Luxury Asset Selling Guide: Jewelry, Watches, Fine Art & Designer Collections

Luxury assets can take many forms. A piece of fine jewelry may have been inherited through generations, while a watch may have spent years tucked away in a drawer. A designer handbag might no longer fit your style, and artwork, memorabilia, coins, precious metals, or collectibles may have become part of an estate you are now responsible for sorting.

When you decide that it may be time to sell these items, understanding what you own and how professional evaluation works can make the process easier.

At National Rarities, we evaluate and purchase a wide variety of valuables, including fine jewelry, diamonds, wrist and pocket watches, gold and silver, fine art, designer handbags and other luxury goods, coins and currency, antiques, military memorabilia, autographs, old photographs, vintage advertising, antique toys, and other rarities and collectibles.

Because these categories can vary significantly, there is no single formula for determining what every luxury asset is worth. Our offers vary based on factors such as condition, current market value, and demand. Having your valuables evaluated by knowledgeable estate specialists can provide a clearer understanding of the items you own and their current value.

Understanding the Luxury Assets You Want to Sell

The first step when considering selling a luxury asset is identifying exactly what you have.

Some valuables are relatively straightforward to identify, while others require specialized knowledge. A piece of jewelry may contain precious metals, diamonds, gemstones, or designer markings. A watch may need to be examined for its manufacturer and movement. Artwork may require closer inspection to determine whether it is an original work, while memorabilia and collectibles can depend heavily on rarity, condition, quality, and demand.

At National Rarities, our team includes industry professionals with expertise across many of the categories we purchase. Our specialists include GIA Graduate Gemologists for jewelry, a certified watchmaker, and professionals versed in fine art, collectibles, and military memorabilia.

This range of expertise allows us to evaluate many different types of valuables, whether you are bringing in one piece or sorting through an assortment of items from an estate.

Selling Fine Jewelry and Diamonds

Fine jewelry is one of the broadest categories of luxury assets we purchase.

We buy jewelry of any age and style, including pieces made from gold, silver, and platinum. Jewelry does not have to be in perfect condition for us to consider it. We also purchase broken or damaged jewelry as well as designer pieces.

When our estate specialists evaluate jewelry, we consider characteristics such as the type of metal, stones, designer, condition, and overall quality. We may also ask questions about the piece, including who previously owned it or why you are considering selling it.

Diamonds require their own evaluation. National Rarities purchases natural diamonds of any cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, including both loose and mounted diamonds.

Our graduate gemologists and accredited jewelry professionals have the tools and expertise necessary to test a diamond's authenticity, measurements, and characteristics. When examining a diamond, we consider the four primary characteristics of cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.

If you have inherited jewelry or accumulated pieces over time, you do not necessarily need to know exactly what each item contains before having it evaluated. Professional examination can help identify the characteristics that may contribute to its current value.

Selling Luxury and Vintage Watches

Watches are another important category within the luxury and estate market.

National Rarities purchases wristwatches and pocket watches in any condition, including pieces from names such as Rolex, Breitling, Patek Philippe, Omega, Elgin, Waltham, Illinois, Hamilton, and others.

When evaluating watches, our specialists look at the individual timepiece rather than relying on the brand name alone. National Rarities purchases watches with manual mechanical, automatic mechanical, and quartz battery operated movements.

This makes professional evaluation particularly useful for inherited or older watches. You may recognize the manufacturer's name but know very little about the specific watch, movement, age, or other characteristics that can help our specialists understand the piece.

Condition, market value, and current demand can all affect the amount we are able to offer. Even if your watch is no longer running or shows signs of wear, National Rarities purchases watches in any condition, so it may still be worthwhile to have the piece evaluated.

Selling Gold, Silver, Platinum, and Other Precious Metals

Not every valuable item needs to be a designer or collectible piece. Precious metal content itself can make certain items worth evaluating.

National Rarities purchases gold, silver, and platinum in many different forms. This includes gold necklaces, bracelets, rings, white gold, rose gold, dental gold, old mountings, class rings, and fraternal pins.

We also purchase sterling silver. Sterling silver pieces are commonly marked “Sterling” or “925,” and we also purchase the less common coin silver, which may be marked “COIN” or “PURE COIN.” National Rarities does not purchase silver plated items.

This category can be especially relevant when sorting through older jewelry boxes or estate belongings. Pieces that are broken, mismatched, outdated, or no longer wearable may still warrant professional evaluation because of the precious metals they contain.

Rather than assuming an old mounting, damaged chain, single earring, or other unused piece has little value, an evaluation can help determine whether its metal content and other characteristics make it something we purchase.

Selling Fine Art

Fine art requires a different type of evaluation than jewelry, watches, or precious metals.

National Rarities purchases original artwork by known artists. When considering artwork, one of the important distinctions is whether the piece is an original work or a print.

Prints are reproductions of original artwork, and some may be numbered as part of a limited edition. However, National Rarities does not typically purchase artist prints. Our fine art purchasing is focused on original works by known artists.

Determining whether a piece is original is not always obvious to the owner, particularly when artwork has been inherited or has been in a family for many years. Our specialists versed in fine art can evaluate pieces and help determine whether the artwork falls within the types of items we purchase.

If you have artwork that you know little about, it can be worthwhile to gather any information you already have about the piece before having it evaluated. Even knowing where the artwork came from or how it entered your family may provide useful context for our specialists.

Selling Designer Handbags and Luxury Goods

Luxury goods extend beyond traditional categories such as jewelry and watches.

National Rarities purchases a variety of luxury goods, including certain designer handbags and designer or vintage fountain pens.

For designer handbags, brand and condition can affect resale value. Some of the handbag brands we are interested in purchasing include Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Gucci, Fendi, Chanel, and Prada. As a general guideline, the handbags we purchase typically have an original retail value of $1,000 or more.

Authentication is an important part of evaluating this category. National Rarities has experts on staff who can authenticate designer handbags, along with access to current software programs used to help identify these items.

We also purchase certain vintage fountain pens and designer pens. Brand, model, and condition are considered when determining value. Vintage fountain pens may also contain gold nibs, which can contribute to their value. Some of the brands we look for include Montblanc, Montegrappa, Parker, Waterman, Cartier, and Sheaffer.

If you have designer accessories that you no longer use, an evaluation can help determine whether they fit within the luxury goods we purchase.

Selling Memorabilia, Antiques, and Rarities

Some of the most interesting items brought to National Rarities do not fall neatly into traditional luxury categories.

We purchase an array of rarities, including sports memorabilia, military memorabilia, old autographs, photographs and tintypes, antique toys, pre 1950s advertising, and other collectible items.

When evaluating antiques and rarities, our specialists look at characteristics including rarity, condition, quality, and demand. These factors help us determine the current market value of an item.

This is particularly important when dealing with inherited collections. An old photograph, autograph, military item, or toy may not initially appear as valuable as a piece of fine jewelry, but age alone does not determine whether something is collectible. The individual item's characteristics and the current market surrounding it need to be considered.

National Rarities has specialists versed in collectibles and military memorabilia, providing expertise for items that can otherwise be difficult for owners to identify or evaluate on their own.

Selling Coins and Currency

Coins and currency are another category that frequently appears within estates and long held personal collections.

National Rarities purchases a wide variety of coins, including old United States currency, some foreign currency, numismatic coins, and bullion coins. We commonly see dimes, quarters, and half dollars dating from the mid 1900s, although the coins we purchase are not limited to those examples.

Like other collectibles, a coin's potential value cannot necessarily be determined by age alone. The individual coin needs to be identified and considered within the market.

If you have inherited a coin collection or accumulated coins over many years, having the collection evaluated can provide a better understanding of what you have before deciding whether you would like to sell.

What Determines the Value of Luxury Assets?

One of the most important things to understand when selling valuables is that market value is specific to the individual item.

National Rarities uses current and historical auction results, dealer price sheets, market trends, and decades of industry expertise when determining the prices we offer.

The characteristics that matter can also differ by category.

For jewelry, we may consider the metal, stones, designer, condition, and quality. Diamonds are evaluated according to cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Rarities and antiques are considered based on rarity, condition, quality, and demand. Designer handbags can depend on factors such as brand and condition, while fountain pens are evaluated according to characteristics including brand, model, and condition.

This is why generalized online estimates may not provide a complete understanding of a particular item's value. Two items within the same broad category can have different characteristics and different levels of market demand.

Professional evaluation focuses on the actual asset in front of us.

Preparing Luxury Assets for an Evaluation

You do not need to become an expert in your valuables before bringing them to National Rarities.

If you are sorting through an estate, jewelry collection, watch collection, artwork, handbags, memorabilia, or other valuables, start by organizing what you have. Keeping related pieces together can make it easier to understand the scope of a collection and provide relevant information during the evaluation.

If you already have documentation or information about an item, you can bring it with you. However, National Rarities can still make an offer if you do not have an appraisal or third party certification.

It is also important not to automatically exclude something because it is damaged or no longer used. We purchase fine jewelry that is broken or damaged, watches in any condition, loose and mounted diamonds, scrap gold and silver, and many other types of valuables.

If you are unsure whether something fits within the categories we purchase, our estate specialists can help you understand what may be worth evaluating.

What to Expect When Selling to National Rarities

National Rarities has been buying gold, jewelry, watches, fine art, collectibles, coins, memorabilia, and other estate items since 2009. We partner with more than 300 jewelry stores across the country to provide convenient locations where customers can have their valuables evaluated.

When you bring your valuables to us, one of our experienced estate specialists carefully evaluates the items. After the evaluation is complete, we provide a no obligation offer. There is never pressure to sell, allowing you to make the decision that is right for you.

If you decide to accept the offer, immediate payment is available.

For those who prefer not to attend an in person event, National Rarities also provides an online selling option. This gives sellers more than one way to have their valuables considered depending on what is most convenient for them.

Selling a Collection or an Entire Estate

Luxury assets are not always sold one piece at a time.

You may be responsible for an estate containing jewelry, watches, coins, artwork, handbags, photographs, military memorabilia, precious metals, and other collectibles. In these situations, determining where to begin can feel complicated, particularly when you are unfamiliar with many of the items.

National Rarities works with customers selling individual valuables as well as entire estates. Because our team has expertise across multiple categories, we can evaluate many different types of assets through the same estate buying process.

This can be helpful when an estate includes a mixture of recognizable luxury goods and items that are more difficult to identify. Rather than assuming which objects are valuable based solely on appearance or age, professional evaluation provides an opportunity to understand what you actually have.

Make an Informed Decision About Your Luxury Assets

Whether you are considering selling fine jewelry, diamonds, watches, gold and silver, original artwork, designer handbags, luxury goods, coins, military or sports memorabilia, antiques, or other collectibles, understanding the individual item is an important part of making an informed decision. At National Rarities, our experienced estate specialists carefully evaluate your valuables and provide a no obligation offer, with no pressure to sell. Visit our How It Works page to learn more about our estate buying process, review our Selling Guide for more information about the items we purchase, or find a National Rarities buying event near you to have your valuables professionally evaluated.