It’s no uncommon for family members to come across possessions, belongings or keepsakes kept and perhaps passed down by their older relatives. This might be a watch that your great grandparent purchased in France during the midst of WW2, or it might be an engagement ring that your great auntie has worn with pride every since she agreed to her husband’s heartwarming proposal.

When a piece like this enters our possession, it can be tough to know what to do with it. In some cases, the answer is obvious because we may have been told how to care for it and what our relative’s wishes for such a piece were. For the most part, however, it’s not uncommon for us to have free reign over our decisions just as our relative did when enjoying the piece.

For the most part, a piece like this can symbolize the character and memory of that person, meaning that selling it immediately is not always something people are happy to do.

In this post, we’ll discuss a few measures to take if given a beautiful jewelry piece, and what form that might take:

Appraise It

Having the piece appraised will help you understand its true value and worth. It might be that a piece you felt was relatively disposable can be traced to a brand that has long since been defunct with its pieces seemingly quite rare, assuring its value. Perhaps the historical quality of a certain design has allowed it to grow in value. At the very least, it’s best to understand its worth before giving it away, because the last thing you need is to give away or dispose of your piece, thinking it’s a fake, when really it’s a gorgeous and worthwhile genuine model.

Insure It

Of course, even if your item has a relatively average value, insuring it can be a good idea. This can help at least soften the blow of loss or the need for more repairs over time, if that’s appropriate. If the item is valuable, then of course, bigger and better insurance should be had, perhaps not just as a listed item within your contents insurance package but a full specific package for that item. Then you can rest with peace of mind, knowing that its worth is safe.

Maintain It

Maintaining the piece is also important and a good way to keep it functional. Using services like Fast-Fix can be the best place to start, as they can help you cultivate, maintain, repair and ensure your items value and worth from here on out, affordability and realistically depending on the needs of the item. This way, even seemingly irreparable damage can be aided in some way, or at least a consultant will be able to make pointed and accurate recommendations depending on the style of item it is. For instance, they may be able to replace the strap of a watch with a similar styling, new, but retaining the original character of the item.

With this advice, we hope you can feel more confident when inheriting a beautiful jewelry piece.