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What should I do with an antique french piece ?

Eloan

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
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41
Hello,

My dad passed away few month ago, and me and my brothers received a necklace (or a pin) with around 25 diamonds european old cuts ! As I am the little little niece of a corsair I think the jewellery has english/french history maybe victorian period.

French people doesn't like old cuts a lot, but I know here that people loves theses cuts.
I don't know what to do ? I called the Drouot (famous) action house, but I think this is not the best idea because they will took me 21% off the sale, and the buyer will have 21% more to pay too ! (42% fees...)

How Can I estimate this necklace/pin?
 
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Post pictures here, of course! (half-joking)

I hope you might consider keeping it...
 
Yes, if you post up a photo of it alongside a ruler and of any hallmark, I could give you as estimate as I am familiar with this type of jewellery.
Obviously the size, quality and carat weight of the diamonds affects value but hallmarks can indicate origin and age. French hallmarked antique jewellery is often more valuable (desirable) than English.
A place to start is eBay. You can search Victorian / Antique/ diamond / brooch and see if any current or sold listings are similar to yours. That is a way of getting an idea of value.
And yes, all Auction houses charge both the seller AND buyer a premium and often that totals up t 50% of the items value ie it sells for $1,000. So the buyer pays $1250 and you get $750. Auction house gets $500!
Other alternatives are on consignment. Again expect to pay a fee of up to 25% of sale value or even eBay (fees there are 10% to eBay plus 3% to PayPal). I would not recommend eBay as a sales point if you are a new person on eBay.
There are also free selling places like Loupe Troop but again, you need to be able to price it correctly and perhaps wait awhile for a seller to come along. The Payment method on such sites is usually PayPal. To avoid the 3% fee you either need to ask for “friends and family” payment or add 3% into your asking price. Expensive pieces require choosing reliable buyers (there are scammers and thieves out there) and insured registered shipping.
 
One option is to have it evaluated for free "chez ma tante" aka crédit municipal de Paris. I'm not sure if you know the history behind it.
It's a semi public auction house. Established as kind of a public pawn house a couple of hundred years ago. To have a reliable option to get short term loans for everyone on fair conditions. They will estimate the price, give you cash and upon failure to pay back, they will auction off the piece. If they make MORE Than what you got, they will give you the difference. If it's less, they will eat up the cost. I *think* only the buyer pays 21%.
It's rue des francs bourgeois à Paris I went to a charity function there and we got a tour/explanation. Very interesting. Lots of history. Fun location.
 
Post pictures here, of course! (half-joking)
I hope you might consider keeping it...

I can't... I have 2 brothers and I haven't the money to pay them their part... and they neither :(
We have to sell it. We don't want to break it.

@Bron357 : I think it's not victorian in fact...... I would love that the necklace can talk to tell us who he is :D where is from, and everything he saw ! :D

A little part front
upload_2019-3-27_9-29-38.png

Back

upload_2019-3-27_9-31-30.png

the big one:
upload_2019-3-27_9-33-4.png
 
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Gorgeous piece!! More pics please


To add to the crédit municipal idea:since they are public and have no interest to either be too low on their estimate to attract buyers nor too high to please the seller, but their estimates tend to be quite accurate. IF they really don't charge from the seller, it's a great option. Their auctions are as well known as druot.
 
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It is a very beautiful piece and I’m sad for you having to sell it. Be sure however that such a fine piece will go to a “wanted” home. Being a convertible piece (pendant or brooch) is a desirable trait.
But yes, I’m unsure of the French system but a reputable auction house who deals with fine jewellery will attract the right sort of buyer, even though the commission charged is high. The other benefit is is that it’s a faster process.
The first thing I would do is find an accredited appraiser and have it formally described and valued. It’s a worthwhile outlay in my opinion. You will then know what price expectation is fair. Be sure to ask the appraiser for “current market value”. A figure supplied for “insurance purposes” or “retail replacement value” is always higher and not a true representation of what you could expect to sell it for.
If it has any boxes or other paperwork, keep these with the piece.
 
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