Authenticity & grading

Checked by hand, described as we found it.

Nothing is listed until a specialist has had it on the bench. This page sets out what that actually involves, what our condition grades mean, and what we will and won't claim about a piece.

How we check

What our specialists look at

Our specialists work with the piece in front of them, not with the description supplied by whoever sold it to us. What they find is what goes into the listing, including the parts that are less flattering — a replaced clasp, a light polish, a chip in a stone.

Where a piece carries original documentation, service history or certification, we say so and photograph it. Where it doesn't, we say that too. Every photograph is of the actual item, never a stock picture, and we would rather lose a sale than describe something we cannot stand behind.

If anything is unclear from the listing, ask. We'll take more photographs, weigh something again, or read a hallmark back to you.

Watches The movement is run and timed. The case, bracelet, clasp and dial are examined for replacement parts, incorrect fittings and over-polishing, and the serial and reference numbers are checked against the model the watch claims to be.

Jewellery Metals are tested and hallmarks read. Stones are examined under magnification for cut, colour, clarity and any treatment, and settings are checked for damage and previous repair.

Gold & silver Weighed and tested, with hallmarks read for maker, standard, assay office and date letter. Bullion is measured against the published specification.

Coins Weight and dimensions are measured against the mint specification, and strike, lustre and edge are examined for wear, cleaning and casting.

A warranty card is not authentication

Boxes, cards and certificates can be bought separately, and a card only records what a retailer wrote on it years ago. We treat paperwork as useful provenance, never as proof. Authentication comes from the piece itself — the movement, the metal, the stones, the hallmark and the numbers.

How we grade

One scale, used consistently

Condition is described plainly, using the same scale across every category, with honest notes and photographs of the actual item.

A grade is a summary, not the whole story. Read it alongside the condition notes and the photographs on the listing, which is where anything specific to that piece is recorded.

Unworn As new, unworn, typically with original packaging.

Excellent Very light signs of wear, if any; beautifully kept.

Very good Light, honest wear consistent with careful use.

Good Visible wear or age; character with plenty of life left.

Uncirculated Coins that have never entered circulation.

Buying with confidence

Checked here, insured to your door.

Every piece is dispatched fully insured and fully tracked, with a signature required on delivery, and delivery is included in the price. If a piece isn't what you expected when it arrives, you have 14 days to change your mind.

The full terms are on our delivery and returns page.

Browse the collection Ask us about a piece

Photographed as it is

The images on a listing are of that piece, in the condition described — never a stock picture.

Insured & tracked

Every dispatch is fully insured and fully tracked, with a signature required.

14-day returns

Change your mind within 14 days of delivery for a straightforward refund.