Purchasing Estate Sale Jewelry in 2024

Purchasing Jewelry at an Estate Sale

One of the quickest items to sell at residential estate sales and residential liquidation sales is jewelry. This is because of the deals that you will find purchasing jewelry and the ability to view and purchase vintage jewelry. There are many estate sales that we have facilitated in the Atlanta area that included jewelry that was dated back to the 1800’s. If you want a great selection of estate jewelry, plan on arriving early the first day of the sale. Ask the welcoming staff member at the door where the jewelry collection is located within the house. 

Make This Small Investment

Spending a little under $20 prior to heading to the estate sale can save you hundreds and make you thousands! Look for a rare earth magnet, jewelers glass and a gram scale. You can pick all of these and enjoy the free shipping from Amazon for around $20.

Using Rare Earth Magnets

Rare earth magnets provide a quick and easy test of the authenticity of the jewelry. A simple keychain style rare earth magnet makes it easy to quickly test the jewelry and its magnetic properties. Gold for example, is not magnetic. If a necklace were to quickly grab on to the magnet, it is more than likely gold plated or gold filled. However, a piece of gold jewelry that offers no reaction to the magnet is more than likely a truly golden piece of jewelry. You will be able to verify that by using your jewelers glass.

Using a Jewelers Glass

A jewelers glass is a small microscope type glass that will allow you to get an enlarged view of the markings that jewelry may contain. Positive jewelry markings include 10k, 14k, 18k, 24k, etc… these symbols indicate what the jewelry is made of. 24k would mean the jewelry is made of 24k gold. On the other side of the spectrum, if you see GP or GF that lets you know the item is simply gold plated or gold filled and doesn’t carry the same value as a true gold mark. If you see no markings at all and don’t have any reaction to the magnet, you found yourself a lottery ticket. It will either be authentic or not. By purchasing that type of jewelry from an estate sale, you are taking a risk vs reward approach. If the price is right, go for it!

Using a Gram Scale

The gram scale comes in handy when putting a value to what you are purchasing. It is important to know the current scrap value of gold before you go to the estate sale. An example would be if there were a 24k gold wedding band set offered for sale at $200. You know going in that the scrap value for 24k gold is right around $60 per gram. By putting the set of wedding bands on your scale and seeing that together they weight 6 grams, you know you have a winner. Your $200 purchase is worth $360 in scrap gold prices.

Whether you are looking to resell the jewelry you purchased at an estate sale or it is for personal use, we suggest using the three tools used above to know that you are getting a great deal and not purchasing an overpriced piece of costume jewelry.

About the Author

Dave Lemke is the Founder of Bulldog Estate Sales. A Metro Atlanta based company that provides estate sale and estate liquidation services to residential and commercial clients. Bulldog Estate Sales works across the Metro Atlanta area including North Georgia and Northwest Georgia. We provide turnkey estate sale and liquidation services in Marietta, Roswell, Peachtree City, Rome, Acworth, Canton, Atlanta and more.