The best place to sell estate jewelry is where you will get the most money with the least effort. But how do you do it?
I am the director of the Fine Jewelry department a Alex Cooper Auctioneers and I have been working with new and vintage jewelry for a long time. I have worked one of the top name Jewelry stores in the world (Tiffany) as well as local Baltimore jewelry stores. I've put a lot of work into making Alex Cooper the best place to buy and sell estate jewelry. I've learned the best (and worst!) ways to sell estate jewelry, how to get the most money, and the best way to sell estate jewelry quickly.
I have spent my professional life learning how to appraise the value of jewelry and how to get the most for any piece of fine jewelry. I've compiled this list of the most popular ways to sell estate jewelry online and in person. This article is my way of sharing what I've learned. If you have experience selling estate jewelry, I'd love to hear your comments below.
Best Places to Sell Estate Jewelry
If you are looking to sell jewelry you inherited or any piece of estate jewelry, you have lots of options. I feel confident that the five options listed here as "best places to sell estate jewelry" are all options where you will get a fair price for your jewelry. However, each has pros and cons which I have listed below.
Best Places to Sell Estate Jewelry (in alphabetical order):
Click here to skip ahead to the worst place to sell estate jewelryAlex Cooper Auctioneers
My team and I have worked hard to make Alex Cooper the best place to buy and sell estate jewelry. Here is why I think we're the best:
- Easiest Way to Sell Fine Jewelry and Get the Most Money
- Live Online and Gallery Auctions of Fine Jewelry and Luxury Watches
Our live gallery auctions include fine estate jewelry from brands like Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels, Mikimoto and Cartier as well as watches from Phillip Patek, Rolex, and similar luxury handjewelry brands.
- Live Online and Gallery Auctions of Fine Jewelry and Luxury Watches
- Easy to Consign
Submit photos of your item for a virtual appraisal or visit our Gallery for an in-person valuation of your items. - Easy Access to Experts
Getting in touch with the real experts at the large auction houses can be time consuming and very difficult. Department director, Selden Morgan will schedule an individual appointment to discuss the auction process and an estimate for your items. - No Limit to How Much You Can Make
Unlike sites that pay you upfront, an Alex Cooper Auction puts your jewelry in front of thousands of people online and in person who compete for your estate jewelry..png?width=1500&height=500&name=A%20PAIR%20OF%20HENNELL%20ART%20DECO%20DIAMOND%20DRESS%20CLIPS%20(1).png)
- Exposure to Millions
Jewelry consigned with Alex Cooper are placed for bidding on websites that get millions of visitors. Here is a partial list of the where your estate jewelry will appear for bidding when you consign with Alex Cooper:
- LiveAuctioneers.com
4,600,000 Visits Per Month - Bid.AlexCooper.com
92,100 Visits Per Month - Invaluable.com
3,600,000 Visits Per Month
- LiveAuctioneers.com
Christie's
Our Overall Review of Selling Estate Jewelry with Christie's:
Christies and Sotheby's are two of the largest and most prestigious auction houses in the world. They have earned this title, and you can expect that working with either of them will be like working with a prestigious, very large and complicated corporation.
What You Can Sell at Christie's:
From high-value designer pieces to rare gems, Christie's accepts a wide range of estate jewelry items, offering prestige and potential for higher earnings.
Downside of Selling With Christie's:
You can expect that working with Christie's will be like working with a very large, old and complicated corporation. If your estate jewelry is worth thousands or even tends of thousands of dollars, it may not get the attention it deserves when it appears in a Christie's auction with pieces worth hundreds of thousands or millions.
Any Local Jewelry Store
Our Overall Review of Selling Estate Jewelry with a Local Jewelry Store:
Local jewelry stores offer convenience and immediate sale opportunities for estate jewelry pieces. While valuations may be lower compared to other platforms, selling to a local jewelry store can be the easiest and quickest way to sell estate jewelry.
What You Can Sell at a Local Jewelry Store:
Local jewelry stores typically accept a wide range of estate jewelry items.
Downside of Selling With a Local Jewelry Store
When you well to a jewelry store you are always going to get less money than if you sell to a consumer. The jewelry store is buying the piece from you in order to sell it at a higher price to a consumer.
Sotheby's
Our Overall Review of Selling Estate Jewelry with Sotheby's:
Christies and Sotheby's are two of the largest and most prestigious auction houses in the world. They have earned this title, and you can expect that working with either of them will be like working with a prestigious, very large and complicated corporation.
What You Can Sell at Sotheby's: Sotheby's accepts a wide range of estate jewelry items, offering prestige and potential for higher earnings. From high-value designer pieces to rare gems, Sotheby's ensures your treasures receive the attention they deserve.
How You Benefit: Consider Sotheby's if you have high-value estate jewelry items and seek prestige, global exposure, means your estate jewelry will be likely to be seen by the kind of people who can afford to buy anything.
Downside of Selling With Sotheby's:
Worst Place to Sell Estate Jewelry
eBay
Our Overall Review of eBay
Unless you’re selling really low quality jewelry, avoid eBay. It’s just too much trouble.
There are no regulations on brands or condition and you can set your own price, therefore possibly taking home the most commission. However, finding a buyer may be trickier on a website like eBay, which is set up as a person-to-person marketplace.
Downside of Selling With eBay
- All the work needs to be done yourself; From taking photos to negotiating with buyers.
What Can You Sell on eBay
Anything and everything.
When Should You Sell With eBay
You have absolutely nothing better to do, or you have an existing eBay business and are intimately familiar with how to maximize your returns on the platform.
