Fine art and jewellery valuers
Independent valuations for collectors, estates and institutions
From a single piece to the contents of an entire house, we value fine art, jewellery, furniture and decorative art for insurance, probate, tax, divorce and litigation. See what we value ↓
We are approved valuers for Chubb, Hiscox, Covéa, AIG and Axa XL, and work closely with brokers, solicitors and family offices.
Based in London, we also work regularly overseas, with valuations in Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the United States.
What do you need a valuation for?
Who we work with
Private clients
Insurance and divorce valuations of your home, collection and jewellery, with preferential fees for many insurers’ policyholders.
Executors and families
Valuations for probate purposes at a fixed fee agreed in advance, ready for the IHT400. When the family decides to sell, we arrange each sale where it will do best.
Solicitors
Probate, divorce and litigation. RICS-regulated reports, fees agreed in writing and one point of contact.
Insurers, brokers and loss adjusters
Approved valuers to leading high net worth insurers, before and after a loss.
Family offices
Discreet, ongoing care of collections held across several homes, with one point of contact.
Museums and institutions
Collection audits, insurance valuations and loan valuations for public and private collections.
What we value
We draw on specialist knowledge across every field, so every object is assessed against its own market. We value for insurance, probate and tax, divorce and litigation.
Sales we have arranged
A selection of results we have achieved for clients at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams and specialist salerooms across the UK.
Christie’s New York, September 2021
Sold for $990,000 including premium
Sotheby’s London, November 2014
Sold for £410,000 including premium
Christie’s New York, January 2019
Sold for $396,500 including premium
Sotheby’s London, November 2018
Sold for £250,000 including premium
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get art valued in London?
Coram James is an independent, RICS-regulated valuation practice based in central London. We visit homes, offices and storage across London and the rest of the UK, so your pieces stay where they are.
How much does a valuation cost?
Valuations for probate purposes have a fixed fee, agreed before we visit. Other valuations are quoted in advance, based on the time the work needs, and for larger collections we can visit first to quote, free of charge, if required.
What do you value?
Fine art, jewellery, watches, silver, furniture, Asian art and most other collecting fields, from a single item to the full contents of a house. See what we value.
What is the difference between an insurance value and a probate value?
An insurance valuation is on a full retail replacement basis, reflecting the cost of replacing each item in today’s market. A valuation for probate purposes uses open market value, the price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller, as HMRC requires.
Are you independent?
Yes. We are not tied to any auction house or dealer, so our figures are impartial. If you decide to sell, we advise on where and how, and the auction house pays you directly.
Will my report satisfy insurers, HMRC and the courts?
Our reports are prepared to RICS standards, and we regularly act as single joint expert in family and civil proceedings. Every figure is explained and supported by market evidence.
What our clients say
★★★★★ Rated five stars on Google
‘Their Final Report was meticulously documented with a clear and precise explanation of the appraisal process which would stand up to scrutiny.’
Richard Nicholson
‘The final report was issued very promptly and was a very professional document. It went straight off to our brokers who I think were very impressed with the report and the level of detail.’
Simon Haslam
‘Robert James carried out a full valuation of assets here at the Oxford and Cambridge Club… the report was extremely detailed and delivered in a timely way.’
Alistair Telfer, Oxford and Cambridge Club
