Any jewellery experts out there?

[Pinkfrocks]

2 questions:
we have recently inherited some gold sovereigns set as pendants etc. from a relative who's died. We want to sell them but the local jeweller is only offering cash for weight of gold- something like £100 each or less. I think they are worth more but without any paperwork what do we do with them, re. a sale to someone?

second question- the same relative has left a couple of pieces of jewellery- brooches - that contain a largish diamond (not huge about 0.5 - 0.6 carat) and we'd like it re-set to make DD a ring or pendant. I've had 1 quote but it was huge- almost £2K- so can anyone recommend a good company that will reset stoneS?

To the best of my knowledge, paperwork really isn't needed if you're selling gold although selling a gold necklace from Cartier is quite different to selling gold sovereigns. With the former, the name alone is what brings the value.

It's a set price per weight for gold and your local jeweller is probably offering a fair price. Do not under any circumstances send of to any of the places that offer to send you an envelope to do so; the ones who advertise on tv, they keep most of the money. If you're unhappy with the price your jeweller has offered, seek out others or if you're able to, go to Hatton Garden (in London) and speak to some of the dealers there. You might even be able to sell it as a job lot at a local auction house.

Re. the quote for resetting a diamond, I think that's about right to although again, it's worth getting a few different quotes. Again, if you're able to get to Hatton Garden, go talk to a few jewellers there, ditto any local jewellers to you know make their own pieces. Even the local pawnbroker might know people who do this. Resetting gemstones is expensive. If the stone is of good cut and excellent clarity it might be more lucrative to sell it.

Good luck!

With regards to the diamond and wanting a ring setting for it I would look up local artisans and jewellery makers, they should be able to do the work for you at a much lower price.

With regards to the gold sovereigns you could look up their worth on gold bullion websites, once you have a good idea of how much they are by weight (gold standard) and gold content you can sell on eBay. Lots of investors buy gold in this manner as a) sovereigns are legal tender, b) as a legal tender there is no vat added in the uk, c) some sovereigns are quite rare and can be sold as a collectors item.

places like this buy and sell gold coins.

Sometimes they show a "best value" price which I think mean coins that are bashed about and of no interest to a collector, based on the value of metal

If you have been offered £100 each it sounds too low.

Thanks all. We did look up 1 of the coins online on a site as well as Ebay and it was coming up at around £300 . Some of them are commemorative and set in quite intricate pendant settings. But DH asked- who would buy a coin like that from ebay? How would anyone know it was genuine?
It's all quite difficult because as well as dealing (literally) with the coins and jewellery we are dealing with the grief and emotions around them, so just want to sell but not be ripped off.