Having a Mellerio jewel appraised and sold

Founded in 1613 by a family of Lombard origin who settled in Paris, and passed down through generations, the house worked for European courts before establishing itself on Rue de la Paix. This continuity has resulted in a broad collection encompassing goldsmithing, ceremonial jewelry, and everyday pieces. The families listed below represent the core of what passes through our counters.

Tiaras and head jewelry

The house produced many of these, which remains rare in French jewelry. A tiara mount is recognizable by its structure: a rigid frame in gold or silver lined with gold, dense setting, a fastening system on a band, and often the possibility of detaching certain motifs to wear them as brooches. This transformable nature, common on ceremonial pieces, is evident on the back of the mount: hinges, prongs, and screw threads.

Naturalist brooches and peonies

Floral motifs hold a significant place in the history of the House, with the peony being its most recognizable design. These brooches are characterized by their three-dimensional modeling, petals mounted on springs or stems to create movement, and settings that follow the curve of the design. The reverse, often openwork to allow light to pass beneath the stones, speaks volumes about the quality of craftsmanship.

Engagement rings and wedding bands

This is the most frequently resold category. Solitaires in delicate settings, settings with shoulders, rings set with a line of diamonds. The signature is engraved inside the band, along with the metal's purity, and on recent pieces, a unique number for the ring. The quality of the setting is judged by the regularity of the grains and how the table of stones aligns from one end of the band to the other.

Goldsmithing and commissioned objects

The firm also produces silverware and trophies in silver or vermeil. These objects require a different analysis than jewelry: they contain a significant amount of silver, their fineness is determined by the hallmark, and their value for use or commission can far exceed that of the metal itself. We examine them, but we will tell you frankly when an auction would be more advantageous for you.

Where are the signature and warranty marks located?

On a ring, the engraving runs along the inside of the band; on a brooch, it is found on the back, near the pin's hinge; on a necklace, on the back of the clasp or on an attached plaque. The name may appear in abbreviated form on antique pieces, which is perfectly normal. The metal's fineness, expressed in thousandths, accompanies it, along with the maker's mark within its lozenge shape. For pieces that circulated in France, the state guarantee mark is also present: an eagle's head on eighteen-karat gold, a Minerva head on 925-thousandths silver. On antique platinum settings, the guarantee mark differs and is located elsewhere: we always look for it.

This house has the distinction of keeping archives over a very long period. When an old piece is documented, this documentation becomes an element of appreciation in its own right, because it establishes a continuity that nothing else can replace.

An old invoice, a letter, an entry in an estate inventory, or a dated family photograph serves the same purpose. They have no legal value as authentication, but they guide the examination and reassure the next buyer. Bring them along, even if they seem insignificant.

For coins set with a significant gemstone, an independent laboratory report remains the most directly usable document. As for the invoice, if it has survived, it retains its value for tax purposes: it allows one to deviate from the standard valuation for precious metals and instead base their calculations on the actual profit realized.

With a house this old, the risk isn't mass production but misappropriation. A 19th-century gem.^e A fine piece from the 19th century is frequently presented as coming from a particular Parisian workshop without any maker's mark to support this claim. We do not validate an attribution based solely on style.

The second point concerns remounting. An old stone placed in a new setting, or vice versa, can be identified by physical clues: the nature of the soldering, differences in wear between the components, a setting that doesn't perfectly fit the gem, recent tool marks on patinated metal. Remounting doesn't negate the value, but it changes the object in question, and that must be acknowledged.

Finally, the signature itself. An engraving added to an anonymous piece can be read by its consistent depth, its font too sharp for its support, and the raised metal rim left on its edges. When we cannot draw a conclusion, we write it down.