Help & Advice Frequently Asked Questions

A).We have two branches, Petersfield in Hampshire, which is on the A3 half way between Guildford and Portsmouth; and Southampton, which is on the main central shopping street “Above Bar”.

A).At both Petersfield and Southampton branch opening hours are Monday to Saturday 9a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and we do not close for lunch.

A).Yes. We would be most happy if you would like to send us your item by registered post, which would ensure that it is fully insured and would arrive with us before 12 o’clock on the next working day*. If you can e-mail us first so that someone can look out for the piece and they we would telephone and confirm the piece has arrived safely, then report on the work needed, its cost and when we expect it to be ready. If it is a complicated request then we can obtain a no obligation estimate form our workshop, which will take about 7-10 days depending on the type of item. This would at least save you the trouble of two visits to the showroom. One of our members of staff would be delighted to oversee the progress of your repair personally.

*except you have to pay more to guarantee this service to arrive on a Saturday morning.

A).Yes we offer a ring sizing service and on average it takes 7-10 days to do this, as we do not have room to have a workshop on our premises here in Petersfield. It may take longer if there is other work to be done like retipping claws.

With regard to the price, we would normally like to see the ring first to check that the design of the piece would not be affected by sizing . Our prices differ depending on what carat of gold or platinum we are working on.

A).Yes we do undertake these special one off pieces. We can obtain loose gemstones for customers to see first before hand crafting the piece.

Normally we would prefer customers to visit us in the showrooms where we can show you different setting styles from examples in our stock range and check we have all the relevant factors like your finger size, proportions of the stones you require etc. Hand made one off rings are always a little more in price than a similar ring in our stock because it has to be hand made to your requirements

We normally obtain a no obligation quotation for you first which can take approximately 10-14 days. On average it takes about 4 weeks to complete a bespoke ring, depending on the complexity of the design and the materials involved. If the finished piece requires hallmarking there is an additional charge and it would add a few weeks more to the timescale.

A).On average it takes 3-4 weeks to complete a ring remount and we normally obtain a no obligation quotation for you first which can take 10-14 days. If the finished piece requires hallmarking there is an additional charge and it would add a few weeks more to the timescale.

Remounting of rings in general can have many factors dependant on each job, which we would consider looking at each piece individually. With regard to the price, we would need to assess: if a cast (pre-made) mount or a totally handmade mount is necessary. The proportions of the gold work and the caratage of the metal. The time needed to reset gemstone and if the piece needs hallmarking. We can certainly look after all these considerations but these are best discussed in our showroom with the item.

A).We would be delighted to arrange to lengthen your pearl necklace. Firstly we would need to have the necklace returned one of our showrooms, where you would be given a receipt for them and they would be sent to our pearl specialists in order to have pearls of the same type, shape, size and colour of lustre matched to them.

If pearls have been damaged or discoloured we would obtain a quotation to replace the particular pearls.

We offer restringing services to natural, cultured, simulated, freshwater pearls, semi precious beads and most types of costume necklaces. We need to measure the length and see if they are all the same size or graduated and whether they have knots between each bead.

A).At Petersfield branch: Ebel, Omega, Longines, Rotary, Seiko, Lorus, Swatch and second hand models.

At Southampton branch: Piaget, Omega, Raymond Weil, Tissot, Micheal Herbelin, Rotary (gold and silver models only), Second hand watches including Rolex models.

Both showrooms would be delighted to transfer any watches or jewellery form the other showroom if you would us to look after you at your most local showroom.

A).All of the watches that we offer for sale at either branch, plus Jaeger le Coutre, Patek Phillippe, Rolex, Rado, Gucci, Cartier, Tag Heuer and Hamilton.

Unfortunately we are not agents for all watch brands, some types of watches it may be possible to repair through our independent watch workshops. Please e-mail us your watch queries including its type and its symptoms or please visit one of our showrooms and we can advise you further.

A).Yes. Firstly what type of valuation do you require? The most frequently requested valuation is a valuation for insurance purposes.

This represents the price you would have to pay to replace the item. This is not suitable if you are looking to sell the item as it does not reflect the market value of a piece. If someone has died and you need to settle the estate a probate valuation is the type of valuation required. Occasionally someone may require a valuation between an insurance valuation and a probate valuation and this type is called “sale between parties” and most frequently is used when a couple are going through divorce proceedings.

Our valuation fees are based on the total price of however many items we are valuing, so if there are several pieces you are unsure about it is a good idea to bring them in together so you only get charged one fee. I have attached a list of our current valuation fees.

Please note that you normally do not require an independent valuation if the ring is under 4-5 years old, as the purchase receipt will still be valid.

If you would like us to carry out a valuation for insurance please bring in the item, together with any supporting paperwork or previous valuations or certificates and the item will be inspected to check it is in good condition (the Valuer has a moral obligation to your insurance company as well as the customer to ensure goods are safe) and you will be given a receipt and told an approximate time it should be ready for collection. This is normally about 5 days minimum as we need to photograph and clean your piece as well as examine it in depth. Click here for our valuation price list

A).If you have pieces of jewellery which you would like Mr Pickett to consider making you an offer to purchase, we would need to take in the pieces and give you a receipt for them whilst our Registered Valuer and Mr Pickett make a decision. This process can take between 3 days to a week normally.

At Picketts and Pursers we do not purchase any loose gemstones from members of the public.