No hurry, and nothing moves without you
Sell an inherited diamond ring
An inherited diamond ring is bought the same careful way as any other: the band on its gold or platinum weight at the published rates, and the stone quoted separately after testing. We buy natural diamonds only. There is no hurry, no obligation, and a written valuation for probate or fair division is a separate service we can point you to first.
Start with what you know, not what you assume
Most inherited rings arrive with a story and without facts. The story matters to the family; the facts are what a buyer can pay for, and they are simple to establish. Send photos of the ring, the stamps inside the band and anything found with it, and we tell you what we can see. The stamps say what the metal claims to be, testing confirms it, and the stone is tested before any figure is put on it. A stone of roughly one carat or more may be quoted subject to grading by an independent lab, agreed with you before it goes anywhere.
Search the drawers before the ring leaves the house
Certificates, valuations and receipts have a way of surviving in the same house as the ring: in the box it came in, in a folder of important papers, behind the insurance documents. A GIA or IGI certificate tells us the stone’s weight and grading in writing, and an old insurance valuation at least says what the piece was understood to be. Send a photo of whatever you find, and keep the papers with the ring. If they turn up later, they still count: there is a page on certified diamonds that explains what the paper does.
Probate, fairness and figures
Where an estate needs a figure on paper, or several heirs need to divide things evenly, an offer is not the right instrument: a written valuation is, and our inherited jewellery page covers valuations for probate in detail. Some families take the other route: get our free, no-obligation offer first and use the real figure to decide together. Either order works. Nothing is tested, unset or sold without your say so, and anything you decline comes back whole by insured post.
Honest expectations
Two gentle warnings before you start. Resale is a fraction of retail, so the figure will sit below what the ring would cost to replace, for any seller through any channel. And small stones add little: a ring whose diamonds are all small will be valued mostly on its metal. The page on what is my diamond worth sets this out properly, and the diamonds page is the place to start an enquiry when you are ready.
Questions people ask
Do I have to sell an inherited ring quickly?
No. There is no deadline on our side and should be none on yours. Rings keep. Settle the estate, let the family talk, and come to us when and if you are ready. The process is the same in six months as it is today.
How do I find out what an inherited diamond ring is, before deciding anything?
Send photos: the ring, the stamps inside the band, and any paperwork from the drawer where it lived. We tell you what we can see and what testing would settle. For a figure the family can rely on for probate or fair division, a written valuation is the right tool, and we can point you the right way.
What if the family cannot agree whether to sell?
Then do not sell yet. An offer from us is free and carries no obligation, so some families get the figure first and have the conversation with real numbers instead of guesses. Anything sent to us for testing comes back by insured post if the answer is no.
The ring is old. Does that change how it is bought?
The structure is the same: the band on its gold or platinum weight at the published rates, the stone quoted after testing, lab grading possible for stones of roughly a carat and above. Older rings often hold old cut stones, which are assessed as period stones; there is a dedicated page on old cuts if yours looks the part.
What paperwork should I look for in the house?
Anything: a certificate from GIA or IGI, an insurance valuation, the original receipt, even a repair docket. Papers tell us what the stone was said to be, which makes the first conversation better. If papers turn up after you have contacted us, send them on. They still count.
Could the stone in an inherited ring be lab-grown?
If the ring is genuinely old, no. But stones are sometimes replaced over a ring's life, so every stone is tested before any offer regardless of the ring's age. We buy natural diamonds only; a stone that tests lab-grown is returned to you, and the metal is still bought at the published rate.
Ready when you are
Send four things: a photo of the piece, a photo of the stamps inside the band, a photo of any certificate or valuation, and a line on where the piece came from. Every stone is tested before any offer. We buy natural diamonds only and do not buy lab-grown stones.