✝DAVID VOGELCOLLECTIBLES EXPERTPersonal review

ASK DAVID VOGEL — COLLECTIBLES EXPERT

How Should Estate Jewelry and Diamonds Be Evaluated?

Estate jewelry should be triaged before it is weighed or offered for scrap. Maker, period, signed design, stone identity, treatment, condition and provenance can matter far more than raw metal value.

What to do first

  1. 01Keep boxes, receipts, certificates, photographs and family records with each piece.
  2. 02Photograph marks, signatures, settings and condition before cleaning or repair.
  3. 03Use appropriate gemological testing for consequential stones.
  4. 04Separate replacement-value insurance appraisals from realistic transaction evidence.
  5. 05Choose the route—specialist auction, private sale, dealer or scrap—piece by piece.

Why judgment matters

The central question is not only ‘What is it worth?’ but ‘What exactly is it, what evidence supports that conclusion, and where will the right buyer understand it?’

Ask David about your specific situation

For a confidential first conversation, text a short description of the collection or object, your name and the best time to speak.

TEXT “ASK DAVID” — 603-293-6074

This page provides general educational guidance, not a formal appraisal, authentication, legal opinion, tax advice or guaranteed valuation. Conclusions require review of the actual property and evidence.