Sell Pearls in the UK: Necklaces, Earrings and Antique Pearls

You can sell pearls to a specialist jewellery buyer, an antique dealer or an auction house. We buy natural and cultured pearl necklaces, earrings, rings and brooches, including Mikimoto and antique pieces, from across the UK. Send photographs of the pearls, the clasp and any report for a free valuation within one working day.

Many do. Natural pearls, fine Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian pearls, signed pieces such as Mikimoto, and antique pearl jewellery have real resale value, especially with gold or diamond clasps. Freshwater and small cultured strands are valued more modestly, and imitation pearls have little value.

Pearls are valued on their type, natural or cultured, and origin; size; shape, with round the rarest; lustre; surface cleanliness; colour; nacre thickness; and how well a strand matches. The clasp's metal, any diamonds, the maker and the age add to it. A laboratory report is needed to confirm natural pearls.

Send photographs of the whole strand or piece, close-ups of a few pearls, the clasp and its marks, and any box, receipt or report, and we reply within one working day. If you accept, post them by Royal Mail Special Delivery, book a free insured FedEx collection or visit by appointment. We pay the same day by bank transfer.

Natural pearls are far rarer than cultured pearls and are confirmed only by X-ray examination at a laboratory such as GIA or SSEF. Antique necklaces from before the 1920s may be natural. Keep any report, do not restring or clean them first, and send photographs for a free valuation.

Mikimoto pearls are identified by the signed Mikimoto clasp, the box and the certificate, and by pearls whose type, lustre, size and matching suit the clasp. A clasp can be moved between strands, so the pearls are checked too. We buy Mikimoto with or without packaging; send photographs of the clasp and the strand.

Yes. We buy cultured pearl jewellery, from Akoya strands and South Sea pearl earrings to Tahitian pendants. Value depends on size, lustre, surface, matching and the clasp; large, lustrous South Sea and Tahitian pearls and strands with gold or diamond clasps attract the most interest.

Pawning gives you a loan against the pearls, which you repay with interest to get them back; if you cannot repay, the pawnbroker keeps them. Selling is final: you receive the agreed price, paid the same day after inspection by bank transfer. If you do not need the pearls back, selling avoids interest charges.

No. Restringing changes nothing about the pearls themselves, and antique silk and original knots can help date a necklace. Sell them as they are, with any broken strand kept together in a bag so no pearl is lost. A buyer can restring them later.

Selling pearls privately online is hard because buyers cannot test them and fear imitations, so offers tend to be cautious, and fees and returns add up. A specialist examines the pearls and makes a firm offer. We value from photographs and pay the same day after inspection, by bank transfer.

Yes. You can bring pearls to our Mayfair office in London or our Braintree office in Essex by appointment, or sell from anywhere in the UK by post: Royal Mail Special Delivery or a free insured FedEx collection. Send photographs first for a free valuation within one working day.

We do not pay cash. We pay the same day after inspection by bank transfer, which is faster to clear, traceable and safer than carrying cash, and gives you a clear record of the sale. Send photographs of your pearls for a free valuation first, with no obligation to sell.

Yes. We buy pearl stud, drop and cluster earrings in gold and platinum, including South Sea, Tahitian, Akoya, natural and Mikimoto pearls, and antique pearl and diamond earrings. Single earrings can be valued too. Send photographs of the front, the back and any marks for a free valuation.

Send a photograph of the whole strand laid flat, a close-up of the pearls in daylight to show lustre and surface, the clasp with any stamps, and any box, receipt or laboratory report. Give the length and pearl size if you know them. We reply with a free valuation within one working day.

Yes. Broken strands, loose pearls in a bag and necklaces with worn silk or a missing clasp can all be valued, because restringing is routine work. Keep every pearl and any spacer beads together, and send photographs of what you have. A gold or diamond-set clasp is valued in its own right.