How to Sell Your Jewellery: A Guide to Every Route, Honestly

Knowing how to sell your jewellery at the right price and through the right route is information most people need only once or twice in a lifetime. Estate jewellery after a bereavement. A first engagement ring after a second marriage. A collection accumulated over decades that no longer feels like them. Occasionally a deliberate realisation of a piece bought as a store of value. In each case, the transaction happens once, without the experience that comes from doing it repeatedly, and the seller almost always leaves money on the table because they took the first offer or used the wrong route for what they had.

The route that maximises what you receive for jewellery depends entirely on what the piece is. The right route for a signed Cartier bracelet is different from the right route for a commercial-grade diamond solitaire and different again from the right route for your grandmother's Edwardian pearl brooch. Getting the route wrong costs significantly. I have seen pieces worth £8,000 at auction realise £2,400 at a cash-for-gold counter, and pieces worth £400 passed through Sotheby's at considerable effort and cost that would have sold more cleanly on a specialist online platform in an afternoon.

What follows is the honest guide. No route is presented as universally correct, because none is.

Before you do anything: get an independent appraisal

The most common, most expensive mistake in selling jewellery is selling without knowing what it is worth.

Not what you paid for it. Not what the insurance valuation says. Not what a buyer offers before you've checked. What it is actually worth, right now, in the resale market, assessed by someone who is not also trying to buy it.

Insurance valuations are not resale valuations. Insurance valuations are replacement cost assessments: what it would cost to replace the piece with an equivalent at current retail prices. This figure is typically two to four times the actual resale market value, because retail prices include the retailer's margin, whereas the resale market trades at or near the underlying material and craftsmanship value. A piece insured for £6,000 in 2019 may realise £2,500 to £3,000 in the current resale market. Updating the insurance is not a useful indicator of what you should accept in sale.

An independent appraisal from a qualified gemmologist with no financial interest in buying the piece costs £50 to £150 per piece and takes one to two hours. The National Association of Jewellers maintains a directory of qualified valuers. Gem-A (the Gemmological Association of Great Britain) provides similar referrals. The key word is independent: an appraisal from a gemmologist who is also a dealer is a conflict of interest.

The appraisal is particularly important for inherited jewellery. Family pieces passed down over generations frequently contain old-cut stones (cushion-cut, old European, old mine) that have collector value well beyond their raw weight, signed metalwork from named period makers, or hallmarked silver and gold of higher quality than it appears to the untrained eye. An apparently modest Victorian brooch with a Cartier or Boucheron signature, however faded, is an entirely different object from an unsigned Victorian brooch of similar appearance.

Get the appraisal before you contact any buyer. The information is yours to have regardless of whether you proceed.

Route 1: Auction houses

Best for: signed pieces from named houses (Cartier, Van Cleef, Bulgari, Boucheron, Tiffany, Buccellati, JAR, David Webb, Belperron, Schlumberger); important coloured stones with certification; pieces with documented provenance; significant antique jewellery from named periods.

The major auction houses for jewellery in the UK are Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bonhams. Each holds dedicated jewellery sales two to four times per year. Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh and Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury cover the mid-market with specialist jewellery sales. Mallams, Duke's, and Sworders all handle jewellery competently at the regional level.

Consigning to auction has two significant advantages. First, auction houses put your piece in front of their global buyer networks, including institutional collectors, dealers buying on behalf of clients, and private buyers from markets (China, the Middle East, the United States) that may value the piece more highly than the UK retail market. Second, competing bids can push a signed or significant piece substantially above its estimate. Christie's and Sotheby's specialist jewellery sales regularly produce results 50 to 200 per cent above pre-sale estimate for the right pieces.

The cost is time and commission. Seller's commission at the major houses is typically 10 to 20 per cent of the hammer price, with specific rates negotiated based on value and the house's interest in the piece. The timeline from consignment to payment is two to four months. The houses will decline pieces below their minimum value threshold (broadly £500 at regional houses, £2,000 to £5,000 at the London specialist sales).

Online auction platforms including Catawiki and i-bidder handle mid-market jewellery at lower minimums with faster timelines (four to eight weeks). Realisations are typically below the major houses for top pieces but the process is more accessible for pieces in the £200 to £3,000 range.

Route 2: Specialist jewellery dealers

Best for: fine vintage pieces from identified periods; antique jewellery with particular period characteristics; pieces that benefit from a buyer who understands what makes them significant.

London has a substantial concentration of specialist jewellery dealers. The Grays Antiques market in Mayfair and Alfies Antique Market in Marylebone contain multiple specialist dealers across different periods and price points. Camden Passage in Islington hosts a concentration of period jewellery dealers. S.J. Phillips on New Bond Street deals primarily in the highest-tier signed and period pieces.

Dealers buy in two ways. An outright purchase offers cash immediately and no further obligation — useful when you want a clean transaction and are not trying to maximise proceeds above all else. A consignment arrangement places the piece with the dealer's stock and typically earns the seller 50 to 70 per cent of the sale price when it sells, which can be better than auction for pieces that suit a particular dealer's client base.

The principal limitation of the dealer route is price. A trade buyer's offer on any piece reflects the need to resell at a margin. The typical outright offer for fine jewellery is 30 to 50 per cent of estimated retail for high-quality signed pieces, and lower for commercial-grade work. This is not a criticism: dealers are businesses. It is useful information about which route to choose for which type of piece.

Route 3: Diamond-specific buyers

Best for: diamond engagement rings and classic diamond solitaire jewellery at the £1,000 to £30,000 range.

Several services now specialise specifically in purchasing diamond jewellery directly from individuals, with faster timelines than auction and better realisations than general dealers for diamond-specific inventory.

WP Diamonds operates UK-based and offers free online or in-person valuations, a cash offer, and payment within 24 hours of agreement. Transparent fee structure published on their website. Best suited to diamond jewellery and signed pieces from the major luxury brands.

Worthy is US-based but ships internationally. The service auctions pieces to its registered dealer network rather than buying directly, which can produce better results than an outright offer for larger stones.

These services are efficient for diamond jewellery where the stone quality is the primary driver of value. They are generally not the right route for signed or period pieces where the maker's history and craftsmanship matter as much as the stone.

Route 4: Online selling platforms

Best for: fashion jewellery, accessible-price-point fine jewellery, silver pieces, and contemporary pieces without significant provenance.

Vinterior handles mid-market vintage and antique pieces with a buyer community oriented toward period objects. Seller fees are approximately 22 per cent of the sale price.

eBay remains a viable platform for silver, lower-value fine pieces, and pre-owned contemporary jewellery, provided the seller has established feedback and photographs the piece well. Not appropriate for fine or significant pieces where authentication questions and buyer uncertainty will depress bids.

Vestiaire Collective handles contemporary designer pieces, including some jewellery, for a fashion-oriented buyer demographic.

1stDibs is the highest-end online marketplace for antique and fine jewellery but is structured primarily as a dealer platform; individual sellers typically need to operate through a dealer account.

What to avoid

Cash-for-gold and pawnbrokers offer melt value, which is the scrap value of the precious metal content calculated by weight and purity, minus the buyer's margin. For a piece that has craftsmanship value, stone value, or signed value above its melt weight, this route is the worst available. The only appropriate use of the melt route is for broken or damaged pieces with no resale value beyond their metal.

Unsolicited offers (the card through the door, the pop-up buyer at a fair, the cold approach from a "buyer visiting the area") should be declined. Unsolicited buyers rely on uninformed sellers; their offers are calibrated accordingly.

Inherited jewellery

Inherited jewellery warrants specific attention because the combination of emotional complexity and factual uncertainty is where sellers are most likely to make decisions they later regret.

The specific risks: selling pieces below value because you don't know what they are, selling pieces that another family member expected to receive, and selling pieces in the immediate aftermath of bereavement when a slower approach would produce better results.

The practical steps for handling an inherited jewellery collection:

Get a full independent appraisal of everything before selling anything. Photograph every piece. Retrieve any boxes, certificates, receipts, or provenance documents that came with the pieces and keep them with the jewellery. Check the original will or estate documentation to confirm your legal right to sell.

Old-cut diamonds in Victorian and Edwardian settings now have significant collector value beyond their raw stone weight. Cushion-cut, old European, and old mine diamonds are sought after by buyers who specifically prefer the pre-modern cut style; a well-preserved example of 0.75 carats or above in its original setting may be worth substantially more to the right buyer than to a general diamond purchaser who sees only the weight.

Signed pieces in inherited collections are worth particular attention. The signature on a piece can be small, worn, or in an unexpected location (inside a bracelet clasp, on the reverse of a brooch pin). Having an appraiser specifically check for signatures, including on pieces that do not appear to be signed from the outside, is worth doing.

Consider whether any piece should be kept or passed forward before beginning the selling process. The financial value and the personal value are separate questions.

Frequently asked questions

How much can I expect to get for my jewellery?

Resale value depends heavily on what the piece is. As a rough guide: signed pieces from major houses (Cartier, Van Cleef, Bulgari, Tiffany, Boucheron) typically realise 40 to 70 per cent of current retail at specialist auction. Fine antique pieces with documented provenance realise 30 to 60 per cent of appraised value at specialist auction. Commercial-grade diamond jewellery (high-street retail, standard settings, commercial-grade stones) typically realises 10 to 25 per cent of original retail price. Gold and silver pieces without significant stones typically realise close to their melt value plus a modest premium for workmanship.

Do I need a valuation before selling?

Yes, for any piece of meaningful value. An independent appraisal from a Gem-A certified gemmologist or NAJ-registered valuer costs £50 to £150 and takes an hour or two. It tells you what the piece is, what it is actually worth in the resale market, and which route is likely to produce the best result. Without it, you are negotiating blind.

What is the best way to sell inherited jewellery?

Get a full independent appraisal of everything before doing anything else. Photograph each piece and retain any documentation. Check the estate's legal situation. Take at least three months before making sale decisions; the first weeks of bereavement are not the right time to make permanent financial decisions. Specialist auction, particularly for any signed or period pieces, is typically the route that produces the best results for estate jewellery of genuine quality.

Will Cartier or Tiffany buy back their own pieces?

Cartier and Tiffany, along with most major luxury houses, do not have formal buyback programmes, though they sometimes offer part-exchange credit toward new purchases. For resale of signed pieces from the major houses, specialist auction or a signed-jewellery specialist dealer will produce better results than the originating house.

How do I know if my jewellery is worth selling at auction versus privately?

Auction is typically the right route for: signed pieces from named houses; important stones with certification; pieces with documented provenance or royal or celebrity association; significant antique jewellery from named periods (Art Deco, Belle Époque, Georgian). Private sale or dealer route is typically better for: commercial-grade diamond jewellery; fashion or contemporary pieces; silver without significant stones; pieces where the value is primarily the material rather than the maker, design, or history.

Should I have jewellery cleaned before selling?

Light professional cleaning before consigning to auction is generally worthwhile: photographs better, presents better, and can marginally improve estimates. Do not have any significant repairs or alterations done before selling without the buyer's or auction house's guidance — inappropriate restoration can reduce value for serious collectors who prefer original condition. Do not have pieces re-set or stones replaced.

What is a jewellery valuation, and how is it different from a quote?

A valuation from an independent qualified gemmologist is an assessed opinion of the piece's value in the current market, based on an examination of the stones, metalwork, maker, condition, and comparable sales data. A quote from a buyer is that buyer's offer to purchase — which will always be below the valuation, since the buyer needs to resell at a margin. Always have a valuation before you receive any quote.