Help for executors and families dealing with jewellery, coins and watches in an estate.
Jewellery is often the hardest part of an estate to deal with. It is personal, it is hard to value, and families are rarely sure what is real. We give executors and families a clear, itemised valuation and, if they choose to sell, one fair offer paid to the estate.
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Who can sell items from an estate?
Only a person with legal authority can sell assets that belong to a deceased estate. In South Africa that is usually the executor appointed by the Master of the High Court, who receives a Letter of Executorship (or, for some smaller estates, a Letter of Authority). Until the estate has been wound up and items have been handed over to the heirs, heirs cannot sell estate jewellery themselves.
Once items have been formally transferred to an heir, that heir owns them and can sell them in their own name. If you are unsure which applies to you, ask the executor or the estate’s attorney before you sell. We will not buy estate items from someone who cannot show that they have authority to sell, which protects your family and the estate.
What to bring
- The Letter of Executorship or Letter of Authority issued by the Master of the High Court
- A copy of the death certificate
- Your own ID (or passport) and proof of address, as the Second-Hand Goods Act requires for every seller
- The estate’s bank details, if the estate is selling, so that payment goes to the estate account
- Any certificates, valuations, boxes or receipts you have for the pieces (helpful, but not required)
If you are an heir selling items that have already been transferred to you, bring your ID and proof of address. A letter from the executor confirming the transfer is helpful.
Private valuations and written reports for the estate
Executors usually need a value for jewellery, coins and watches when they draw up the estate inventory. We provide an itemised written report listing every piece with a description, its tested purity and weight, and its value. You can use it for the estate inventory, to divide pieces between heirs, or to decide what to keep and what to sell.
Every item is tested in front of you with our XRF analyser, which does not scratch or damage jewellery, and weighed on our verified scales. Diamonds and watches are checked with a loupe and against any certificates you have. More about our valuations
Selling on behalf of the estate
If the executor decides to sell, we make one clear offer for the pieces chosen and pay by EFT to the estate’s bank account. There are no commission or evaluation fees. You don’t have to sell everything, and you don’t have to sell at all.
A gentle checklist for families
- Keep jewellery, coins and watches together in a safe place until the executor has been appointed.
- Don’t throw anything away, including broken, single or odd pieces. Sorting is part of our service.
- Don’t try to test pieces yourself with acid or by scratching them.
- Gather any certificates, receipts, boxes and papers.
- Agree as a family which pieces have sentimental value before anything is sold.
Read our free Executor’s Guide to Jewellery and Watches for the full step-by-step guide.
Registered and licensed: Zeek Market Gains (Pty) Ltd · CIPC 2019/319861/07 · SAPS second-hand dealer 25/13/2/09/2022 · Member of the Jewellery Council of South Africa