Turn Inherited Jewellery Into Financial Freedom - Without the Guilt or Guesswork

No, and here's why: jewellery sitting unworn in a drawer or safety deposit box honors no one. Your parents or grandparents likely wanted their assets to benefit you - whether that means paying off a mortgage, funding your children's education, creating new family memories through travel, or simply relieving financial stress. Selling inherited items doesn't erase memories; those live in your heart and your history, not in physical objects. Many of our clients find the process cathartic - they transform "dead capital" (valuable items generating no joy or utility) into resources that actively improve their lives today. If the style doesn't suit you, if it requires expensive insurance and storage, or if keeping it creates family conflict over "who gets what," selling is often the healthiest, most practical choice. You're not being mercenary; you're being wise.

Almost certainly not - this is the most common source of confusion and disappointment when selling inherited jewellery. Insurance valuations document "retail replacement value" - what it would cost to walk into a high-end jewellery store today and buy a brand-new equivalent, including manufacturing, retail markup (often 200-300%), GST, marketing, rent, and staff wages. When you sell on the secondary market, you're selling to wholesalers or dealers who pay for the intrinsic value (gold weight, diamond quality) plus any extrinsic value (brand premium like Cartier, era premium like Art Deco, collectability). They don't pay for the original retail experience. A ring insured for $10,000 might have only $2,000 worth of gold and diamonds in raw materials, with perhaps $3,500-$4,000 fair market value if it's a desirable design. Our role is to explain this gap before you receive offers, so realistic expectations are set. We also ensure you never accept scrap gold prices for antique or designer pieces that deserve higher collectible premiums.

This is exactly why professional assessment matters. Costume jewellery (fashion items made from base metals and simulated stones) looks deceptively similar to fine jewellery at first glance. Key indicators: check for hallmarks (stamps like 375, 750, 925, or PLAT inside rings or on clasps); assess weight (real gold and platinum are dense and heavy); examine stone settings (fine jewellery uses prongs or bezels, costume pieces often glue stones in); and test temperature (real gemstones feel cold initially, glass/plastic warms quickly). However, even experienced eyes can be fooled - unmarked handmade pieces, old-cut diamonds, or high-quality vintage costume jewellery by designers like Chanel can all surprise you. We provide free initial verbal assessments where we sort your collection into three piles: costume (minimal value), fine jewellery (gold/silver/gemstones), and high-value investment pieces (signed designers, antiques, large diamonds). This triage ensures nothing gets accidentally sold for scrap when it deserves a premium.

Family conflict over inherited jewellery is incredibly common, which is why neutral third-party intervention is so valuable. We recommend two approaches: Total liquidation (cleanest method) - sell the entire collection to us or via auction, pool the cash proceeds, and divide according to will percentages. No arguments about who got the "better" piece. Valuation-based distribution - we provide written fair market valuations for each item; beneficiaries then use a round-robin selection process (taking turns choosing pieces), with the total value of each person's selections tracked. If one sibling chooses $5,000 worth of jewellery and another chooses $2,000 worth, the $3,000 difference is offset against their cash inheritance from the rest of the estate. The key is using realistic market values (what the estate would actually receive if sold to a dealer), not inflated insurance values. We also handle buy-out scenarios: if one sibling wants to keep a specific ring, they pay the estate the fair market value we've documented, protecting both the keeper and the other beneficiaries.

You don't have to decide everything at once. We encourage a phased approach: first, get the collection professionally assessed so you understand what you actually have and what it's genuinely worth. This removes the paralysis of uncertainty. Second, offer specific items to family members - children, nieces, nephews - to see if anyone wants to keep them for sentimental reasons. Give them first right of refusal. Third, separate pieces into "definite sell" (broken chains, styles you'll never wear, items requiring expensive insurance) and "maybe keep" (pieces with strong emotional attachment or unique beauty). You can sell the definite pile immediately to generate funds, then take your time deciding about the rest. We'll hold our valuation figures for a reasonable period, so you're not pressured to rush. Many clients find that once they sell a few pieces and see fair, transparent pricing in action, their guilt diminishes and decision-making becomes easier.

Australia has no inheritance tax or death duty, but capital gains tax (CGT) may apply under specific circumstances. Generally, jewellery is classified as a "personal use asset" - if the deceased originally acquired the item for personal wear (not investment), and it was valued at less than $10,000 at the time they bought it, CGT typically doesn't apply when you sell it. There's also a $500 exemption threshold: if the item's value at the date of death (your acquisition cost base) was $500 or less, gains are generally disregarded. Where CGT can apply: if the deceased held jewellery purely as investment (e.g., loose diamonds never worn, kept in a vault), or if high-value items (over $10,000) were acquired for investment purposes. In these cases, you're taxed on the profit between the probate value at date of death and your sale price. If you held the item for more than 12 months after inheriting, you may qualify for the 50% CGT discount. This is complex territory - always consult a qualified tax accountant for your specific situation. Our valuations provide the documentation you need to establish the cost base for ATO purposes.