Fine Jewellery Auctions on eBay

Where to buy jewellery at auction in the UK

The busiest regular source of second-hand jewellery is Fellows in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. It holds two-day Jewellery sales most weeks, plus Fine Jewellery and Gemstones sales and a weekly Pawnbrokers Jewellery & Watches sale of unredeemed pledges. For antique and important pieces, look to the London majors and to regional houses such as Woolley & Wallis, Lyon & Turnbull, Dreweatts and Sworders.

Police auctions: UK forces don't run one official auction site. A 2026 guide reports that the BlueLight Commercial framework appoints John Pye, Brightwells and Wilsons for police auction services, and some forces (e.g. Sussex, Leicestershire) sell through official eBay shops. Bumblebee Auctions, once widely used by forces, could not be reached when we checked in October 2026 and shouldn't be relied on.

Nuvinty shows live eBay UK jewellery auctions next to dealer listings so you can compare prices. We link out; we don't sell, hold or authenticate jewellery.

• Fellows (Birmingham & London): Weekly jewellery and pawnbroker sales. The deepest pool of second-hand jewellery in the UK auction calendar.
• Bonhams, Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips (London): Important and signed jewels. Premiums of 28–30% at the lower tier before VAT.
• Woolley & Wallis, Lyon & Turnbull, Dreweatts, Sworders: Regional fine jewellery sales, good for antique and vintage pieces.
• the-saleroom: Search jewellery lots across 3,900+ auction houses; check each house's online surcharge.
• John Pye / Wilsons: Police, government and seized-asset sales, often unreserved. Premiums vary by sale (around 20–30% + VAT).
• eBay UK auctions: No buyer's premium. Authenticity Guarantee applies to eligible jewellery selling for £500+, including auction listings.

What it really costs: buyer's premium, surcharges and VAT

Add the buyer's premium, VAT on that premium and any online surcharge to the hammer price. Rates below come from each house's own pages, checked 5 October 2026. Always confirm in the specific sale's terms, because several houses changed rates in 2026 (Sotheby's in February, Sworders in July, Christie's in September, Bonhams in October).

Online surcharges: free on a house's own platform at Fellows (Fellows Live) and Sworders (Sworders Live). Third-party portals can add their own fee, for example 4.95% + VAT in a Lyon & Turnbull catalogue on the-saleroom.

VAT basics: most second-hand jewellery is sold under the auctioneers' margin scheme, with no VAT on the hammer price. The VAT inside the premium isn't recoverable as input tax. A dagger (†) means 20% VAT on the hammer. A double dagger (‡) means 5% import VAT on the hammer for lots temporarily imported from outside the UK, and an omega (Ω) means 20%; Woolley & Wallis applies its Ω rate to hammer and premium.

Buying from abroad: if a seller ships jewellery to you from outside the UK, goods over £135 attract import VAT, plus any customs duty, which you pay to the delivery company before delivery.

Worked example on a £2,000 hammer, assuming a margin-scheme lot: Woolley & Wallis at 27% + VAT is £2,000 + £540 + £108 = £2,648. Fellows at 25% + VAT is £2,000 + £500 + £100 = £2,600.

• Fellows: 25% + VAT (30% inc. VAT) on the first £100,000 of hammer; 15% + VAT (18% inc. VAT) above. No extra fee via Fellows Live; third-party platforms may add their own charge. Checked 5 Oct 2026.
• Bonhams (UK): From 1 Oct 2026 (sales commencing on/after that date): 30% on the first £25,000; 28% to £500,000; 25% to £1m; 21% to £5m; 14% above. VAT at 20% added to the premium. (Until 30 Sep 2026: 28% on first £40,000, then 27% to £800,000.)
• Christie's London: 28% up to £1,500,000; 22% to £6,000,000; 15% above (effective 1 Sep 2026). Rates quoted excluding local taxes; London conditions state VAT is added to the premium (may not be shown separately on margin-scheme lots).
• Sotheby's London: 28% up to £1,500,000; 22% to £6,000,000; 15% above (in force since 13 Feb 2026). Rates exclude local taxes.
• Phillips London: London, effective 12 Apr 2026: standard 29% + VAT up to £1.5m (34.8% inc. VAT), 22% to £6m, 15% above; 'Priority Bidding' rate 25% + VAT (30% inc. VAT) for qualifying advance bids in live sales only. Phillips' headline watch sales are in Geneva, New York and Hong Kong (watch rate 27% there).
• Lyon & Turnbull: 27% up to £20,000; 26% £20,001–£800,000; 20% thereafter; plus VAT on the premium. A the-saleroom catalogue notes an extra 4.95% + VAT when bidding there.
• Dreweatts: 28% + VAT (33.6% inc.) to £25,000; 27% + VAT (32.4%) to £500,000; 26% + VAT (31.2%) above, per the Terms page. Its How to Bid page still shows an older 27% rate, so check the sale catalogue.
• Woolley & Wallis: 27% + VAT (32.4% inc.) on the first £20,000; 26% + VAT (31.2%) to £500,000; 20% + VAT (24%) thereafter.
• Sworders: From 1 July 2026: 27% on the first £20,000; 25% £20,001–£500,000; 20% above; VAT on the premium. No surcharge using Sworders Live; other platforms charge their own fee.
• John Pye (police & government): Usually 25% + VAT on the hammer price per its FAQ; luxury-assets terms say 'usually 20%', as set in each sale's Important Notes.
• Wilsons (government sales): Set per sale, e.g. 30% + VAT on the commission in a June 2025 luxury sale.
• eBay UK: No buyer's premium. On items from UK private sellers, a Buyer Protection fee is already included in the price shown: £0.10 + 7% to £20 + 4% of £20–£300 + 2% of £300–£4,000, nothing above £4,000 (inc. VAT). There's no fee on business sellers' items.

How to bid well on jewellery

Jewellery is sold as described in the auctioneer's opinion, and gemstones are often treated. John Pye's terms, for example, say buyers accept that stones may have been treated, including clarity-enhanced diamonds. Do your checks before you bid.

• Check the hallmark: A full UK hallmark has three compulsory marks: sponsor's mark, fineness mark (e.g. 375 for 9ct gold) and assay office mark. Items over the exemption weights must be hallmarked to be described as precious metal: gold 1g, silver 7.78g, platinum 0.5g, palladium 1g.
• Ask for a condition report: Ask about worn claws, solder repairs, resizing, chips and replaced stones. Dreweatts gives condition reports only in writing and needs requests by 4pm the day before the sale.
• Treat stone descriptions carefully: Look for an independent lab certificate on significant diamonds and coloured stones. Without one, assume treatments are possible and weights are estimated in the setting.
• Read estimates, not reserves: Estimates exclude the premium. One house's terms note the low estimate may be the reserve and the reserve won't be below it. Unreserved police and government lots can sell well below the estimate, or far above it.
• Bid with an all-in ceiling: At 25% + VAT, a £1,000 all-in budget means a hammer limit of about £769. At 27% + VAT it is about £755.
• Police-auction caution: Seized and unclaimed property is sold without warranty and with collection or postage at your cost. Authentication varies, so read each lot description closely.

Auction vs buying pre-owned from a dealer

Auctions offer variety and real market pricing, especially for antique and estate jewellery, but you take on more risk.

• Return rights: Public-auction contracts are excluded from the 14-day cancellation right. Fellows states it gives no refunds for buyer's remorse. Online dealers generally must offer the 14-day cancellation.
• Statutory rights: For second-hand goods at a public auction you can attend in person, most Consumer Rights Act goods rights don't apply. Buying from a trader keeps them.
• Authentication: At auction, satisfying yourself is your responsibility. A good jeweller or dealer guarantees what they sell. eBay's Authenticity Guarantee checks eligible jewellery selling for £500+.
• Price: Hammer prices can undercut retail, but add 30–36% for premium and VAT before comparing. Nuvinty lets you see live eBay auctions and dealer asking prices together.