Pieces with a
history behind them.
Victorian, Art Deco, mid century and retro. Older work, often better made than its modern equivalent, and priced under new.
Browsing opens San Diego Jewelry Buyers, my own store, which is where the listings live and the checkout runs.
Estate & Vintage available today
Estate jewelry is the part of this trade people underestimate. Hand work that is not economical to reproduce now, in settings that were built to be repaired rather than replaced.
It is also the best value in the case. A piece from the 1920s with the same stone as a new ring is usually less money, and there is only one of it.
Made to a standard that got expensive
Hand engraving, milgrain and filigree that would cost more to reproduce today than the piece sells for.
Genuinely one of one
Estate stock is not reordered. When it goes it is gone, which is the whole appeal and also the catch.
Under the price of new
Comparable stone, comparable metal, less money, because the market prices age as wear rather than as craft.
Brands in this collection
Know what you are looking at.
The ones I get asked.
- What counts as estate jewelry?
- Anything previously owned. Some of it is antique, meaning a hundred years or older, and some is only a few decades old. Age and era are described on each piece.
- Can estate jewelry be resized or restored?
- Usually yes, though it depends on the piece. Older settings were built to be repaired rather than replaced, which is part of what makes estate jewelry worth owning. Some very fragile antique work is better left alone. Bring it in, or ask about a piece in the case, and we will tell you what can be done and quote it before any work starts.
- Do you buy estate jewelry and whole collections?
- Yes, including entire estates and mixed boxes where you have no idea what is in there. That is a common and completely normal thing to walk in with. We sort it in front of you, identify what is real, what is plated and what is worth keeping rather than selling. The evaluation is free and there is no obligation at the end of it.
4.9 on Google, 634 reviews.
★★★★★
“I had been holding onto old silverware and silver items for a couple decades and finally decided to move out what I was not going to use. I did some research then I called them at the end of the day yesterday. They were helpful on the phone and even texted me where they offer free parking. I came…”
Jim Lehrman · Google
★★★★★
“I had been holding onto old silverware and silver items for a couple decades and finally decided to move out what I was not going to use. I did some research then I called them at the end of the day yesterday. They were helpful on the phone and even texted me where they offer free parking. I came…”
Jim L. · Google
★★★★★
“It was a very pleasant experience. And my first time bringing family jewels of up to 100 years vintage to obtain evaluation which might result in a purchase. I was impressed with the ease and comfortableness. Each piece was examined and measured carefully Notations were made. I added some…”
andrea travers · Google