Referring a File to Us: The Procedure

The procedure is deliberately straightforward: no agreement, no open account, no prior formalities. Here is how notarial offices proceed in practice.

1. A Call, if You Wish

Two minutes are enough to frame a file: the nature of the items, the order of magnitude, the number of heirs, the deadline for the declaration. We tell you what is useful to bring and point out any special cases—signed pieces requiring research, very large lots, stones to be certified.

This call is not mandatory: your client can come directly.

2. What Your Client Should Bring

• Jewellery, including anything that seems worthless—melt gold and debris also count;
• Available documents: laboratory certificates, original invoices, jewel cases, previous appraisals;
• Any insurance contracts—a decisive element, as they can set a minimum value under Article 764(II) of the French General Tax Code;
• An identity document, essential if a sale is envisaged.

3. The Examination

It takes place in our offices, in front of the client, without an appointment, Monday to Friday, 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 6:30 pm. The jewellery is not deposited: it remains in sight of its holder throughout the appraisal. Several heirs can attend the examination together.

4. What You Receive

Your client leaves with the written estimate, which they pass on to you for the declaration. If the heirs decide to sell, the purchase invoice documents the disposal of the asset and usefully completes the file.

The Timeline: Your Real Constraint

The succession declaration is due within six months of a death occurring in France. Between opening a safe, gathering the heirs, and collecting documents, this deadline quickly runs out. The appraisal, however, takes only one visit: it is rarely what delays a file, provided it is not left until the end.

Our advice to notarial offices: have the items appraised as soon as they are gathered, before the heirs even decide whether to keep, share, or sell. The figure informs the decision, rather than following it.

Page updated on 25 July 2026.