By Rocco Clayfield, Founder & Director, GoldPaid Ltd · Published 10 March 2026 · updated 6 August 2026
Should I sell inherited jewellery straight away?
No, and nothing forces you to. There is no legal time limit on selling an inherited piece, no offer that expires, and if the estate is still going through probate the decision is not yet yours to make. Inherited jewellery is rarely just metal. Before any decision about selling, give yourself permission to keep anything that carries real sentimental weight. The most regretful sales are usually the ones made quickly, soon after a loss, of items that turned out to mean more than they seemed to. Nothing about this needs to happen on anyone else's timeline. Before anything goes in the post, open lockets and look at the backs of watches and inside ring bands. Photographs, locks of hair and inscriptions are easily missed, and they matter more than the metal.
Two related decisions usually sit alongside this one. Whether to sell at all is covered in selling versus keeping it, and passing a piece to a relative rather than a buyer is covered in selling to a friend or family member, including the HMRC connected persons rule that treats such a disposal as made at market value. If a piece looks collectable rather than scrap, auction versus a postal buyer covers where the line falls.
How do I find out what my inherited jewellery is worth?
You do not need to identify the pieces yourself. Send a few clear photos on WhatsApp, including the hallmarks if you can read them, and ask for a quick indicative figure. A good buyer will explain what they can see, what looks like solid gold and what might be plated, and whether anything looks potentially collectable beyond its metal value. A box that mixes real gold with plated and costume pieces is normal, and you do not have to separate anything yourself. The XRF assay tells the difference reliably, anything without precious-metal content is listed with no offer and returned with the rest free of charge, and nothing is melted before you accept a written offer.
For an in-depth look at the hallmarks themselves see the hallmark guide.
Not sure how any of this applies to your own items? Send a photo on WhatsApp and ask. We answer honestly, there is no obligation, and nothing is posted until you decide. Or call 07944 014111, 8am to 9pm, 7 days a week.
What should a written valuation of inherited jewellery include?
A proper postal sale produces a written, itemised valuation: each piece, its confirmed purity, weight, the rate used and the offer. That document is useful for family records and for any discussion among beneficiaries. It is not the same as a formal probate valuation for tax purposes, see the next section.
Do probate or tax affect when I can sell inherited gold?
If the items are part of a formal estate going through probate, a qualified probate valuer is the right person to provide the valuation HMRC needs for Inheritance Tax purposes. After probate, when the assets are distributed and you are deciding what to sell, a postal buyer's written valuation gives you a clear, transparent record of what the metal content fetches today. Capital Gains Tax may apply to disposals depending on the value and circumstances. Our jewellery CGT explainer covers the basics, and whether executors pay Capital Gains Tax on estate jewellery covers the position if you are selling as the estate rather than as a beneficiary. A tax professional is the right port of call for your specific situation.
| Stage of the estate | Who provides the valuation | Can the jewellery be sold yet? |
|---|---|---|
| Probate in progress, before the grant | A qualified probate valuer, for the Inheritance Tax figures on form IHT400 and its IHT407 schedule | Not by a beneficiary. gov.uk advises that you should not make any financial plans until you have got probate (checked 6 August 2026). |
| Grant issued, estate not yet distributed | The probate valuation still governs the estate accounts | The executor or administrator may sell where the will allows, for example to fund Inheritance Tax. Beneficiaries should be kept informed and a paper trail kept. |
| After distribution | A commercial buyer, from an XRF assay: purity, weight, the rate used and the offer for each piece | Yes. The piece belongs to the beneficiary, who can sell it, keep it, or wait indefinitely. |
How do I sell inherited gold by post, step by step?
- Send photos on WhatsApp and ask anything. No obligation.
- Request a free Royal Mail Special Delivery label, tracked and signed for.
- Wrap each piece individually in plain packaging and post at a Post Office counter.
- Receive a written, itemised XRF valuation.
- Accept for Faster Payments transfer, or decline for a free tracked return.
Common questions
Do I need probate before I can sell inherited jewellery?
It depends on the size and structure of the estate. Speak to the executor or a probate solicitor before disposing of items if probate is still in progress. Once probate is complete and the items are in the hands of the beneficiary, the seller can decide freely.
Will GoldPaid provide a valuation for HMRC?
GoldPaid provides a written, itemised commercial valuation of the metal and stone content. For a formal probate valuation HMRC will accept for Inheritance Tax, use a qualified probate valuer.
What if some family members disagree about selling?
A written, transparent valuation can help, everyone can see exactly what the items are worth on the market today, which often takes the heat out of the conversation. There is no obligation to sell. Our guide to dividing inherited jewellery between beneficiaries sets out four methods families actually use.
Do I need a death certificate to sell inherited jewellery?
No. Jewellery is a personal chattel, so there is no register and no institution holding it, and there is no certificate for a buyer to check. GoldPaid does not ask for one. Photo ID is required on every transaction, and you are told that at the start rather than after your items have arrived. See do you need probate or a death certificate to sell inherited jewellery for the full position.
What figure goes on the estate return for jewellery?
Open market value at the date of death, reported on schedule IHT407 of form IHT400, with any individual item valued at £1,500 or more listed separately. Our guide to valuing jewellery for IHT400 and IHT407 walks through it. This is general information, not tax advice.
Do I pay Capital Gains Tax when I sell inherited gold jewellery?
Usually not. Your base cost is the item’s value at the date of death, not what the deceased paid, so only growth since then counts as a gain. HMRC only requires a gain on a personal possession to be reported where a single item sells for more than £6,000, and most inherited jewellery sold for its metal falls below that. Where proceeds do exceed £6,000, marginal relief caps the chargeable gain at five-thirds of the excess, and a matching set sold to the same buyer counts as one item. Our jewellery CGT explainer sets out the arithmetic. General information, not tax advice.
Can I sell inherited jewellery if there was no will?
Not while it is still part of the estate. Where there is no will there is no executor; the closest living relative must apply for letters of administration, and has no authority to dispose of estate assets until that grant is issued. Once the estate is distributed under the intestacy rules, whoever inherits a piece can sell it freely. This is the practical difference from an executor, whose authority comes from the will itself, and gov.uk advises against making financial plans around estate assets before the grant. See do you need probate to sell inherited jewellery. General information, not legal advice.
How long do I have to sell inherited jewellery? Is there a time limit?
There is no legal time limit. Once a piece has been distributed to you it is yours, and you can sell it next month or in twenty years. The two things that change with time are the gold price, which moves daily in both directions, and Capital Gains Tax, because your base cost stays fixed at the date-of-death value, so a large rise in gold can build a gain on high-value pieces. There is no advantage in selling before you are ready: a reputable buyer will still be there next year, and any rate quoted on a given day is indicative, not a promise.
How much is inherited gold jewellery actually worth?
For most pieces, its metal content: weight multiplied by purity multiplied by the market rate on the day, less the buyer’s margin. Age and sentiment do not add money value unless a piece is genuinely collectable, signed by a known maker, or set with stones that have their own market. A written valuation prices each piece separately. Any real figure depends on inspection, weight, purity, hallmarks, stones and condition, so treat any sight-unseen number as indicative. Photos on WhatsApp get you a quick indicative range before you post anything, with no obligation either way.
Should I sell inherited jewellery to a local jeweller, an auction house or a postal buyer?
Match the route to the piece. Ordinary hallmarked gold, broken chains and dated pieces are usually worth their metal, which a scrap buyer, local or postal, can price transparently by weight and purity. Signed, antique or fine gem-set pieces can exceed metal value at a specialist auction, though seller commission and fees apply and a sale takes weeks. As a published reference, Fellows Auctioneers lists 15 per cent seller commission plus VAT plus lot fees (checked 6 August 2026). A postal metal buyer is the wrong route for a genuinely collectable piece; auction versus a postal buyer covers where the line falls.
Is it safe to send inherited jewellery through the post?
Royal Mail Special Delivery is tracked at every stage, requires a signature on delivery, and cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. Wrap each piece individually, use plain packaging with nothing on the outside suggesting valuables, and keep your proof of posting receipt. The honest caveat is the cover ceiling: if you believe a single item may be worth more than the cover available, raise it before requesting a label so the right arrangement can be discussed, or consider an insured courier or auction consignment for that piece instead.
How do I know if the jewellery I inherited is real gold or just plated?
Check the hallmark: 375 means 9ct, 585 means 14ct, 750 means 18ct and 916 means 22ct. Marks such as "rolled gold", "gold filled", "GP" or "1/20 12ct" indicate plating or filled metal with little scrap value. No mark does not mean no gold; older and imported pieces are often unhallmarked. An XRF assay reads the actual alloy without damaging the piece, which is how unhallmarked items are confirmed. If you can photograph the marks, send them on WhatsApp and you will be told what they mean before you decide anything. The hallmark guide shows the marks in detail.
How do I avoid being ripped off when selling inherited gold?
Get the offer in writing, itemised piece by piece, before you commit to anything. A trustworthy buyer shows the weight, tested purity and rate used for each item, lets you decline at no cost with a free tracked return, and never pressures you to accept on the spot. Check the company is registered at Companies House and read its reviews. Comparing two or three written offers on the same items is the single most effective check, and any buyer who objects to that has told you something useful. Walk-in cash offers with no paperwork leave you nothing to compare or challenge later.
What if I am not sure I am ready to sell my late mum’s jewellery?
Then do not sell it yet. There is no deadline, no expiring offer, and no penalty for waiting a year or a decade. The sales people regret are almost always the quick ones made soon after a loss. Keep anything you are unsure about, and only sell pieces you can part with without hesitation. A middle path is to find out what things are worth without committing: photos on WhatsApp cost nothing and create no obligation, and a written valuation can simply sit in a drawer with the jewellery until you are ready. Some families also have a jeweller remodel one favourite piece and sell the rest.