Jewellery Valuation
for Resale

What Is a Resale Jewellery Valuation?

A resale valuation is a professional assessment of your jewellery's realisable value — the price it would realistically fetch if sold on the open market. Unlike an insurance valuation that tells you what it costs to replace an item, a resale valuation tells you what someone will actually pay for it.

This figure is almost always lower than the insurance replacement value, and often lower than people expect. Second-hand jewellery competes with new stock, and buyers factor in the risk of purchasing pre-owned items. A good resale valuation takes all of this into account and gives you a realistic, defensible figure.

Resale valuations are sometimes called “market valuations” or “fair value assessments.” The technical term is realisable value — the estimated amount that could be obtained by selling the item within a reasonable timeframe.

When Do You Need a Resale Valuation?

Resale valuations serve a different purpose to insurance or probate valuations. You typically need one when money is about to change hands — or when you need to know the cash value of what you own. Common scenarios include:

• Selling at auction. Auction houses set estimates and reserves based on market value. An independent valuation before consigning helps you evaluate their estimates and set realistic expectations.
• Selling to a dealer. Dealers buy to resell at a profit. Without an independent valuation, you have no benchmark for whether their offer is fair.
• Private sale. Selling directly to another individual usually achieves the best price, but you need to know what to ask. A resale valuation provides a defensible asking price.
• Divorce and financial settlements. Courts require an objective value for jewellery when dividing matrimonial assets. Resale value is the appropriate basis.
• Downsizing a collection. If you're reducing a jewellery collection, a resale valuation on the full set helps you prioritise which items to sell and what to expect.

Resale Value vs Insurance Value

The gap between insurance and resale values is one of the biggest surprises for jewellery owners. Your insurance valuation reflects the replacement cost — what a retailer would charge for an equivalent new item. Your resale value reflects what a buyer would actually pay on the second-hand market.

Example: A diamond tennis bracelet insured for £8,000 (replacement value) might have a resale value of £3,500–£4,500 depending on the selling channel. The difference reflects retail margins, VAT on new goods, and the natural depreciation that occurs the moment jewellery leaves a shop. This is not a reflection of quality — it is simply how the second-hand market works.

This is why you should never use an insurance valuation to set expectations when selling. It will lead to disappointment and unrealistically high asking prices that deter buyers. For a full breakdown of all three valuation types, see our insurance vs probate vs resale guide.

Selling Channels Compared

Where you sell your jewellery significantly affects the price you receive. Each channel has different costs, timelines, and typical returns:

A resale valuation helps you compare offers across channels. If a dealer offers 35% of the insurance value but your resale valuation says the piece is worth 55%, you know to negotiate or try elsewhere.

What Affects Resale Value?

Several factors determine how much your jewellery will fetch on the resale market. Understanding these helps set realistic expectations:

• Brand and designer. Pieces from recognised houses like Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels or Bvlgari command a significant premium on the second-hand market. Branded jewellery can retain 60–80% of retail value; unbranded pieces typically retain much less.
• Condition. Scratches, worn prongs, missing stones and damaged clasps all reduce value. Well-maintained pieces in excellent condition sell for more, and professional cleaning or minor repairs before selling can be worth the investment.
• Provenance and documentation. Original receipts, certificates (GIA, IGI), brand packaging and previous valuation reports all increase buyer confidence and resale value.
• Precious metal prices. Gold, platinum and silver prices fluctuate daily. The intrinsic metal value provides a floor price — your jewellery is always worth at least its scrap metal weight, though finished pieces should sell for more.
• Market demand. Styles go in and out of fashion. Art Deco pieces are currently sought after; certain 1980s designs less so. A qualified valuer understands current market trends and factors them into the assessment.

How Much Does a Resale Valuation Cost?

Resale valuation fees are similar to other types of jewellery valuation. Most valuers charge per item with discounts for collections:

The cost of a resale valuation is modest relative to the financial protection it provides. Selling a £5,000 ring without a valuation and accepting a dealer's first offer could cost you hundreds or even thousands of pounds. For more on general jewellery valuation costs, see our full cost guide.

Resale Valuations for Divorce & Financial Settlements

Jewellery is often one of the more contentious assets in a divorce. Both parties may have strong emotional attachments and very different ideas about what items are worth. An independent resale valuation provides an objective, defensible figure that courts accept.

In England and Wales, jewellery must be disclosed on Form E (the standard financial disclosure form) if its value is significant. The appropriate basis of value is the realisable value — what the items would sell for, not what they cost to replace. This is a key distinction, as using insurance values would overstate the assets and potentially distort the financial settlement.

For divorce valuations, it is particularly important that the valuer is genuinely independent — they should have no prior relationship with either party. Courts give more weight to valuations from qualified professionals with recognised credentials and professional indemnity insurance.

Probate valuations use a similar open market value basis, but the context is different — the valuation date is the date of death rather than the current date, and the report is addressed to HMRC rather than the court.

Finding a Qualified Resale Valuer

For a resale valuation you can rely on, look for a valuer with recognised credentials and — critically — one who does not also buy and sell jewellery. Independence matters, because a valuer who also trades has a financial incentive to undervalue your items.

Always confirm that the valuer has experience with resale work and understands the specific selling channel you are considering — the realisable value at auction differs from a private sale or dealer offer.

Get matched with a qualified resale valuer — we connect you with independent, registered professionals across the UK who specialise in realisable value assessments.

Frequently Asked Questions About Resale Valuations