I've got a Large amount of grandma's jewelry, I'm wondering if any is worth something, any ideas where to take

Question

Vintage Jewelry, where to appraise???

Answer 1

If the jewelery is of gold, platinum, or silver, take them to any reputable jeweller in your locality - for an appraisal.
After evaluation, they will make you an offer for the metals [stones, except diamonds, do not count !], and if you bargain you might even get a bit more !
If you do not want to sell, you will only be charged an Appraisers' Fee - which you should ask about, in advance, BEFORE they begin the evaluation.

Answer 2

The vast amount of costume jewelry is worthless. However if the metal is real gold and the stones are real, a jeweler can appraise it.
Some costume jewelry is collectable if it is made of bakelite. Check your public library for a book on collectables or see if there is a name on the jewelry that you can look up online.

Answer 3

Your avatar looks like this other avatar I saw once...

Anyway, yes. I see someone has already mentioned confirming prices with those listed on eBay, but sometimes there are people on there who might be willing to appraise stuff for you if they're in your area. I was just going to suggest you use eBay as a networking place, because pawn shops aren't really known for hooking sellers up with satisfactory "appraisals," if you know what I mean. They don't want to give you what an item might be worth, and they're counting on you not knowing the item's true value, financial desperation, and so on. Then after you hawk all grandma's stuff at the pawn shop and have $172, a toy ukelele made in Hawaii, AR, and a bunch of Hank Williams 8-tracks, you can go in there and see grandmas stuff marked up for three to seven times what they paid you for it... I 'promise' you it will happen like that. Ugh, the mathematics of pawn shops always makes my skin crawl.

IMHO, a [reputable] diamond broker / jeweler or a gemologist might be a better choice as someone to give you a legitimate appraisal of grandma's wares.

I think if you really want to know what treasures grandma left you, you need to look in the Yellow Pages or at http://www.dexonline.com/ and find someone who specializes in "ESTATE JEWELRY", or someone who REALLY knows antique jewelry. If a jewler couldn't appraise something for you, maybe they would be able to refer you elsewhere for someone with more expertise. As a last resort, if you are unable to find an honest appraisal in your area, try a clothing / fashion / bridal consignment shop. They might be able to appraise your items for you, or have someone they can direct you to for an appraisal.

The good thing about dealing with consignment shops is you can set your own prices for your items, and the shop only takes a small percentage of your sale for overhead and so forth. Some busier shops will only keep your items on their shelves for a set amount of time, like four to six weeks. If your items don't sell, they will contact you and have you come retrieve your items. that is a pretty decent alternative to a pawn shop and clothing recycling business, because at least you're getting your stuff back if it does't sell... Oh yeah, and did I mention that you could set your OWN prices?! Hehe.

One last thing, there are places like Plato's Closet, and other second-hand stores / fashion recycling outfits who claim to pay you cash for unwanted clothing, jewelry and accessories. While the people who work in places like this aren't as surly as some pawn shop staff members, you won't get the full value of anything you try to trade or sell them. They are in the business of keeping their business open, and they can't very well do that if they're giving their profits away, now can they? ;P

Cheers, and good luck. You'll be in good shape as long as you stay out of pawn shops. Hehe.

Answer 4

ANy jewelry in your area can appraise them. Or you can look at the signatures in the back of each piece and look it up online and verify against Ebay for an idea on price.

Answer 5

Take it to a well-known jewelry shop and get it appraised. I did.

Answer 6

Go to a respectable jewelry store. DONT GO TO THE PAWN SHOP!!!! They will rip you off. Usually if you go the a jewelry store they can refinish it and sell it for more than what they would give you for it. but you would defitely get more at a jewelry store vs. the pawn shop.

Answer 7

If they're really old you'd better take them to more than a jeweller
for appraisal and then to an antiques dealer for historical estimation. If you decide to dispose of them in e-bay please be careful to consult more than one expert party even if you have to spend a little amount for consultation and be sure to get an attestation from him to the true value of them.

Answer 8

You can take it to a jewelry store or an antique dealer.

Answer 9

Pawn shop

Answer 10

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