If you're in need of money and you have old jewelry you've inherited or bought in the past, you might be able to sell it to an estate jewelry buyer for some quick cash. Selling vintage or antique jewelry is often a good way to make cash on items you may not need any longer. Here are some tips for selling your estate jewelry and getting a fair price for it.

Make Your Jewelry Look Its Best

Be sure to clean the jewelry if it needs it, but be careful not to harm the pieces in the process. If possible, leave the pieces in their original boxes if you have them since the boxes could have value too. The more attractive the jewelry, the more likely that someone will want to buy it to wear. The better shape authentic well-known brand jewelry is, the more money you'll get for it.

Determine The Value Of The Jewelry

You might look for similar pieces online to get an idea of what the jewelry might sell for. However, the best way to determine the value of your estate jewelry is to have it assessed by a few estate jewelry buyers and compare their offers.

You may want to ask about the cash price and the price you might get by selling the jewelry on consignment through them. Also, ask about the value of the jewels and gold that make up the jewelry because you might have better luck selling old jewelry for its melt value rather than as pieces of jewelry to wear.

Prepare To Make Less Than You Expect

Vintage jewelry may hold a lot of sentimental value for you, but it won't for the person buying it. That means you may not get as much as you want for your estate jewelry. The pieces may be out of style and no longer worn. The true value may just be in the jewels themselves, and the prices of jewels and metal fluctuate constantly.

You'll need to determine upfront how much you're willing to sell your jewelry for and be ready to negotiate for pieces you feel have a lot of value or that are in excellent shape. Antique jewelry is popular with collectors and should be worth more than new or vintage pieces. Classic styles that have been around for decades could be worth more than trendy looks that are no longer worn.

Unless you have a lot of jewelry you inherited and you just want a quick cash sale, you may want to learn more about the value of estate jewelry so you have confidence you'll be in a position to negotiate the best price when you sell it.