WHY YOU SHOULD GET YOUR JEWELLERY VALUED

Before you Sell it at a 'Buying-In' Day

There is a particular kind of jewellery event that pops up in community centres, church halls, and hotel function rooms all over the country: the buying-in day. A friendly-sounding roadshow, often well-advertised, offering cash or an instant bank transfer for your gold, silver, and old jewellery, no appointment necessary. For anyone with a drawer of inherited rings, an old watch that no longer gets worn, or a tangle of chains they've never quite known what to do with, it can feel like the easiest option in the world. Turn up, hand it over, walk away with money in your pocket.

The trouble is, easy and fair are not always the same thing. Jewellery is one of the most quietly complicated things a person can own. Unless you genuinely know what you are looking at, or have access to the equipment that does, it is almost impossible to judge value by eye. And that is exactly the gap that quick-cash buying events are built around. Here at Leighton Hall Auctions in Stone, Staffordshire, we see the aftermath of this often. Clients bring us the piece a buying-in day wasn't interested in, or the item they were offered a token sum for, and our specialist team uncovers a value nobody had expected. A proper valuation means you are making a decision based on facts rather than guesswork or somebody else's sales pitch.

The Gold You Didn't Know You Had

Gold causes more confusion than almost anything else that comes through our doors. People assume that if a piece looks too bright, too yellow, or simply too shiny, it can't possibly be the real thing, so it gets written off as costume jewellery or plate without a second thought. Often it turns out to be genuine gold, sometimes in a carat people don't expect. There is also a common assumption that all gold jewellery is hallmarked. It isn't. Victorian gold, for instance, was frequently left unmarked, and even where marks do exist, they can be tiny, worn away by decades of wear, or placed somewhere unexpected. Add to that the different ways gold jewellery has historically been made, such as rolled gold and gold-filled pieces, and it becomes genuinely difficult for anyone without specialist knowledge to say with confidence what they are holding.

This uncertainty cuts both ways. Occasionally a client arrives convinced they own a small fortune, only to discover the piece is gold plate rather than solid gold. It can be a difficult moment, but it is far better to know the truth than to make decisions based on a false assumption. One important thing to understand is that scrap gold value moves daily, sometimes significantly, and this fluctuation ripples through the entire buying chain. Quick-cash buyers and 'we buy gold' outlets tend to work purely from scrap value, and often not even the full amount. One of our recent clients, for example, was offered just two thirds of the going scrap rate for gold she brought to a nearby event. A high street jeweller might offer the full scrap price. At auction, our approach is different again: we try to save jewellery rather than send it to be melted down, keeping the story and craftsmanship of a piece alive rather than reducing it to raw material. Pieces very often sell for considerably more as wearable, collectable jewellery than they would ever fetch as scrap.

18ct yellow gold diamond 3 stone ring - Hammer: £5,100

This matters more than ever right now. There has been a noticeable rise in gemstones appearing on the open market as more jewellery is melted purely for its gold content, which is a genuine loss when a piece has history behind it. Many of our clients want their loved one's jewellery to live on and be worn, not simply broken down for its component parts, and there is real comfort in knowing a piece has gone to someone who will treasure it. That sentimental value often sits alongside a straightforward financial one too, because collectors, dealers and private buyers are constantly looking for beautiful gold jewellery, and because pieces are small and light, we can offer them to an international customer base rather than a single local market.

One further advantage of bringing gold to us rather than a scrap buyer is testing. We use specialist, non-destructive equipment to accurately test unmarked metal without causing any damage to the piece, and this service is included as standard when you consign with us, alongside our research into makers' marks, dates and assay offices. Compare that with the DIY testing methods people sometimes try at home, using vinegar, acid, or toothpaste. These household techniques can permanently damage jewellery, corrode delicate settings, or simply give a false result, particularly where gold plating is involved. It is a risk that is entirely unnecessary when proper testing is available for free.

18ct gold, emerald and diamond dress ring - Hammer: £2,800

Silver: Easily Overlooked, Often Undervalued

Silver suffers from many of the same misunderstandings as gold, and with the silver price having risen sharply in recent times, getting it right matters more than ever. It is frequently mistaken for plate, hallmarks can be small and hard to locate, and tarnish makes pieces look grubby and worthless when in fact tarnishing is a completely natural process that a proper silver cloth can remove without any damage. We have had clients bring in items on an inexpensive-looking chain, convinced the whole thing is costume, only to discover the pendant itself is solid silver.

There is also a persistent myth that a piece set in silver rather than gold can't be especially valuable, or that stones set in silver can't be genuine. That simply isn't true. Georgian jewellery was very often set in silver and is highly sought after by collectors today. A piece can also be dismissed simply because it doesn't look like anything special at first glance, when in fact its history, maker, or rarity is what really counts. Marks can add further confusion: a clasp stamped 925 doesn't guarantee the rest of the chain is silver, and increasingly we see misleading 925 or 'SILVER' stamps from the modern Asian market that don't necessarily indicate solid silver throughout. On the flip side, certain makers' marks and assay offices are genuinely rare and command real collector interest. It isn't only jewellery either. We have recently handled silver bars that sold for well over their scrap value, purely because collectors were seeking a specific maker or mint.

Silver bar by Refiners Melterd, commemorating Johnson Matthey - Hammer: £1,800

Spotting the Real Thing: Branded Jewellery and Watches

Establishing whether a branded piece is genuine or a reproduction is a crucial part of what an auction house does, and it isn't optional. It is illegal for an auction house, or indeed any second-hand seller, to sell a counterfeit item, so proper research into marks, logos, patent numbers and construction is essential before anything goes to sale. Houses like Cartier, Tiffany & Co and Bulgari are among the most frequently reproduced brands in the world, and many owners genuinely and understandably believe their piece to be authentic when it isn't. The same is true of luxury watch brands such as Rolex and Omega. Fakes have become extremely convincing, sometimes arriving complete with boxes, paperwork and certificates that look entirely legitimate. Getting a proper, expert opinion is really the only reliable way to know for certain.

Watches bring their own layer of complexity. People frequently under or overestimate what a watch is worth, and the smallest details can make a substantial difference to value: the exact date of manufacture, the precise logo used at that time, the movement inside, even the strap. Some of these differences are only visible to a specialist using proper tools and a magnifying loupe. Even a damaged or non-working watch from a desirable brand can hold real value, often for spare parts alone, so it is well worth having any watch looked at properly before assuming it is worthless.

18ct gold Cartier trilogy cuff bangle - Hammer: £1,250

Case Study: The Watch Worth Far More Than £45

One recent client brought us an Omega Seamaster Cosmic 2000 automatic wristwatch, circa 1980. He had originally taken it to a buying-in day just up the road from us and been offered a mere £45 for it. Thankfully, he decided to seek a second opinion before accepting, and popped in to see what our jewellery specialist, Sophie Chapman, made of it. Sophie was genuinely taken aback by the offer he'd received. A name like Omega should always command a certain baseline of interest, and we're glad he wasn't tempted by the promise of quick cash.

The watch, complete with a signed dial, baton numerals, date aperture, and its original Seamaster-signed case back, was in working order, having kept time well over the period we observed it, and came with receipts for previous servicing and repairs. We estimated it at £250 to £350, catalogued and photographed it, and included it in our specialist jewellery section for our June Antiques & Collectors Sale. It eventually sold for £380. After our fees of 15% plus VAT, our client received a payout of £311.60, nearly seven times more than the £45 he had originally been offered.

Omega Seamaster Cosmic 2000 automatic wristwatch - Hammer: £380

A Few Signs It's Worth Getting a Second Opinion

You don't need to be an expert yourself to know when it's worth asking one. If a piece feels heavier than you'd expect for its size, if any marks are hard to read or seem to be in an unusual place, if a chain, ring or bracelet has been in the family for generations without anyone quite knowing its history, or if you're simply being offered a number that feels rushed, it is always worth pausing before you sell. The same goes for anything branded, anything that once came with paperwork or a box, and any watch, working or not. None of these things guarantee a high value, but they are exactly the kind of detail a specialist will want to check properly before you make a decision you can't undo.

Why the Extra Step Is Worth It

None of this is about suggesting that every buying-in day or gold-buying outlet is acting in bad faith. But the reality is that these businesses are generally working to a very different set of priorities to an auction house. Our job is to find out exactly what a piece is, research it properly, and put it in front of the widest possible audience of collectors, dealers, and private buyers who genuinely want it. That takes time, expertise and, yes, the cataloguing, photography and marketing that our fees reflect. In our experience, clients still come out significantly ahead even once commission is taken into account, because the sale price itself has been allowed to reach its true level.

Gold and silver are only part of the picture, though. Gemstones, antique materials and lesser-known categories of jewellery bring their own surprises, both good and bad, and we cover those in detail in the second part of this series. If you have jewellery, watches or silver you are thinking about selling and would like a free, no-obligation valuation, our specialist team at Leighton Hall Auctions in Stone, Staffordshire, would be very happy to take a look.

Valuation days run regularly at our Stone saleroom, and appointments are entirely free, with no pressure to consign anything you bring in. Whether you leave with a firm auction estimate, a clearer sense of what you own, or simply the peace of mind of knowing you didn't sell something short, it is always time well spent before any gold, silver, or watch leaves your hands for good.

Wellendorff 18ct spun gold necklace - Hammer: £3,900

Your Hidden Treasure Could Be Next

Whether it’s a piece of fine jewellery, decorative arts, or an unusual item like this synthesizer, Leighton Hall Auctions in Staffordshire offers a personal yet professional approach to every consignment.

We’re based in Stone, Staffordshire, but our reach is global - and we welcome entries from across the country for our specialist sales.

Thinking of Selling?

If you have something you think might be rare, unusual, or simply beautiful, we’d love to hear from you. Our friendly team offers free, no-obligation valuations and can guide you through the auction process with transparency and care.

📞 Call us on 01785 561799
📧 Email info@leightonhallauctions.com
📍 Or pop in to see us at our saleroom in Stone.