ADAM'S Fine Jewellery & Ladies Watches 12th May 2026

210 A guide to buying jewellery at auction Adam’s Auctioneers act as agents to sell jewellery on behalf of predominantly, pri- vate clients. As such, the jewellery offered for sale at Adam’s is generally vintage or antique. When purchasing such jewellery it must be borne in mind that, as would be the case when purchasing a vintage car, it will require servicing from time to time. The pur- chasing of jewellery at auction allows you the opportunity to buy and own unique and rare pieces at a fraction of what it might cost to buy such pieces at retail. However, it is your responsibility as a buyer, to be aware of the specific attention such period pieces require and to bear in mind that this may include a regular, annual service by a rep- utable jeweller. Cleaning your jewellery In order for your jewellery to remain in the best condition, it should be kept in a clean, dry place. Damage can be easily avoided by storing pieces separately and by divid- ing them using tissue paper. Diamonds are extremely hard-wearing but attract grease, and so when cleaning they require hot wa- ter, a non-bleaching washing-up liquid such as fairy liquid and a soft toothbrush. The same process may be applied to rubies and sapphires. More fragile gemstones such as emeralds, aquamarines, morganite and he- liodor should be washed with a lukewarm, not hot water, a similar washing-up liquid and a soft toothbrush and only for very short periods of time. Organic gemstones, such as coral, amber or pearls, should only be cleaned using a soft cloth and not washed at all. Additionally, Adam’s always recom- mends re-stringing pearls. If you have any queries regarding specific items we recom- mend reaching out to local jewellers who will be happy to help. Catalogue information and condition re- ports All jewellery sold at Adam’s is examined by an experienced gemmologist and is accom- panied by a thorough catalogue’s descrip- tion. If you require any specific, additional information, not provided in the catalogue description, do not hesitate to request a condition report, in advance of the auction, which we will be happy to provide. Buying jewellery containing gemstones Some gemstones offered for sale at Adam’s may be accompanied by their own labora- tory report which will be clearly noted in the jewellery catalogue’s description. Addition- ally, some diamonds offered for sale which have been certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) laboratory, may have a code laser inscribed to the girdle which is possible to look up on the GIA web- site, this will give you specific information with regards to the weight and grading of the diamond. If a diamond is laser inscribed, it will be mentioned in its catalogue descrip- tion. If a gemstone isn’t accompanied by a lab- oratory report and doesn’t have a laser in- scription, it will have been graded by our own gemmologists and this information is available in the condition report, not the cat- alogue description. Please note that carat weights given in the condition reports are those of mounted gemstones, and as such, allow for a discrepancy of between 5-10% with those that are unmounted. Adam’s rec- ommends that buyers request a condition report before purchasing and examine both the report and the item carefully. Synthetic gemstones Natural and synthetic gems have the exact same chemical structure and because of this, can look extremely similar, if not iden- tical. On occasion, Adam’s will sell synthetic gemstones giving buyers a chance to bid on beautiful pieces at more accessible prices. However, it will be clearly stated that they are synthetic. Retro pieces will commonly have small calibré-cut synthetic gemstones which is considered acceptable as gem- stones were scarce during and post WWII. Photography All items of jewellery sold in our Fine Jewel- lery auctions are photographed in house by our experienced photography team and are displayed on Adam's website prior to the auction. Some images may include mod- els. If you require additional images, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the Jewellery Department and we will be happy to sup- ply you with additional images prior to the auction. Additional images may be helpful to give a sense of scale, especially if you are unable to make it to the viewing. Jewellery pouches and boxes If an item of jewellery is accompanied by a case, pouch or certificate, this will be clear- ly stated in the catalogue’s description. All items purchased in Adam’s Fine Jewellery auctions are accompanied with a compli- mentary suede pouch. Ring boxes are avail- able to purchase for an additional cost of 30 euros +VAT, to provide a unique and beauti- ful gift for a special occasion. Collecting your jewellery Finally, on collection of an item of jewellery from Adam’s, you, as a buyer should thor- oughly examine the item and satisfy yourself as to its condition, double-checking that the condition agrees with the condition report. Unfortunately, once you have signed for and collected the item in question, Adam’s can no longer be held liable for the condition. As we do not have an in-house shipping department, the following options are avail- able to you: If you have your own Fedex or UPS account, you are wel- come to provide it to us and we can pack and send your items to you. You can ship with a specialised jewellery shipper but the invoice made would be via Adam’s, so we can provide you with a quote and pack your items for you. You can also contact the ship- ping company directly and they will pack, pick up, send and invoice you directly. Their contact details can be found on our website. If you require shipping outside of the EU, you would be entitled to reclaim the VAT on our premium against a proof of export document. This is something Ferrari and Mailboxes would be able to provide to us directly but if you choose your own cou- rier, you will need to claim that proof of ex- port directly with them. For all jewellery and watch shipments, the jewellery department would be delighted to assist you.