Jewelry
What is my jewelry worth?
Estate jewelry has two very different values — scrap metal weight and collector/branded value. Missing a maker's mark can turn a $2,000 signed piece into a $180 gold-weight sale, so identification comes first.
Typical resale price bands
| Tier | Typical sold range | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Costume / unsigned fashion | $5 – $40 | Sell in lots unless a designer name is present. |
| Signed vintage costume (Trifari, Weiss) | $25 – $250 | Condition of plating and stones drives the range. |
| 10k–14k gold, scrap-driven | Metal weight × spot × ~0.7 | Floor price; never sell branded pieces at scrap. |
| Signed fine jewelry (Tiffany, Cartier, David Yurman) | $400 – $15,000+ | Papers, boxes and hallmarks add real dollars. |
Ranges are indicative of recent sold activity and move with the market. Always confirm against comps for your exact item.
What decides the price
- Hallmarks and karat stamps: 925, 14k, 585, 750, PLAT
- Maker's mark or signature on the clasp, shank or backplate
- Stone type, cut, carat estimate and any certification numbers
- Clasp style and construction — dates the piece to an era
- Total weight in grams (a kitchen scale is enough for scrap floor)
- Original box, pouch or receipt
Where the comps come from
- eBay sold/completed listingsThe broadest signed and unsigned resale record.
- 1stDibs and Ruby LaneBenchmarks for designer and antique pieces.
- WorthpointHistoric auction results for discontinued lines.
- Live gold/silver spotSets the scrap floor under every piece.
Best places to sell
eBayPoshmarkEtsy (vintage)MercariFacebook Marketplace
Questions sellers ask
Do I need an appraiser?
For insurance or a piece over roughly $5,000, yes. For resale pricing, sold comps for the same signed model are a more accurate predictor of what a buyer will pay.
Is unmarked gold worthless?
No — many older and imported pieces are unmarked. An acid or electronic test at any jeweler confirms karat in minutes.
Skip the guessing
Photograph the item, and ezFlipAI identifies it, prices it against real sold comps and writes the listing for the marketplace you choose.
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