After Sunday’s piece about selling gold jewelry for cash, I’m beginning to look at my jewelry box as a piggy bank.

Basically, what I found is that it pays to shop around to find the best deal. What dealers pay can vary by a wide margin.

It also pays you to find a reputable dealer. One fact that didn’t make the paper: Anyone engaged in buying gold in Maryland must be licensed in the state as a secondhand precious metals dealer.

According to Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation, license applications are waaaaay up, but there are still plenty of others who claim to be gold buyers but aren’t licensed.

If you’re selling your gold, check the state’s Web site to make sure the dealer is licensed.