Settling a loved one's estate? We buy the precious metals portion — gold and silver jewelry, coin collections, bullion, sterling flatware, and scrap gold. Private, discreet, and appointment-only at 1020 Carrington Place.
Settling an estate is a hard enough job without having to figure out whether Grandma's jewelry is real gold, whether Dad's coin collection is worth anything, or whether that box of silverware in the attic is sterling or plate. That's the part Rivanna Precious Metals handles. We buy the gold, silver, coins, and bullion portion of estates in Charlottesville and throughout Central Virginia — quickly, privately, and at fair market rates based on current spot prices.
We are not a general estate sale company. We don't hold sales in the deceased's home, we don't haul away furniture, and we don't price artwork or antiques. What we do — and do well — is identify, test, and buy everything precious-metal in the estate so the family can convert that portion to cash in a single, private appointment.
Important: We specialize exclusively in precious metals. We do not buy furniture, artwork (unless it contains precious metals), antiques, vehicles, general household items, or handle full estate liquidations. For those, we're happy to refer you to trusted local estate sale professionals in the Charlottesville area.
Bring everything you think might qualify — we'll sort it on-site, test it, and tell you honestly what's real and what isn't.
Because we specialize, there's a clear line around what we handle. If your estate includes any of the following, we'd recommend working with a dedicated estate sale company or the appropriate specialist:
If you're working with an estate sale company, we can act as their precious-metals partner — many Charlottesville estate sale firms refer their gold and silver items to us so their clients get refinery-level rates on those items instead of storefront retail.
You've been given a box of jewelry from a parent or grandparent. Some pieces are clearly nice. Some are obviously costume. Some you have no idea about. Bring the whole box. We'll sort it in front of you: real gold here, sterling silver there, costume in that pile, and we'll make an offer on what has precious metal value. You keep everything sentimental.
Someone in the family collected coins for 40 years and nobody else knows what any of them are worth. We go through the collection piece by piece — bullion coins at spot, numismatic coins at collector value, junk silver at weight-based pricing, proof sets evaluated individually. It takes as long as it takes, and you'll leave knowing what every coin is.
Sometimes the bank sends the family home with envelopes of gold coins, a few bars, and some heirloom jewelry. We can evaluate the entire safe-deposit contents in a single private appointment. Bring photo ID and the estate documentation; we'll take it from there.
Many Charlottesville estates contain substantial sterling silver — trays, tea services, flatware sets. Pieces are often marked "Sterling" or ".925." Silver of this kind has significant melt value, and we pay based on weight × current silver spot price. This is often one of the most overlooked sources of value in an estate.
Unmarked metal items, single earrings, tangled chains, dental gold, foreign coins nobody recognizes — all of this gets tested in front of you. You'll leave knowing what was real and what wasn't, and paid fairly for whatever was.
Call or text 434-995-0404 or book on the calendar on our home page. Tell us roughly what you're bringing so we can allow enough time. For large estates, we can block a longer appointment window.
Boxes, envelopes, bags, folders, display cases — whatever it's all stored in. We'd rather sort through extra than miss something of value. Include items even if you're not sure whether they're real or not.
At our Charlottesville office at 1020 Carrington Place, we meet one-on-one. Every piece gets tested with acid or XRF, weighed on a certified scale, and categorized in front of you. Coins are evaluated individually. You see every test, every weight, and every price on the scale.
We make an offer based on current spot prices and collector values. If something isn't worth buying (costume, plated, or otherwise), we'll tell you and explain why. You're never charged for the evaluation itself.
If you accept the offer, you're paid immediately in cash or check. If you'd prefer to think it over, you leave with everything you brought and zero pressure to come back.
Families from across Central Virginia bring estate jewelry and coin collections to our Charlottesville office:
Private, respectful, and appointment-only. We understand estates involve grief as much as paperwork — we handle both with care.
Convenient Charlottesville office location. Meet on your schedule.
1020 Carrington Place
Charlottesville, VA 22901