GOLD & SILVER is the place and MARVIN TANNER is the man. I will be doing business with GEM STATE GOLD & SILVER again! Robin A. Boise read more

This was my first experience selling gold to Marvin at Gem State. It was certainly the most interesting and informative time I've ever had while cashing in my gold. Very interesting to see his melting process and high tech machinery. I think Marvin is an honest and knowledgable man. read more

I have dealt with Marvin twice now and both times he was very communicative and did exactly what he promised. If you're buying or selling I recommend Gem Stwte Gold & Silver. read more

All the man does is talk about how much he hates his competitors. And trust me...he never stops talking. Then he promises to give $1 over spot if I come to him over the the them. When I agree and bring my silver he gives a story about how silver is just gonna keep going down and he offers me $2 below spot. Rip off artist... Never again!! read more

I recently did a little business with Marvin. I did not read any of these reviews before visiting him and did not know what to expect. I have now read every one of them. I recommend you do the same. A pattern develops where you can determine if the nature of your business will fit into what Marvin has to offer and what of those he does well. Part of our transaction went well, another part didn't. I am sorry to have been ban from his business forever. I give him a very conditional recommendation. read more

Gem State Gold and Silver is a lifesaver, Marvin was able to identify our odd chunk of metal very quickly, he was very knowledgeable and pleasant. I would defiantly recommend taking anything you are unsure of to him, rather than wasting your time and energy and then receiving a guess elsewhere, with Marvin you will know what your item is, not what it might be. Our specimen ended up being toxic, we are thankful for his services, and the price was great. It literally took him less than 10 seconds to identify what we had. We will definitely be using his services again. 11/12/2022 read more

I was lucky enough to stumble upon this business upon moving to the area. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew that all the stores I went to seemed to be a bit too sterile and opportunistic, Marvin is the type of person you want when selling or buying precious metals... you don't want a money guy cause' their priority is profit margin - and you don't want a pawn broker cause they deal with too many shady transactions not to be a little shady themselves... What you want a metallurgist and an assayer. Marvin is exceptional at both. His priority is based in the scientific method, in weight and purity which are absolutes, so you get no BS. Beyond that he and his wife are very kind and knowledgeable. Instead of taking my personal, valuable belongings and slamming them on a counter, trying to low ball me and rushing me out the door with a bad deal... Marvin explains the process by which he determines purity, shows you his methods, and never pushes a sale. I learned quite a bit during our appraisal appointment and coming from a mineral exploration background myself, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with this. I've checked all around and, Marvin's prices are the best in the region. I can honestly say that going anywhere else to do this sort of business would be a mistake. Friendly, Professional, Transparent. Informative and the Best Deals in town, hands sown! read more

WARNING: Beware of false quotes for the spectrometer readings!!!! At first seemed friendly up until the end when he melted the piece of ore down into disks for the machine to be able to analyze the metal and then tested it, only to find out it is copper. Then his attitude changed. I don't know if he was just frustrated or what but he acted like he was more disappointed than we were that the ore was all copper, but we were the one out the money. In any case, he seemed like he knew what he was doing and I didn't challenge or double the reading. My boyfriend expressed disappointment but that was to me. He basically was bummed, wanted to leave and was just waiting at the counter to pay, chatting with me while the guy looked at the no-gold-at-all copper disks. We weren't mad at the guy or arguing with him, so I couldn't figure why the sudden attitude. However, I wasn't annoyed really until, while we were waiting at the counter, I said something to my boyfriend like, "Well, at least we know what it's worth. I'm sorry though babe" or something like that because it was his ore. That was when the guy said if we were disappointed now, wait till we saw the bill. I wasn't sure what he meant until he brought the reading a few back to the counter and told us, "I'm going to have to charge you a hundred bucks." My boyfriend went to say no, but I interjected. It was his ore, but I was the one that had called for the quote previously. I had come in like 10 min after my boyfriend, so I thought, maybe the guy said something about it going to be more to him or maybe there was another reason. Honestly, I was confused. Not only had he quoted it as 50 previously, there was a sign on the counter that clearly stated the price. It clearly said 50 for 3 readings and additional readings would be more. As soon as he said that the first disk was copper, my boyfriend told him he didn't need to run one on the other. Afterall, they were both the same ore. He was trying to be nice and save time, as there were now 2 other people waiting on us to get done. He just wanted to pay for the analysis and go home, I'm sure. So, I jumped in and asked why. I pointed out that I had called before we came in and that the sign (pointing to it while talking) says 50. Don't get me wrong, while I didn't raise my voice here, I'd had about enough. I could tell my boyfriend was upset and wasn't trying to draw attention. I worried like maybe I had made a mistake or something, double checking the sign as I asked to make sure I read it right. I was sure though. I know what he said on the phone and the sign was pretty clear. Something didn't add up and he had us in a spot and I knew that we only pulled enough out of the bank before we got there for gas and amount that I had been told when I called. In any case, I asked him why and he said that it says on the sign how much. I cut him off and I said, the sign says 50. My boyfriend, jumped in at this point because now the guy was beginning to raise his voice at me and he said the same thing about the sign. The more I think about it, the fishier it all seems. The guy got instantly defensive, and he slightly raised his voice while pointing at another sign, behind the counter with print too small to read and just started going on about the signs and that he worked for it and that it was science. I'm not generalizing, either. There wasn't one clear answer or reason. He just seemed to think he deserved it. We now have lumps of ugly copper and a needlessly emotional day. I still can't understand why he would melt the whole thing down and not just test one before doing the rest? I tried to ask, but he cut me off and kept saying how we needed to pay him the 100. How do you quote one price and then try to charge double? Better yet, finally I guess the guy realized that we didn't have enough on us, and my boyfriend said he had 60. Dude stops, "I'll take 60." Honestly, I was about to make a scene and be like, "No, you'll take 50 or you'll take nothing!" but I decided that it was best to just walk out. If he needed to steal 10 bucks from us that bad... It's not about the money. It's not about a lack of gold in the ore. We knew this was a possibility. While melting the ore he said a few times that it seemed to be melting too slow for gold. He made 2 disks, why? Once he found out the first wasn't copper, he didn't test the other. When my boyfriend said not to, he said that it would all be copper. So why ruin the whole ore if you only needed part to test? The misquote, it irks me... but the snarky comment and lack of letting us know what to expect... it was just so unexpected. We'd just wasted 50 bucks and that sucked, but he just rubbed it in, making comments insinuating that we'd wasted HIS time. The more I think of it... eh, it's not worth it. He said he's been ripped off before. Now I see why. He probably acted like this before and someone got mad and just walked. It all makes sense now! read more

I have been in the metals market off and on for a few years and have seen prices change dramatically. I have also dealt with many "major" national precious metals dealers so I have some experience with the good the bad and the not so good. Gem State gold and silver is as honest and reliable as they get. I have dealt with Marvin off and on for the past ten years. He is straight forward, explains his products and is willing to negotiate to give you the best and honest price while he too can make a slight profit (he is a business not a charitable organization). I recently took in several one ounce gold pieces to exchange for silver. I was aware of the prices of gold I wished to trade. Marvin gave me several options (all of which were very fair). I decided on the silver I wanted, there was NO high pressure sales pitch just good honest and straight forward talk of prices and products. I am convinced that doing business locally is the best way to get the best price! I will continue to call on Gem State Gold and Silver for my next metals acquisition. Thank you Marvin for your products, services and prices you offer. read more

I came in with a bag of old busted, unworn and mismatched stuff that a couple of pawn shops closer to downtown only offered me around 50 bucks for, not only did I leave with 100 dollars more than that, he even took the time to remove the gemstones from some items and return them to me, AND I still had 3 pieces of jewelry in my possession. Plus we had some good laughs! read more

Scammer! Scammer! I sent an email asking how much he is paying for sterling silver. We went back and forth, until I got what I was hoping for. I was hoping he would state something that gave away his true nature. This is the last sentence in the last email from him: " so I do it my way if you want my money. Marvin". He claims he needs to x-ray the articles to determine their worth to avoid being scammed. His x-ray machine, maybe, and his judgement call only what is seen to determine the value. Don't bother contacting, or going to this place. It screams of fraud. read more

The owners are real, honest, and are very helpful. I learned quite a lot about the process required to determine the purity of gold. I have been to other establishments that were less informative. I will not go anywhere else from now on! Thanks so much for putting me first and for being so helpful! read more

Went in with box of antique cufflinks. The lady came up and started goinf through them. She kept huffing and puffing bout i dont know what. The man then came up and stated there was nothing there worth anything. I stated that there wefe quite a few sterling silver pieces. He then tells me "Hey, we didt put that sign up for the fun of it", i turn and there is a sign on the one counter saying they arent buying silver. I informed him that maybe if he put it on the outside or something id of seen that before i came i. Basically, these guys are rude, ignorant, and unprlfessional read more

Awful service the men there are rude, sexist and antagonistic. There gold rates were crap and I feel like they lied to me throughout the whole interaction. read more

I also had a very good and educational experience here. Believe Marvin was fair regarding my mom's silver, and he's like Mr. Wizard when it comes to explaining the science behind what he does. Cool shop. read more

Recently moved here from the Bay area for a job with Micron T. I have some scrap gold I am wanting to trade for bullion. Gem State's website seemed more legitimate and honest than any of the other sites I visited in the Boise area. While searching for the physical address I came across several yelp reviews that paint the company in anything but a pleasing light. Does anyone have any anecdotal information which would negate the bad press contained here,or at least explain why there are so many horrible reviews? Any information will be appreciated. Thanks. read more

I called to ask a simple question as I was cleaning out my collection..."what are you paying for a few silver rounds?" knowing spot at the time was 17.47. He responded whats a few? First red flag. I responded...a few, like three!? To my surprise, he then asks if it had a A stamp and something else that I can't recall. I said "no, they're just standard 1-Troy oz silver rounds, in excellent, uncirculated condition. He then finds himself stuttering after giving a low-ball offer of $16 flat after establishing the fact I knew something about the market. That's a BIG red flag because after establishing some sort of knowledge he gives me 16, what is he quoting the poor mom that doesn't know!!! Snake! Furthermore, what blows me away is what he adds "the silver market is collapsing from the high $49". I responded, "I wouldn't say collapsing, down yes, collapse no. The high of $48.48 was back in 2011 and I got in the market in 2009 when it was about where it is today." Stay away from these jokers. It's either that these people don't understand the market of metals or absolutely taking advantage of people! Either way, these people need to find another job. An ounce of fine silver is an ounce of fine silver no matter how you slice it. A stamp and so on is just a way to lower the amount they'll give you, a tactic of some sort. I've been to A LOT of gold/silver coin shops in Ca over the past five years and I can't remember a time where someone asked about a stamp on reg. Silver rounds. There's a guy in eagle across albertsons that pays spot. Very good guy, not a shark! Too bad he's on vacation, but at least I can share my 2-3 silver coins with you and perhaps place the extra few dollars in ur pocket and not the Sharks! read more

I'm glad I did not read the Reviews for Gem State Gold and Silver, as several appeared to be vitriolic and hurtful on a personal level. I found Marvin Tanner to be highly professional, educational and hard-working. He was straight-up honest with me 100% of the time. Given the nature of this business, he exceeded my expectations in every way. I truly appreciated him taking so much time to educate me about PRECIOUS metals and the volatile market potential of owning precious metal. I was highly impressed with all the Resources he has to determine the value of my few things. The machines are incredible. Thank you to Marvin and his wonderful wife for providing me with a first class experience! read more

He is a fraud. A con artist. Bad businessman. I went in to sell some gold and silver bars, the gold bars were from Switzerland and the silver was from America, I have the papers to prove it. He told me they were fake. He told me about 4 times my gold was fake. He "measured it" and put it under his, "quarter of a million dollar machines". He wanted to open the packaging on all of my bars in order to "weigh it properly". Maybe he knew & maybe he didn't that by opening the packages, they decrease in value and will possibly be scratched. Naturally, I refused to allow him to open the sealed packages. He told me he could give me $200 for everything. I'm not sure if he knew that gold (on that day) was over $15 per gram and my silver was over $20 per ounce. My gold and silver was worth about $600, at market value. Yes, I realize I won't get $600, but $200? Don't try to play me. THEN he adds, "If I could sell them as a bundle, ya know, no one needs to know your business." As in he was KNOWINGLY going t o sell people "fake" precious metals. BAD business!!!! I had a screaming baby, which didn't seem to phase him any, and a very bored five year old. After being there for about 30 minutes, I had to put him in his place. Although I didn't say what I truly wanted to say, I wanted to keep it appropriate for my five year old. I said, "Listen, I've been here for 30 minutes, you've told me several times my bars are fake, I have a screaming baby, I want my stuff and I want to leave. Now." After leaving, I went to a reputable place and sold them all for $520. The lady I sold them to weighed and inspected them. She also commented on their origin. I was also in and out her business in about 10 minutes. Long story short, stay away from this, so-called business. read more

I went to this store with trepidation because of the bad reviews. I don't live in town, but I do a lot of business in the area that Gem State is located. I had gold to sell. Bottom line - I got $150 more for the gold jewelry I was recycling than previous offers from jewelers. I feel this was a fair deal because I knew what I had, and I didn't want to run around Boise shopping for another price. So if you have gold to sell, this is a good store. read more

I had a good experience selling gold jewelry I had been holding on to for a rainy day. I knew where and when I bought the gold and Marvin was able to evaluate it in the shop and tell me accurately where I got it from. I got a very good price. He walked me to my car after the transaction since I was carrying cash. I wish I had more to sell him. read more

They have been great and thorough for years that I have been dealing with them. From start to finish the transactions are explained in detail with examples and they show up to date spot prices. On a side note please go in and actually see the way they do honest business. I am a repeat customer and will continue to be read more

Ok, so I called this place and ask how much do they pay for an American Eagle Coin? (A very simple question!) They ask me to bring in the coins but I just want to save time so I ask them again how much would they pay for the coins and they just hung up on me (Very Rude!) So I took 5 coins to that place and they took at least 10 mins to even notice me even though I was the only customer. So after like 30 mins to tell me about his BS war stories then offer to test my coins for $10/each. I was naive enough to believe him and test all my coins which all give us the real gold result. Cost me a total $50. But even then he said the golds were not pure may be only about .98 of the pure gold and offer me like $30 below the SPOT price. It was absolutely unacceptable!!! So I took my coins to Idaho Gold and Silver on Fairview and they test my gold coins for free and gave me $10 over the SPOT price!!! Wrote me a check for over 6 grand and I was out in less than 5 mins!!! Save your time and money and stay away from this place!!! read more

Terrible Customer Service, he was too busy to come up from the back and look at coin. Extremely uncomfortable atmosphere. She even hung up on me when I asked how much they pay for gold. RUDE read more

Great variety of coins, friendly atmosphere, and very detailed.

Horrible Experience! Extremely uncomfortable atmosphere and do not recommend. Extremely rude and no idea what they want for pricing, Made a offer and said they are going to keep items for there customers! What in the world does that mean? I asked how much and could not give me a price........ read more