What would you do with inherited jewellery you don't wear?

[certainlycertain]

Four pieces that have mild sentimental value but have been sitting (expensively insured) in our safe for the past decade. DCs and partners don't want it (anti-mined diamonds) and they never knew the great grandparent it was passed down from. My Mum doesn't want it - she inherited it about twenty years ago, never wore it and passed it down to me.

Would you sell it? Keep it in case a DC or partner changes their mind? Have some of it remade into something else I won't wear?

Sell it and buy something you would wear. I did that. No point having something to just sit there

Either have it remade/reset or sell and buy jewellery I like.

If you are not going to wear, even if it is remade then sell it. You have probably spent a fortune on Insurance, hopefully by selling it you will gain the money back. We do not need objects to remember people we loved.

I'd have something made using the stones. It sounds as if they're high quality if you're having to insure them separately, so worth paying out for a re-style.

I’m having the same thought but no clue where to sell it. I don’t have valuations for any of it but they’re proper stones and getting it valued before trying to sell it looks to be very expensive.

I'm in the process of having inherited rings made into things I will wear (hopefully picking them up next week) - two wedding rings and two engagement rings have turned into a necklace and a bracelet. I'm so happy to be able to keep my mum and grandmother close to me like that

I saw a good talk from a local auctioneer about this, she encouraged people to sell jewellery that’s not going to be worn and reinvesting in something you like to remember the person by. Can you find a local auction house? Think they do free valuations if you call in. She also said auctions are a great place to buy jewellery avoiding shop retail mark ups

I sold the rings I didn’t wear and bought a beautiful sapphire and diamonds ring which I love.

I wouldn’t bother insuring it if it lives in a safe.

Is it nice? You obviously aren’t wearing it either.

I’m surprised all your DC and partners are so against mined diamonds they won’t have it!

I’d keep out of historical interest, probably.

Sell it - no point in being sentimental if you can't wear it.
I loved my mum to bits but I sold her gold rings and cocktail watch as they were totally out of fashion. She would have done the same herself!

Sell them. Im sure grandad wouldnt want you to be burdoned by this. Is there a treat you want or expense youve been putting off?

You could take it to a jeweller who sells secondhand items.

Thanks. You're all giving me the push I probably needed to at least do something other than let them sit there.

@purplecorkheart
We do not need objects to remember people we loved.
You're right. That's very true.

@MidnightPatrol It is nice, but I already have all the jewellery I need or would wear, even if we're getting black tie level dressed up. It hadn't occurred to me not to insure it, but that's a good point.

What are the pieces?

Ohhhhh I had this. It is really old fashioned jewellery from both sets of grandparents.

I thought about selling it. But I just couldn’t. I read somewhere that you will always be remembered till that last person forgets u. I didn’t want to forget them. And every time I look at it. It reminds me of them.

I am also a creative person and this year I put lots of that jewellery on my Christmas trees. When people came round for Xmas they all sat and talked about the grandparents and stories they had. I wish now I had more of the brooches etc to use.

Yes I would sell it and buy something nice.

I'd sell it

I took mine to an auction house, then bought myself a summer house to use as art studio. I get far more pleasure from that.

I had some of my mother's gold pieces turned into nice pendants for some family members. I also had a stone from a ring mounted into a pendant for me.

I was gifted a dress ring by an aunt I loved (she gave it to me) it lived in a drawer. For years. So I recently sold it on eBay for £100 (not diamonds) and bought some silver earrings I do wear.

I think I would sell them @certainlycertainand buy something you will wear. Or if you don’t do jewellery buy a piece of art, a gorgeous dress, a cashmere cardigan, a sports watch.

How much are we talking? I hate the idea of “these must be kept forever” and would never lay that on my DC.

My mum left me lots of jewellery but very little of it was to my taste so I auctioned it all and bought a few, really lovely pieces of jewellery that I wear every day.

I’d just keep it, but wouldn't bother insuring it unless its six figures, and then if it was worth that much I’d probably sell it!

Traditionaly jewellery was coveted as it could be put in your pocket and escaped with if you were fleeing the attacking tribe from two towns over…its probably not a bad way of keeping a bit of “cash” about the place even these days!

How much have all those years of insurance cost? 😱

Stop paying the insurance & just hide them safely in a box in a non-obvious place like the attic or under a floorboard. That gives you less pressure & more time to decide.

An art deco diamond bracelet
2 diamond rings (one vintage from a famous jeweller, the other an antique diamond)
A set of diamond earrings

None suitable for my glamorous days of dog walking in the pouring rain, zoom meetings, tapping away at my laptop, grocery shopping and cooking, going to the gym, volunteering with small children.