I consigned with FORTUNA after inquiring with two other auction houses in New York City. Both gave me a much lower appraisal value than FORTUNA and weren't interested in consigning all of our jewelry—they wanted to cherry-pick. In the end, FORTUNA got us a higher amount than the replacement value appraisal we previously obtained. I highly recommend them.
I have been working with FORTUNA for many years and my experience has been nothing but 5-star service and results. The best part about working with FORTUNA is the auction results. I have used many different auction houses in the past and find the sales results I have gotten from FORTUNA have been the best. I am very happy and my clients are happy.
I first met the folks at FORTUNA in 2011. Knowing them for the past many years, my trust with them is 110%, and they are the friendliest people in the business.
I held onto my jewelry for over a year, because I couldn't find anywhere to sell it that would give me anywhere near what I was expecting. I visited several loval jewelers and all of the major online jewelry buyers for an estimate...
Then I found Fortuna. Through their auctions, they were able to sell my ring for about six times more than any other company was willing to pay.
I would recommend Fortuna to friends and family, and I have already. They are knowledgeable, trustworthy and took the time to research and examine the value of my jewelry and what it was truly worth. Plus, they are friendly and informative and never made me feel uncomfortable in a situation that could've been very awkward and emotionally stressful.
My biggest fear was that I would get my hopes up that my jewelry would sell but in the end find that no one bought it at auction. It did not come true. My jewelry sold for even MORE than estimated.
After learning about Fortuna and selling my jewelry through the company, I would never consider selling jewelry any other way...
I held onto this piece of jewelry for over a year, because I couldn't find anywhere to sell it that would offer me any kind of return. I visited local pawn shops and several jewelers for an estimate. Every place I visited said they'd only be able to give me a very small percentage of what the jewelry was worth, and a couple jewelers were upfront in explaining how although they could give me approximately $300 for my rings, they would turn around and sell them for far more. Fortuna was able to sell my ring for about six times more than any other company was willing to pay.
I would recommend Fortuna to friends and family, and I have already. The owners are knowledgeable of the industry, trustworthy and took the time to research and examine the value of my jewelry and what it was truly worth. Plus, they are friendly and informative and never made me feel uncomfortable in a situation that could've been very awkward and emotionally stressful.
My biggest fear was that I would get my hopes up that my jewelry would sell but in the end find that no one bought it at auction. It did not come true. My jewelry sold for a few hundred dollars MORE than estimated.
After learning about Fortuna and selling my jewelry through the company, I would never consider selling jewelry any other way, and if I am ever in the market to purchase fine jewelry I would definitely look into buying through a Fortuna auction.
Fortuna is classy company that is laser focused on giving the seller the best experience possible... they do exactly what they say they are going to do.
I fell in love with FORTUNA. They are so kind and genuine and savvy about this process that we always felt safe.
We did explore other options first. We had extensive conversations with Sotheby’s Chicago office but found them rather mechanical and the process considerably more arduous. It was also much more costly to the Seller as they racked up fee after fee to the point where we would have been lucky to see 15-18% when the items sold. And fees were assessed whether the item sold or not. With FORTUNA, the amount we received was the amount visible when the hammer dropped. The Auctions themselves were fast and fun, and knowing the disposition immediately was really neat.
We already have recommended FORTUNA to several people. There’s nothing so settling as knowing the ins and outs of this, especially the first time. They guided us through every step and gave us honest and reliable quotes, so that we knew what to expect.
We were concerned at the outset that we not replicate the experience my father had with Sotheby’s when he sold 2 extraordinary pieces with them. The experience left him confused, disappointed, and angry. Our experience was the polar opposite. I was thrilled with the results and used the money for the down payment on our dream house on the water. We could not have realized this without them. I can’t even speak to the joy this has brought us.
The physical and online catalogs were spectacular and I am certain contributed significantly to the uptick in value when they sold above the reserves.
Transparency is important because that’s how we ourselves like to do business. That’s why I would rather work with FORTUNA than with almost any other auction house.
FORTUNA was easy to work with. It was a quick turnaround compared to other auction houses. FORTUNA holds the jewelry for less time before the auction, so my jewelry isn't tied up as long in case they don’t sell—and if they do sell, I get my money faster.
The FORTUNA team strikes a rare balance of professionalism and personal attention.
These guys work their butts off preparing and operating a sale. But stopping by their offices to study precious jewels, feels like stopping by a neighborhood pub. If "Friends" ran an auction house, it would be FORTUNA.
Each sale, FORTUNA's catalog presents a deeper and wider selection of lots. This illustrates satisfaction building among consignors and bidders. They've created a unique jewelry auction culture now maturing to the point where we can't afford not to be involved!
When I've experienced issues with a purchased lot, FORTUNA effectively resolved the problem to my satisfaction. They may print the regular buyer beware language in their catalog. But I bid with confidence that these folks are too smart to leave a client unhappy.
Sure, this is how we earn our bread. But FORTUNA has not forgotten that jewelry is beautiful, personal and worthless if not joyful.
