Antique and Fine Jewellery Valuation

1. Send photographs and details

   Use our valuation form or WhatsApp. Photograph each piece from the front, the back and the side, and any hallmarks, signatures or numbers close up. Tell us anything you know about its history.

2. We identify and assess each piece

   Our specialist looks at every photograph personally.

3. You get our valuation, usually within one working day

   For each piece: what it is, its period and maker where known, and an estimate of what we would pay, subject to inspection.

4. You decide

   Keep it, sell it, or ask us anything further. There is no charge and no obligation.

If you would rather we saw the jewellery in person, book an appointment at 47 Maddox Street in Mayfair or at our office in Braintree, Essex.

Free, no obligation, returned at our cost if you decline.

A valuation is only as good as the identification behind it. These are the things we look at on every piece:

• The stones. What they are, their cut, colour, clarity, size and condition, and whether they are natural, treated or synthetic where that can be judged. For stones without a laboratory certificate, our figures are careful estimates, not laboratory certified.
• The metal and hallmarks. British hallmarks with their date letter, assay office and sponsor's mark, foreign assay marks, and the marks that identify gold, platinum and silver.
• The maker and signature. House signatures and serial numbers on signed jewellery, maker's marks, and the retailer's name on a fitted case.
• The construction and condition. How the piece is made and finished, the settings, clasps and fittings, repairs, alterations and wear.
• Boxes and papers. Original cases, certificates, receipts and any history you can give us.

This is what we check as specialist buyers. It is not a laboratory grading service, and for an important stone we may suggest a laboratory report.

Antique jewellery is valued on its period and workmanship as much as on its materials, so dating a piece correctly comes first. The clues we read include:

• Hallmarks. A full British hallmark dates a piece to the year through its date letter.
• Cuts of stone. Rose cuts and old mine cuts point to earlier jewellery; old European cuts to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
• Settings and metals. Diamonds set in silver on gold suggest jewellery made before about 1905; fine platinum settings point to the Edwardian period and after.
• Fittings. Brooch pins, catches, clasps and earring fittings changed over time and help confirm a date.
• Style and design. Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco and Retro jewellery each have recognisable forms.

Together these tell us what a piece is, which is the basis of every valuation we give.

• Antique and vintage jewellery, from Georgian to Retro.
• Modern fine jewellery, diamond, gemstone and gold.
• Signed and designer jewellery, from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels to British makers.
• Watches, vintage and modern. For watch valuations by brand, see our watch value guides.
• Silver, from cutlery and tableware to objects.
• Coins, including sovereigns and silver coins.

Our free valuation tells you what we would pay for a piece today. That is different from an insurance valuation, which estimates what it would cost to replace the piece new and is usually a higher figure. If you have an insurance valuation, send it with your photographs, because it is a useful record of the stones and metal, but do not expect it to match a selling price. Formal written valuations for insurance and other purposes are a separate service, available on request; ask us and we will explain what is involved.

It depends on what each piece is: its period and maker, its stones and their quality, its workmanship, and its condition and overall quality. A small signed or antique piece can be worth more than a larger modern one, and two rings that look alike can be very different. We do not quote a figure before we have seen your jewellery, so the free valuation is the way to find out.

There is no obligation to sell after a valuation. If you choose to, you can bring your jewellery to Mayfair or Braintree by appointment, send it by Royal Mail Special Delivery, or have it collected free from your home. We inspect it, confirm the offer and, once you accept, pay by bank transfer or in cash the same day. For important pieces, we can also sell on consignment for you.

• Send photographs through our valuation form or on WhatsApp for a reply within one working day.
• Book an appointment at 47 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London W1S 2PG.
• Book an appointment at our Braintree office, Unit 20B Lakes Industrial Park, Braintree, Essex CM7 3RU.
• If you decide to sell, we arrange a free FedEx collection from your home, or you can post by Royal Mail Special Delivery and we refund the postage.

Insured up to £10,000 per parcel when you send to us.