Collectors of antique jewelry

Jewelry made of precious metals and decorated with rare stones never bore collectors. They are wearable works of art in endless forms that can go far back in time. An important group of collectors focuses on antique jewelry, for example from the Victorian period, the Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Dutch local jewelry made of gold and necklaces and bracelets with red coral also have a large number of enthusiasts. And then we haven't even mentioned jewelry from internationally recognized houses such as Chopard, Cartier and Tiffany and watches from well-known brands such as Omega, IWC, Patek Phillipe and Rolex.

Value of a ring?

Determining the exact value of a ring can only be done by a certified appraiser. Someone who knows the tricks of the trade and is familiar with gemstones. The appraisers who work at Heritage Auctions Europe are independent, honest and objective. You can have all kinds of rings appraised, such as signet rings, engagement rings and wedding rings. It makes no difference to us, as an auction house, whether you come with a box full of jewelry or a single ring. A verbal appraisal is always free of charge.

You can make an appointment for this at the office or use the FREE WALK-IN DAY for jewelry on Thursday. If you follow our calendar, you can also visit us during a trade fair or walk-in day in your region.

When you have a ring appraised, this does not always mean that you want to sell it immediately. You can contact us for valuations of rings that are part of an inheritance or if the jewelry requires a valuation for insurance purposes. If you do decide to sell your ring at our auction, we will assist you with advice to ensure that you get the highest possible price for it.

Appraisal report

Our auction house carries out verbal appraisals but can also provide official appraisal reports. Before we draw up a valuation report, our appraisers must be aware of what you need it for. A declaration for an insurance company or the tax authorities is different from one for the division of an estate or sale at auction.

Regardless of the reason you have your old jewelry valued, a standard valuation report always contains:

• Date of valuation
• Valuation report number
• Data from the appraiser
• Owner's details
• Photo of the item to be valued
• Description of the object
• Appraisal value of the object described for the purpose for which the appraisal was requested.

We should mention here that the appraised value of your necklace or earrings is not always the same as the actual value for which you can sell your jewelry on the market. A jeweler, for example, often only pays the gold or silver value because he buys it from you as scrap gold. Watches or jewelry that you offer for sale at our auction, on the other hand, can be sold at very nice prices. We may advise you to have your antique jewelry cleaned and repaired, so that you can get a higher auction results for it than the price of the metals and gems alone. 

Without even knowing it, you can own surprisingly precious jewelry. You may have heirlooms that you don't know the story and value of. An appraisal may then be worthwhile.

Have jewelry appraised

Having your jewelry or other items appraised is free of charge. You can make an appointment at our office in IJsselstein or drop by during the FREE WALK-IN DAY that we hold every Thursday for art, jewelry, curiosities and militaria. Unfortunately, a jewelry appraisal of a pearl necklace or a brooch set with precious stones is not always possible on the basis of a picture by e-mail. Jewelry consists of parts that all have their own carat content. The precious metals and stones of your jewel are therefore appraised separately. Gemstones are not only assessed based on color, type and size, but also on purity, way of cutting and the setting in the brooch or ring.

The reasons for valuing your jewelry can be diverse. It may be that you want to sell or insure your pearl necklace or diamond ring, or perhaps you want to know the value of grandmother's brooch for the purpose of dividing up inheritance among heirs. In all cases, you must take into account that the monetary value for each type of valuation is different. A necklace that you offer at an auction, for example, is given a certain starting price. However, the final amount for which the jewel goes under the hammer can be many times higher than the average market value. As for the insurance value, it is determined by what the jewel will cost if it should be replaced.