You've inherited jewelry from a family member. You may be grieving. You may have siblings or co-heirs. Someone may have already offered to buy pieces. You don't know what anything is worth. You don't know where to start.
Start with the pieces you can physically access. Photograph everything — marks, condition, any documentation you find. You don't need to identify anything yet.
Start by gathering all the pieces in one place. Photograph everything — especially any marks, damage, or documentation. Don't clean, polish, or sell anything yet. You need to understand what you have before you can decide what to do with each piece.
Usually not. Cleaning can damage antique patina, loosen stones, or remove evidence like maker's marks. Whether cleaning is safe depends on the materials and what you plan to do with each piece. Start by documenting, then decide about cleaning piece by piece.
Not necessarily — and not right away. An appraisal costs money and may not change your decisions. If you're keeping pieces for sentimental reasons, you may not need one. If you're selling or insuring, you'll need a specific type of appraisal for that purpose.
Look for marks indicating precious metal content (750, 585, 925), examine the quality of stones and settings, and look for maker's marks or signatures. But visible clues can only tell you so much — they can suggest possibility, not establish value. A professional appraisal is the only way to confirm.
There's no universal right answer. Consider: your emotional attachment to each piece, whether you would actually wear it, whether siblings or family members have claims, and whether the money from selling would be more meaningful than keeping the piece. You can decide piece by piece.
Start by having an open conversation about what matters to each person — sentimental value, market value, or specific pieces. Document everything before dividing. If values are unknown, consider having key pieces appraised. Some families rotate picks, others sell everything and split proceeds. There's no single fair method — there's the method your family can agree on.
