Estate jewelry in New York City is, by definition, simply jewelry that has been worn before and then sold or passed down, through an estate, to another person. Usually, however, there is an implication that the jewelry is of high quality and antique, thus making it valuable. This secondary jewelry market allows people to purchase lovely classic pieces by world-famous designers at a reduced rate, although many of such pieces are still extremely valuable.
Of course, there is always the hope in anyone’s heart that the ugly brooch Aunt Sally passed on to them in her will turns out to be worth a fortune in diamonds and emeralds or that the piece they bought at the garage sale for $1.25 is a vintage Tiffany engagement ring, and these sorts of things have happened in the past with estate jewelry. However, most often, classic beautiful jewelry is recognized immediately by the owner and it is always known there is some value to the piece, even if the exact amount of its worth varies from year to year depending on fashion and the cost of diamonds or other gemstones and gold, silver, or platinum.
If you happen to have some of grandma’s ugly jewelry sitting around that you think might even possibly be valuable, it is well worth the time and effort to take a piece in and have it appraised before you give it away to a thrift shop or to your daughter to play with when she dresses up. Any jeweler, even on associated with a chain jewelry store at the mall, can look at any diamonds or gemstones on a piece of jewelry and give you an evaluation as to whether they are authentic and you yourself can do a thorough examination of any piece to see if there are manufacturer’s marks or any mark saying that the piece is 14K, 18K, or more uncommonly, 24K gold.
Once you have some idea that the jewelry might actually be valuable, then it is definitely worth your time to get it appraised adequately by a dealer who specializes in estate jewelry in New York City. Such a jeweler is used to dealing with the vagaries and twists and turns in the estate jewelry in New York City market and knows where such a piece would sell and how it should be marketed if you want to sell it, or how much to insure it for if you do not.
If you are in the market to buy or sell estate jewelry in New York City, do not allow yourself to be cheated on either end of the deal. Make sure you work with a reputable dealer who can find you gorgeous vintage pieces at a reasonable rate and will help you sell your estate jewelry New York City for a fair price.
