Settling an estate is overwhelming, and the jewelry box is often the hardest part — emotionally and financially. You’re grieving, there may be family members with opinions, and you have no idea whether that drawer holds costume jewelry or a small fortune. After decades of buying estate collections in South Florida, here’s the advice I give every family: slow down, and do these five things first.

1. Don’t throw anything away yet

Not the tangled chains, not the single earrings, not the “junk drawer” pieces, and especially not the boxes and paperwork. Original boxes, warranty papers, and receipts can add significant value to watches and signed jewelry. Broken gold is still gold. That tarnished flatware set may be sterling silver. Until everything has been looked at by someone knowledgeable, treat it all as potentially valuable.

2. Separate items into rough piles

You don’t need expertise to do a first sort. Group things simply:

Watches — anything mechanical or with a brand name on the dial
Coins and currency — including foreign coins and old paper money
Jewelry with stamps — look inside rings and on clasps for markings like 14K, 18K, 750, 585, or “sterling”
Signed pieces — anything marked Cartier, Tiffany, Rolex, Omega, or another recognizable name
Everything else — unmarked pieces still need testing; old costume jewelry from certain makers has a collector market of its own

3. Resist the urge to clean, polish, or repair

This one instinct costs families more money than any other. A vintage watch that’s never been polished is worth more than one that shines. Coins lose half their collector value the moment someone scrubs them. Original condition — even worn, even tarnished — is what buyers pay premiums for. Present everything exactly as you found it.

Families apologize to me all the time for bringing in things that look old and worn. Old and worn is often exactly where the value is.
— Marty Upfall

4. Get everything evaluated piece by piece

Be cautious of any buyer who glances at a full estate and offers one round number for everything. That approach buries the valuable pieces inside the ordinary ones — and the discount always comes out of your side. A trustworthy buyer will go through the collection item by item, tell you what each piece is, and explain what it’s worth and why. You should leave the appointment knowing more about the collection than when you arrived.

This matters for family harmony too: when heirs are dividing proceeds, a documented, piece-by-piece evaluation prevents arguments later.

5. Understand your options — selling isn’t all or nothing

You don’t have to sell the whole collection, and you shouldn’t feel pressure to. Many families keep the pieces with sentimental weight and sell the rest. Others sell the bulk of a coin collection but hold onto a few coins for grandchildren. A good buyer will happily evaluate everything and buy only what you’re ready to part with — no pressure, no expiration dates on the offer, no “today only” tactics.

A word on timing

There’s rarely a rush. Gold and silver prices move, but not so fast that you need to sell the week of the funeral. Take the time to grieve, get the estate’s legal matters in order, and make decisions when you’re ready. The right buyer will still be there — and your items will still hold their value.