Declaring jewelry in an inheritance: how to proceed

Once the initial shock has passed, the administrative machinery kicks in. Here, in order, is what concerns jewelry — and what you can prepare without waiting.

Step 1: gather and inventory

Before anything else, collect the jewelry, wherever it may be: at home, in a bank safe, with a relative. Photograph each piece and note what you know about its origin. Also look for associated documents: invoices, laboratory certificates (GIA, IGI, HRD), boxes, previous appraisals, and especially insurance contracts — these can set a floor value, as explained on our page insurance and declared value.

Opening a bank safe after a death follows a specific procedure: the bank freezes the safe and its opening is generally done in the presence of the notary, with an inventory. Allow for this delay in your schedule.

Step 2: have the value determined

This is the step where we intervene. The appraisal must be based on the market value on the day of death, piece by piece. Two routes are possible: the inventory drawn up by a bailiff or notary, who may call upon an expert; or a written estimate by a market professional, which you then transmit to your notary.

In both cases, what makes the document solid is the precision of the description: metal and hallmark, weight, weight and quality of stones, signature, period, condition. A line "lot of jewelry: €15,000" is hard to defend; a detailed list is not.

Step 3: the inheritance tax return

The return is filed by the heirs, in practice almost always through the notary handling the case. The jewelry is listed in the movable assets, separately from household furniture — note that the 5% lump sum does not cover them.

The deadline is six months from the death occurring in mainland France, twelve months for a death abroad. In case of delay, the tax authorities apply interest of 0.20% per month, plus a penalty of 10% beyond twelve months, increased to 40% after an unanswered formal notice.

The mistakes we see most often

• Forgetting pieces "without value": costume jewelry does not interest the tax authorities, but scrap gold, debris, and old watches do — and they can sometimes represent several thousand euros.
• Starting from the insurance value as if it were the market value: this is a replacement cost new, structurally higher.
• Selling before having everything appraised, and ending up with no written record of what left the estate.
• Waiting until the fifth month to start: between the safe, the appraisal, and the notary, six months pass very quickly.

Updated on July 24, 2026 — rates and allowances are subject to change with each finance law.