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Sell Your Brooch Online

 

How To Sell Your Brooch

Whether you have a mourning brooch that you have inherited or a collection of novelty brooches that you have built up over the last 10 years, knowing how to sell your brooches can be somewhat difficult. Over the years, collecting habits have changed and what might have been in fashion 5 years ago may no longer be sought after.

Selling at auction used to be a good option for selling brooches, however, the average seller’s commission is now 18% and the average buyer’s commission is 25% – meaning that if you sell at auction you only get back 57% of what the buyer was willing to pay.  We can help you get the most for your earrings so please get in touch.

This guide aims to help you understand what your brooch is worth and what affects the value of your brooch. You can also get in touch for a free valuation and no-obligation advice.

How Can You Sell Your Brooch? 

Are you looking to sell your brooch but don’t know where to start?  At Mark Littler LTD we make the selling process as simple as possible by handling all of the logistics, paperwork and fully insured shipping.

We can help you sell your earrings in two ways:

  1. Through a brokered private sale
  2. Through specialist online auctions

Our aim is to achieve the best possible price for your jewellery; after all, you can only sell once.  By giving you all of your options you can be sure you are making the right decision.

 

Free Brooch Valuations

Use the form below or send images of your bottle to our WhatsApp or Email

Brooch Valuation Contact Form

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Common Brooch Types

Bar brooch

Bar – Bar brooches became fashionable in the Victorian period, and were often designed as a simple metal bar with a central motif. Edwardian bar brooches made use of gemstones that were often calibre-cut. In the Art Deco period, bar brooches were geometric in design.

Victorian novelty brooch value

Novelty  – Novelty brooches date back to the late Victorian period. They are characterised by popular motifs of the period that are often kitsch or funny. Victorian-era novelty brooches featured motifs such as kittens chasing balls of wool, rabbits eating carrots, wishbones, horseshoes, and winged bats.

Gem set spray brooch sale

Spray – Spray brooches are characterised by floral or spray patterns set with gems. Spray brooches in the Victorian era often included flowers, stars, or bows. The spray brooch was very popular during this era, but the more structured and geometrical nature of Art Deco era designs saw the spray brooch fall out of fashion somewhat.

Cluster brooch

Cluster – Cluster brooches are designed as multiple gems such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies and more set close together in a clustered arrangement. Cluster brooches were worn as early as the medieval period, much like this medieval cluster brooch that was acquired by the Victoria & Albert Museum. Cluster brooches continued to be popular in the Victorian era, and were even fashioned as multifunctional hairpieces.

Pendant brooch

Pendant – Pendant brooches first became popular in the Edwardian era. They were versatile pieces that were designed to hang from a chain and be worn as a necklace if needed. Brooches were often detachable from other pieces of jewellery in this period.

Sell your aigrette brooch

Aigrette – An aigrette is tufted plumes or feathers that were often seen in Europe on hats and headdresses from the 1700s all the way until the early 20th century. The aigrette brooch, therefore, usually consists of a feather or plume made of diamonds or other coloured gems.

Victorian mourning brooch

Mourning – Mourning brooches were a feature of Victorian-era mourning dress. Women who were in mourning for a lost relative would dress in black mourning clothes and veils and often don a mourning brooch. These brooches were often made with black enamel with intricate engravings, pearls or diamonds. Sometimes, hair from the deceased would be woven into the brooch.

What Affects The Value Of Your Brooch?

Macallan Whisky Worth

Designer

Jewellery is made either in anonymous workshops or by well-known designers and jewellery houses. As you can imagine, pieces that are designed by famous designers or jewellery houses such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Georg Jensen will command a premium over those that were mass-produced. Brooches by well-known jewellery houses have more provenance and history behind them, making them more commercial than their fashion jewellery counterparts.

Most brooches that were designed and made by famous designers will bear a maker’s mark, telling you who produced the item. This information is important in valuing your pieces of jewellery. The marks can be very small, and you may not be able to read them with the naked eye. For example, brooch hallmarks are often located on the pin.

The value of a brooch can also be affected by whether or not its design is indicative of the period that it is from. For example, a brooch from the Art Deco period features a geometric pattern and bold colours, it will be more commercial than an Art Deco that shows none of the defining features of the Art Deco period.

Metal-jewellery-valuation

Metal 

Most brooches are made from some kind of gold, silver, or platinum. Identifying the purity of the metal can help to determine the quality of the item. For example, gold comes in various different purities, with 24-carat gold being the purest, with 99.9% pure gold. As such, 24-carat gold items are considered of a higher purity than 9-carat gold items (37.5% pure gold).

Certain metals and purities are better suited to gem settings than others. For example, you would not set a 3ct emerald in a 9ct gold setting. Instead, you would use 18ct platinum, which is more durable than 9ct gold. 

Silver and platinum also have different levels of purity that affect the value of items made from these metals. The purity of an item can be identified either through testing in a lab or through the hallmarks on the item. For example, a silver item with a full set of UK hallmarks can be called sterling silver.

Gemstone jewellery valuation

Gemstones

If your brooch is set with gemstones, there are many attributes of these gems that can affect the value of your item.

Firstly, what is the identity of the gemstone? Diamonds have always been, and remain, extremely commercial. Other stones such as tanzanite, sapphire, and emerald are also highly sought after.

Other attributes such as the cut, colour, inclusions, damage, carat weight, and clarity of the gemstone can affect the value. For example, a 1ct round brilliant natural diamond with high clarity will be more valuable than a 1ct round brilliant natural diamond with several inclusions and a chipped girdle.

There is also a disparity in value between natural gemstones and man-made gemstones. Whether or not a gemstone has been treated can also affect the value of your brooch.

Jewellery-Condition

Condition

Of course, the condition of your brooch will have an impact on value. Any dents, missing claws, scratches, etc will affect the value.

However, with jewellery, the condition of the item is more relevant to some styles than others. For example, gold is extremely malleable, and so a missing claw in a ring can be easily replaced. By contrast, items made from enamel, such as cameo brooches, can be very difficult to repair and restore.

The same can be said for different gemstones. Some gemstones are much easier to re-cut and re-polish than others.

When sending us photos of your items please be sure to include photos of any damage to the jewellery so that we can accurately assess the condition of the item.

jewellery-age-and-value

Age

At Mark Littler Ltd we have sold jewellery from many different time periods, from the medieval Green Hammerton Ring to modern Cartier pieces. Jewellery from certain time periods is more sought after than others. For example, jewellery from the Victorian Era (1837-1901) is more sought after by collectors than jewellery from the Retro Era (1939-1950).

Whilst this is not always the case – sometimes more modern pieces command a premium, depending on numerous factors such as the designer – the age of your jewellery can be a good indication of its rarity and value in some instances.

As mentioned above, jewellery from specific periods is always more sought after if it reflects the characteristics of the particular period. For example, Art Nouveau jewellery bearing the characteristic swirls and natural motifs will be more valuable than jewellery from the same period that does not share these features.

Jewellery-value-form

Form

The form that your jewellery takes can have an effect on the value of your piece due to certain types of jewellery falling in and out of fashion.

As an example, solitaire rings and stud earrings are somewhat timeless. Brooches, by comparison, have fallen out of fashion in the last few decades. Brooches made of metal date back to the Bronze Age when they were used to secure woollen cloaks and tunics. They remained in fashion for a long time but eventually fell out of fashion in the 1980s due to changes in fashion trends and textiles. Today, clothes are more often made from polyester and cotton rather than from sturdier materials such as wool, meaning that the brooch pins are more likely to damage the clothing.

Of course, this is not to say that brooches are not worth much, just less commercial at this moment in time. That said, some of the most commercial brooches are from the Art Deco period and can command five-figure sums.

Rings, necklaces, and earrings are all very commercial, with specific styles commanding different premiums at different times in history.

How We Can Help You Sell Your Brooch

Sell jewellery private sale

Private Sale

Our brokerage service is a simple and stress-free way to sell your jewellery. We will broker the sale between you and one of our private buyers, handling every aspect of the sale on your behalf. For this service, we charge a 10 + VAT commission (12% total). This avenue is quick and easy. We will take care of everything for you.

Sell jewellery at auction

Auction

We have built relationships with some of the country’s best specialist auctions. These industry relations help us to help you sell jewellery through the auction house that is best suited to you and your item. This is critical given the high cost of selling your items through traditional auctions. We will consign your item to the appropriate auction house for you.

Sell Brooches: Expert Valuations

To make the process as simple as possible for you, we give you the opportunity to get your jewellery valued for free with our quick and easy-to-use valuation form.

Please provide as much information as possible about your item so that we can give you an accurate valuation.

Send us images of your silver on WhatsApp and we will get back with a valuation.  Click the button above or send the images to 07852 247 421

If you want to email over your images please send them to [email protected] or click the button above.

Would you rather speak in person?  Call the office on 01260 218718 weekdays 9am to 5pm and we will be happy to help.

Jewellery Valuation Contact Form

Jewellery Contact Form
Images of Your Item

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Postage Service

We make getting your jewellery to us simple.

We have a fully insured postage service. We send you specialist packing materials and instructions together with a pre-paid returns label so that you can ship your jewellery back to us quickly and safely.

For large collections and very high-value items, we also have a hand-courier service available.

The History of Brooches

The earliest brooches were used in the ancient world to pin garments to one another and were often made of thorns and flints. The Bronze age saw metal pins being fashioned for the first time. Over time, brooches transitioned from functional pieces to ornamental pieces. Brooches have, somewhat, fallen out of fashion in the modern day. However, the brooch gained increasing popularity in the Victorian era which saw the introduction of styles such as the novelty brooch and the mourning brooch. 

The most typical brooch forms recognised in history are spray, cluster, bar, pendant, novelty, aigrette, foliate, and mourning. 

Diamond brooches in various forms continue to be the most commercial on the market. Brooches set with graduated rows of diamonds and other precious gems command premiums at auction, as do 19th floral spray brooches set with diamonds.

The 4 C’s

The 4 Cs are common terminology in the world of gemmology, and they refer to the 4 most important factors that can affect the value of a diamond but can also apply to other gemstones.  The 4 Cs are:

clarity
cut
carat
colour

Clarity – The clarity of a diamond indicates how inclusion-free the diamond is. A diamond free from inclusions is commonly graded as Flawless (F). The better the clarity of the stones in your brooch, the higher the value of the brooch will be in comparison to similarly-sized stones of lower clarity.

Cut – The cut of a diamond or gemstone refers to how deep or shallow the cut is. A well-cut stone will direct light through the crown. A cut that is too deep or too shallow will allow light to escape. As such, a well-cut diamond, or other gemstone, will hold more value than one of a similar size but with a shallower cut. 

Carat – Carat refers to the carat weight of a diamond or gemstone. A 1ct diamond will be worth more than a 0.95ct diamond. As such, the larger the stone the more value the piece will hold.

Often the central diamond in a motif is the largest diamond in the piece. This, as well as the added carat weight of other stones in the piece, will contribute to the value. 

ColourColour refers to the tint within a diamond. Diamonds range from colourless to very light yellow (this is specifically in reference to colourless diamonds). There are also coloured gemstones, which refer to any gemstone that is not a diamond. The colour of these gemstones can also affect their value. For example, padparadscha sapphires – which are a beautiful orangey-pink colour, are considered the most valuable sapphires. Pale blue sapphires are generally considered the least valuable. 

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Excellent,quick and efficient service. I would definitely use them again if the need arose.
Very happy with service I received. The packaging for conveying the precious cargo gave every confidence the bottles would travel safely. Updates on the current subdued market conditions guided me with respect to a realistic asking price.
When I contacted Mark Littler and team they couldn't have been more helpful in explaining the process of valuing and selling silver. The communication was outstanding and it was so quick from start to finish. Thank you Mark & Katy for all your help.
Mark is brilliant at his work.Always answers phone calls and emails and keeps updating.i recommended Mark Littler for his expertise.
I contacted Mark Littler regarding a bottle of whisky I'd inherited after my parents passed away.Not being a whisky drinker myself didn't prevent me knowing the brand name was a whisky of quality.I'd not a clue what it was worth, or where, or who I could trust to sell it for a fair price?In my internet search, I stumbled upon the Mark Littler website. Reading through the website and the associated customer reviews gave me the confidence to contact them.After a few initial enquiries I felt that this company were the people to find me a buyer for my bottle.I did wait a while due to market fluctuations, but I was in no rush to sell and finally my bottle sold at a respectable price that I was happy to accept.From initial communication through to the courier transportation and supplied special protective packaging and the subsequent photographing and storage of my bottle it was all carried out with extreme professionalism and care.I must say above all else I found the company to be very trustworthy and honest and their expertise shines through.I would definitely recommend Mark Littler as the best place to go when looking to buy or sell whisky.Rest assured you will be in good hands from first contact to advertising through to final sale.
We wanted to sell a pocket watch and used the valuation form on the Mark Littler site. Katy was quickly in touch and then followed up with the strongest offer from interested parties, which we accepted. The process was very easy and Katy was very quick to respond to any queries and with payment once the watch was received.
I sold a Pocket Watch through Mark Littler Ltd and was delighted with the service I received from Katy and her team. The sale was concluded very quickly and funds received within days. Well recommended and thanks again!
Very professional, friendly service from Mark and Katy with an extremely good outcome from selling my whiskies. Would definitely recommend Mark Littler Ltd.
Thank you to Mark Littler and his team, for the the way my sale was dealt with. They soon secured a buyer at a good price and then kept me informed throughout, until the sale was completed.The service they offer in posting and insuring the item in transit is very good value and makes it all hassle free! First Class!
Mark Littler LTD & especially Katy have been amazingly helpful, really professional, speedy and openly honest in all their communication, the whole proces of seeking their advice and guidance with selling some jewellery, has been excellent. Without a doubt I would highly recommend and happily use their service again. Absolutely outstanding, considerate and thoughtfully caring. Thank you.
What a wonderful company to use, their expertise was really appreciated. Despite market conditions they were able to achieve an overall excellent price for my collection. I would have no hesitation in recommending Mark, Katy and the team.
Alles wurde wie besprochen erledigt, jederzeit kompetent und ausgesprochen aktiv.Nur zu empfehlen , zuverlässig , sehr vertrauenswürdig.Immer gerne wiederIngo Blome
Thank you to Katy for the professional service. A fair price, good service and prompt payment.
Top-tier service, friendly and communicative from start to finish. I couldn't recommend more highly.
Very professional service. Kept me well informed throughout the whole process of selling my watches. Will use again if I ever need to.
Mark and Katy made the whole process of selling my casks easy and took all the stress and admin out of my hands. Great final result and excellent communication. Many thanks
Found Mark Littler antiques on Google, I dealt with Katy a lot after requesting a valuation for a pocket watch I was left by a family member. They were great from start to finish - I provided them with pictures and within a couple of days they had found a buyer.As the enquiry was made just before Christmas I was unable to post the item straight away but with communication with Katy all parties were fine with this and they provided a pre paid and insured shipping label.Once the item had reached them it was a matter of days before I received payment in my account.I would recommend Mark Littler Ltd to anyone who wants to find a buyer for their antiques.
Sent lots of details and pictures of the watch, a knowledgeable sounding buyer responded and happily answered some questions back from me, I used their excellent pre-paid postage - the insurance and packaging were better than mine. Mark came straight back on receipt of the watch with a query which was resolved. Payment was made promptly. Why would I not recommend? Thank you.
Katy ensured the sale of my gold pocket watch went very smoothly and I am very happy with all elements of the service provided by Mark Littler
The staff were very helpful and the whole transaction went through without a hitch. I would certainly use them again.
Brilliant service very quick and efficient serviceThank you
Mark Littler secured a good price for my whisky.
Sent an email, quick response. Found a buyer and quick sale. Excellent from start to finish. Would definitely recommend. Thank you Katy 😊
Great service. Came back with a quote which was just over double that I’d had from another reputable company.I would definitely recommend.Thank you
Excellent service and communication. Highly recommended
The best!!!!
Very helpful, knowledgeable & honest with quick efficient prompt service, advice & most importantly for me payment. Would thoroughly recommend & would use again.
Very efficient and friendly
Exceptional service, very quick turnaround when I really needed to sell fast. The team were so professional front start to finish. Highly recommend, great service, great price for my collection, I cannot thank them enough for making us feel confident and comfortable that Littlers were the right choice.
I have to admit that I did quite a bit of due diligence on Mark and Katy on the basis of the old adage that "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is" as the price they quoted for a couple of pocket watches, after expenses, was double both my expectations and the other offers. But no, I had the full amount in my account earlier than promised. Their level of professionalism and efficiency was outstanding.
Top tier service! Very courteous and understanding. Highly recommended.
A first class service professional and friendly would recommend to anyone thanks again for getting a great price on my whiskey
An easy and highly professional experience throughout the entire process. I honestly am so happy to have found Mark Littler!A huge thankyou to the entire team who kept me updated throughout the whole process and were extremely clear and helpful with any questions!If I could give more than 5 stars I would!
Great advice given via the internet/Whattsapp with clear costs and a very personal service. Much cheaper than a standard auctioneer. Would recommend.
The service from the Littler team is exceptional. Many businesses make big promises and very very few deliver. Littler actually deliver. In addition. all the team that i dealt with were courteous and efficient and the service from start to finish was flawless. I cannot recommend them highly enough
Excellent service from initial email to sale completion. Highly recommend Mark and his team. Everything dealt with efficiently. Thank you
I recently had the pleasure of working with Mark Littler to sell my collection of 14 high-end whisky bottles, which included my precious Karuizawa collection and a 40-year-old Port Ellen, and I couldn't be more pleased with the experience. From the initial consultation through to the final sale, Mark and his team demonstrated unparalleled professionalism and deep market knowledge. They provided expert advice on pricing and marketing strategies, ensuring that my collection reached the right buyers and secured the best possible price. It's clear that Mark Littler is exceptionally skilled in handling luxury collections, and I would highly recommend his services to anyone looking to sell high-value items with confidence and ease. Thank you, Mark, for making what could have been a daunting process, smooth and rewarding!
A very efficient sales service from quote through delivery to payment. All done with care and a smile. Thanks.
I had a bottle of 25 year Anniversary McAllan and was looking at the options available.Direct selling / via broker / go to auction?To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this. I'd convinced myself that this whole process was going to be a bit of a pain.I'd envisioned bargaining back and forth with various entities, paying through the nose for commissions / insurance / postage etc...So, did some investigation, looked at number of these possibilities and decided to contact Mark Littler.No regrets.Quite simply: Great service from ML teamSo, what was good?Prompt communicationClear defined processesVery fair price offeredBottle Return process : Fully insured, solid packing materials provided.Contract clear & simple (client copy provided)Payment was completed within two days of them receiving my bottleSo thanks Matt & Rachel.Your professionalism and friendly service has been greatly appreciated.Kind regards,Brian
I am so pleased with the service I have received from Mark and his team. He has guided me through the whole process of selling my Dad’s whisky collection, Including sending the less valuable stuff to auction. I’d highly recommend him without a doubt.
Excellent professional service - prompt, uncomplicated, efficient
I can’t recommend Mark and Katy enough. My whisky casks were sold for more than I expected. This was done with minimum fuss. Their communication was great and I shall be using them again.
Can you tell me the hallmark for this medal
Response from the owner: Hi Susan. Please can you email images to [email protected] and we'll be happy to help.
Matt Tweats at Mark Littler has been super helpful and gone above and beyond to help me sell my whisky collection. Thank you very much
It was a pleasure to deal with Mark and his team in the sale of my whisky cask. Excellent customer service, communication, professional, helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly.Overall, I would have no hesitation in endorsing Mark Littler Ltd in achieving the best price if you are looking to sell your cask.
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Marks and Beth were superb during the sale of my whisky bottle. The communication was brilliant and their knowledge is also invaluable. Would 100% recommend using mark little Ltd. Will be in touch again in the future. Thank you both again for your time.
Mark’s website is very easy to use. We found him informative, helpful and friendly. Selling was easy because of Mark and his staff. Would definitely recommend
With the daunting task of selling a 17-year old barrel of Bruichladdich Whisky, I turned to Mark Littler in Oct '21. He and his team professionally led me through the process to successfully achieving a good sale and subsequent payment of proceeds - from another part of the world. I highly recommend Mark Littler and their whisky services! David Brandjes
Absolutely fantastic service , dropped 4 bottles down to the shop , within 4 weeks two had been sold and the money in our account , no mither whatsoever , we will certainly be selling through Mark with our remaining collection
Very, very pleased with the company’s service selling my silverware. I had looked into selling it at auction but the suggested price and fees put me off. It was so easy and very professional dealing with Mark Littler and I believe they got a very good price for me. Thoroughly recommend. Thank you, Hannah, for your help.
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Quick Online Brooch Valuation

We provide free jewellery valuations. Please use the form below and provide as much information as you can about your item so that we can make sure your valuation is as accurate as possible.

Alternatively, please send photos of your jewellery (as well as any other information you can provide) to our WhatsApp .

Jewellery Contact Form
Images of Your Item

Maximum file size: 10.49MB

Are You a Robot?
I agree to the privacy policy *