Jewellery Expert

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Jewellery Expert

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As an in-house or freelance jewellery or silverware expert, maybe offering consultancy, you have all the attributes and job roles of a regular auctioneer, with an extra layer of specialism: you deal only with jewellery or silverware.

You also have a knowledge and understanding of collections and estates housing particular items.  

Your honed list of clients is impressive as is your knowledge of their specific interests, collections and desires.

In this role, you:

• Examine each item or piece and assess its value
• Confer with the client (owner of the item) and agree a price for sale
• Curate items for each sale
• Arrange the venue for the sale date
• Organise insurance, transport and security of goods for sale
• Create brochures detailing the items for sale
• Promote the sales event
• Verbally present and describe each item at the auction
• Observe the audience, call bids and take bids on the phone and internet
• Calculate commission earned on sold items
• Complete paperwork

Length of Training

8+ years

Salary Expectations

£30,000+

Qualification Requirements

Experience

You have considerable retail or re-commerce experience, maybe working in an antiques shop, where you could have started as a junior salesroom assistant or in an admin position, then, over the years, gathered experience in jewellery and silverware.

Your experience covers sales and auction administration, like recording sales. You may also have been involved in photoshoots and setting up displays.

Knowledge

As a specialist auctioneer, you have your finger on the pulse of previous and current jewellery and silverware salesroom figures and understand sales trends and market demands.

Discreet and professional, you have a refined personal and specific network for sourcing and promoting items for sale.

You have a thorough understanding of materials and are able to competently value items for sale.

Skills
• A background in jewellery or silver, most likely at degree level or higher
• An experienced public speaker, at ease in front of crowds
• Able to speak quickly and clearly with a strong voice
• Able to command and monitor a room
• Have an awareness of your surroundings and ability to notice subtleties
• Great attention to detail
• An organiser with great admin skills – for maintaining records
• Good at retaining knowledge
• A sound understanding of business
• Good numeracy skills
Personal Attributes
• An excellent communicator
• A quick thinker
• An empathetic people person
• Outgoing
• Take pride in your appearance
• Have a professional demeanour
• Able to work under pressure
• Enjoy working as part of a team
• Reliable and trustworthy – you handle other people’s valued items
• Organised and methodological
• Understand geology, base compounds and material make up to verify authenticity
Qualification Requirements

Generally, you need GCSEs and A level to become a salesroom assistant. From there, you gain experience and work up to the position of auctioneer.

Established and well-known auction houses require a degree in jewellery or silversmithing with additional qualifications, like gemmology or diamond grading, for valuation.

Sotheby’s and Christie’s run their own post-graduate courses and entry schemes. 

Once in this field, it is possible to work towards Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) membership.

Role also Called

Specialist silverware, jewellery auctioneer, Senior specialist silverware, jewellery auctioneer