Selling Inherited Jewellery: A Practical Guide

Inheriting jewellery is rarely a simple gift. It usually comes with a story attached — a parent's or grandparent's, sometimes a whole lifetime of it — sitting in a box or a drawer that's easy to close again without deciding anything. There's no rush, and no obligation to figure it all out right away. But when you are ready to sort through it, here's a practical way to think about what to keep, what to sell, and how to make sure whatever you do sell is valued fairly.

Start by Separating "Keep" From "Not Sure"

Before anything else, go through the collection once with no pressure to decide anything permanently. Set aside pieces that are obviously meaningful to keep — a wedding ring, something you remember them wearing often, anything with a story attached that matters to you. Everything else goes into a second pile: not necessarily "to sell," just "not sure yet." This first pass is emotional sorting, not financial sorting, and it's worth doing separately from any decision about value.

Understanding What You're Actually Looking At

Estate collections are often a mix — some fine jewellery, some costume pieces, maybe a few coins or a set of flatware tucked in alongside everything else. A few things worth checking before you assume you know what you have:

Look for karat markings. Most genuine gold jewellery is stamped somewhere — inside a ring band, on a clasp — with a karat number (10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, 24K) or a numeric purity mark. No stamp doesn't necessarily mean it isn't gold; older or handmade pieces sometimes weren't marked, which is where professional testing comes in.

Don't assume brand means valuable, or "plain" means worthless. A simple, unmarked gold band can be worth more in melt value than an ornate but low-karat piece. Visual impressiveness and actual gold content aren't the same thing — see our guide on how gold jewellery is actually valued for how karat and weight translate into a real number.

Check for coins and silver mixed in. Estate collections often include more than jewellery — pre-1968 Canadian or pre-1965 US silver coins, sterling silver flatware, or an old gold watch that's easy to overlook next to more obviously "jewellery" pieces. If a set of silver-coloured coins looks unremarkable, it's still worth having checked — pre-1968/1965 coins contain real silver worth well above face value.

22K and 24K pieces are common in South Asian estate collections and are valued differently than typical 10K–14K Western jewellery, given their higher gold content. If your inherited collection includes pieces like this, see our page on 22K & 24K South Asian gold for what to expect.

You Don't Have to Sell Everything (Or Anything)

This is worth saying plainly: there's no requirement to sell an inherited collection, in full or in part. Some families keep everything indefinitely. Some sell the pieces with no sentimental pull and keep the rest. Some sell it all and put the proceeds toward something meaningful instead. All of these are reasonable, and a good evaluation shouldn't come with any pressure to decide more than you're ready to.

If you do decide to sell some or all of it, a reputable buyer will evaluate everything with no obligation attached — you see the offer, you decide, and there's no expectation that walking in means walking out having sold something.

Getting a Fair, Unhurried Evaluation

Estate collections deserve a slower, more thorough evaluation than a single piece brought in on its own — there's simply more to go through, and often more uncertainty about what's actually there. A few things to look for in whoever you choose to evaluate it:

• Individual weighing and testing, not a lump-sum guess for the whole box.

• A calculation you can follow — karat, weight, and today's spot price for each category of item, not just a final number.

• No pressure to decide on the spot, especially for pieces that might carry more sentimental weight than you initially thought.

• Comfort handling a mixed collection — gold, silver, coins, and watches together — rather than only being equipped to evaluate one category.

At Five Star Gold Exchange, estate and inherited jewellery evaluations are done the same way as any other appointment — piece by piece, in front of you, with our live buying prices as the basis for every offer. Read more about how we approach estate and inherited jewellery specifically, or see the full range of items we buy if you're unsure whether something in the collection qualifies.

A Few Practical Notes Before Your Appointment

Bring everything, even pieces you're unsure about. It costs nothing to have something evaluated, and it's easier to decide once you know what a piece is actually worth than to guess and possibly discard or overlook something valuable.

Bring valid government-issued photo ID. This is a standard requirement for any precious metals transaction in Canada, not something specific to estate items.

You'll need to be the one selling, or have proper authorization. If the estate is still going through probate or is jointly held among family members, it's worth confirming who's authorized to sell before booking an appointment, to avoid any complications later.

Take your time deciding what to keep. A single visit doesn't have to be your only one — many people bring in a portion of a collection first, live with the decision, and come back for the rest later if they choose to.

When You're Ready

There's no deadline on any of this. Whether you're sorting through a collection that arrived last month or one that's been sitting in a closet for years, the process works the same way: bring what you're considering, get an honest, itemized evaluation, and decide from there — with no pressure either way.

Book a free, no-obligation appointment when you're ready, or check our live buying prices first if you'd rather get a sense of value before booking anything. We serve Coquitlam and the entire Lower Mainland, including Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, Port Moody, and Pitt Meadows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to sell an entire estate collection at once? No — you can sell some pieces and keep others, or bring in a portion now and the rest later. There's no requirement to decide on everything in a single visit.

How is inherited jewellery valued differently from other gold? It isn't — inherited gold and silver are valued the same way as any other item, by karat, weight, and the day's live spot price. The only difference is the collection is often larger and more mixed, which just means the evaluation takes a bit more time.

What if some pieces aren't marked with a karat stamp? Unmarked pieces can be tested using methods like XRF scanning or acid testing to determine actual gold content, so a missing stamp doesn't mean a piece can't be evaluated.

Can I get things evaluated without deciding to sell? Yes — evaluations are no-obligation. You can find out what a collection is worth and take time to decide afterward.

What should I bring to an estate jewellery appointment? Bring everything you're considering, along with valid government-issued photo ID, which is required for any precious metals transaction in Canada.