Buying jewellery at auction

Auction rooms have always been great place to buy jewellery for a variety of reasons. At auction you are exposed to a larger variety and a more varied selection than you would be at a contemporary retailer.  You also have the opportunity to own a unique piece with a bit of character and history.  You can often find rare designs and gemstones at auction that are no longer readily available in the retail market.  Finally, and often over looked by buyers, is that you can potentially find a piece for a much more reasonable value than if you were to purchase your jewellery directly from a retail outlet.

If one has done their homework correctly, they have the ability to not just purchase a lovely piece, but acquire it at a value much lower than the retail price. 

Retail prices for jewellery are particularly high and don’t necessarily reflect the intrinsic value of the stones and precious metals used.  In addition to the price of the precious materials, jewellery manufacturers and retailers also have to make up for certain company overheads, such as the cost of production.   Auctioneers are able to avoid this overhead, and thus the estimates in auction rooms are much more in line with the item’s real market value.  It is always worth checking auction catalogues and viewing their exhibitions. 

This is not to say that certain designers will not always demand a higher price and auction value. Cartier and Tiffany, for example, will always have higher values due to the value that society places on certain brand names.  Again, because the auctioneer doesn’t have to cover manufacture costs, designer items bought at auction could be a better value.