Auction house, dealer, gold buyer, jeweller: four channels, four outcomes. Here is which suits what you own — with the figures.
Selling jewellery well means choosing the right buyer for the right piece. The auction room suits certain lots; the gold counter suits scrap; the dealer suits pieces whose value is in the jewellery itself. At 22 rue Drouot we practise the third route: free appraisal, firm offer, immediate payment. See also jewellery appraisal.
Six situations, six answers.
A gold counter, paid by weight at the day's price. No point taking it elsewhere.
A dealer: the value lies in the jewellery, not the metal. Firm offer, no fees, immediate payment.
A dealer or a specialist auction. Ask both: an auction estimate and a dealer's firm offer can be compared in the same day on rue Drouot.
A dealer with gemmological training, and a laboratory report if the stone is significant.
A dealer who provides a written inventory for the notary, then buys the collection as a whole or piece by piece.
A specialist auction house may reach the right collector — at the cost of fees, timing and uncertainty. Compare with a firm offer first.
Published, verifiable references.
Common gap between what the buyer pays at auction and what the seller receives, buyer's premium and seller's commission combined.
Usual payment delay after an auction, once the buyer has paid — plus the wait for a suitable sale.
French flat-rate tax on precious objects above €5,000 (or the capital-gains regime on request), identical whatever the channel. Precious metals by weight: 11.5 %.
At auction, the buyer's premium (20–30 % incl. tax) and the seller's commission (10–25 %) combine so that the buyer commonly pays 40–50 % more than the seller receives — several weeks after the sale. A dealer makes a firm offer on the spot, with no fees, and pays immediately.
For scrap gold, dental gold and broken pieces, yes: the metal is paid by weight. For an antique, signed or well-made piece, no: its jewellery value exceeds its gold value, and a weight-based buyer will not pay for it.
A fine unsigned French piece is bought for what it is. The eye decides, not the label. When in doubt, show us the piece: the first opinion is free.
Send photographs by WhatsApp or e-mail for a first opinion within 24 hours. The sale itself takes place in Paris, at 22 rue Drouot, with immediate payment.
The verbal appraisal is free and without obligation. Only a written inventory may be invoiced.
Entirely. Appointments are private, by arrangement, at 22 rue Drouot.
A shop address, a registered company, a trained gemmologist, a firm written offer, no pressure to decide, no 'weight-only' pricing for a piece of jewellery. Ask to see the loupe and the scale.
Free and confidential appraisal, reply within 24 hours.
Request an appraisal