Frequently Asked Questions

FORTUNA is a boutique auction house specializing in fine jewelry, luxury watches, designer handbags, luxury accessories, and much more. We help individuals and estates sell their valuables to a global network of collectors through transparent, expert-led auctions.

Fine jewelry, luxury watches, designer handbags, luxury accessories, and more — including signed pieces, estate collections, and items from brands like Cartier, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Hermès, and others.

We host auctions every 10 days.

FORTUNA has two offices. Our New York office at 55 W 47th St, Ste 640, New York, NY 10036 handles photography, jewelry and watch specialist work, and item intake — it is not open for walk-in visits, and appointments must be arranged in advance. Our Nashville executive office at 2255 Memorial Blvd, Ste 10231, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 handles administration, mail, and payments. We serve clients nationwide through remote consultations and fully insured shipping.

No. Our valuations are free and you’re under no obligation to consign with us afterward. Submit photos through the form on the valuation page to get started.

If you just want a rough idea of what your items are worth, we can usually give you that from photos alone. To actually consign, we need the pieces in hand — we photograph, catalog, and market every item to a global buyer pool. Your items are fully insured from the moment they leave your hands, and while in our care they’re stored in a high-security fully-insured vault.

Once we have come to a preliminary consignment agreement — following preliminary valuation — we will email you a fully-insured shipping label and packing instructions. You pack your items into a box, following the instructions provided, and drop them off at the carrier shown on the label (usually UPS or FedEx) and that’s it. We’ll let you know once they are received by our New York team.

The reserve is the minimum price we will accept as a winning bid for an item. We work with a consignor on each and every item to set an appropriate reserve price, and that price is kept confidential. It is important that reserve prices not be too high, otherwise the item will never sell — and it also cannot be too low, or there is a risk the item may sell for a price that’s too low. This is where our expertise and global market experience come into play. Our experts will guide you through the process and work with you to set reserves as needed.

Oftentimes we deliberately start bidding at a value lower than the reserve to generate excitement and drive competition. There is no need for concern — we are professionals — you will never receive less than the value you would have received if your items had hammered at the reserve price.

Fair market value is the price an item would change hands for between a willing buyer and a willing seller — both reasonably informed about the item and the market, and neither under pressure to act. At FORTUNA, we estimate fair market value across every category we handle by drawing on recent comparable sales, current global demand, and the expertise of our specialists.

Retail is the price you’d pay buying new at a brand boutique, jeweler, or authorized dealer — a price that bakes in the seller’s inventory cost, rent, insurance, marketing, staff, and a healthy markup, often 100–200% over cost. Secondhand retail is the asking price at a resale storefront or marketplace selling pre-owned pieces — typically below new retail, but still with the reseller’s own markup baked in. Resale is what an item actually changes hands for in a non-retail environment — at auction, between collectors, or through a consignment platform — without storefront markup layered on top. With rare exceptions, resale prices come in below both retail and secondhand retail.

We can return them to you, or attempt to sell again in another auction, or perhaps try another channel altogether — such as a Buy Now listing. You’re never charged a fee for unsold lots, unlike at many other auction houses.

In select cases, FORTUNA may make an outright purchase offer. Selected lots may also be offered at a fixed Buy Now price through our auction platform when that option is active. Availability varies, so contact our specialists about a specific item or sale method.

Our seller’s commission is presented upfront and agreed between you and FORTUNA before any item is listed — it’s locked in when we issue your consignment agreement, not discovered later. The rate is sometimes negotiable for higher-value or in-demand pieces, or for consignors bringing us large collections or full estates. Most of our fee comes from the buyer’s premium, so the seller’s commission stays modest by design.

Typically within 24 hours — often faster. We can also expedite on your timeline.

Yes. If you come to us through a trusted partner — an appraiser, estate attorney, or trust officer we work with — we offer a partner rate, and we’re always willing to match or beat competitive offers from other houses.

Consigned jewelry, watches, and accessories are received at our New York office: 55 W 47th St, Ste 640, New York, NY 10036. Please contact us before shipping anything — we will confirm the details and help arrange fully insured transit. Do not send items without speaking with us first, and please do not send valuables to our Nashville office.

Registration sometimes takes a little time to process on our end. If your timing is tight or you’re concerned about any delay, please reach out via our contact page, call, or email and we’ll get you approved right away.

No. Registration is free. If you win a lot, you pay the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium plus any shipping and handling, taxes, or additional fees and charges applicable. When you register, you may notice a small test fee billed to the credit card you have on file — that’s simply a card-verification charge, which is returned to you immediately.

The buyer’s premium is added to the hammer price on every winning bid. FORTUNA’s premium is tiered:

• 28% on the first $10,000 of the hammer price
• 24% on the portion from $10,001 to $100,000
• 12% on the portion exceeding $100,000

A minimum buyer’s premium of $100 per lot applies where the tiered calculation would otherwise be lower.

Example: A hammer of $50,000 would carry a premium of $2,800 (28% × $10,000) + $9,600 (24% × $40,000) = $12,400, for a total of $62,400.

Or use our Bid Calculator — the bid-by-bid table looks up totals at every FORTUNA bid increment from $10 to $50,000, and the interactive calculator handles any hammer above that.

Bids rise in set increments based on the current price:

All bids and increments are in U.S. dollars.

Only when a lot is expressly marked Buy Now or when FORTUNA separately approves an offer. Otherwise, bidding follows the auction format shown on the lot page.

If a lot is NOT marked Buy Now, that option has usually been bypassed for a reason by the consignor — but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Click Ask About This Lot on the lot page, fill out the inquiry form, and let our specialists know you’d like to make an offer. The chance of acceptance is much lower than for a piece actively marked Buy Now, but a strong offer from a serious buyer is sometimes accommodated.

Wire transfer is preferred. We also accept personal checks, cashier’s checks, and money orders. Credit cards are accepted with a 3.9% processing surcharge to offset card-network fees. Cash is accepted on a case-by-case basis with prior approval. All transactions must be settled in U.S. dollars; any currency-conversion or bank fees on the buyer’s side are the buyer’s responsibility. We do not accept PayPal, Apple Pay, or cryptocurrency at this time.

We use a combination of in-house specialists and third-party experts as the lot requires. Any certificates or authentication reports that come with a lot are listed in the lot description. If a buyer wants an additional report (e.g., a GIA diamond report), we can arrange it post-sale.

What we guarantee: Only what is stated in the lot title. If we list an item as a “Cartier diamond ring” and Cartier later determines it isn’t authentic, we’ll refund the purchase under the terms in our Conditions of Sale. Our guarantee is limited to that lot-title representation.

What we don’t guarantee: Anything outside of what we write in the lot title. We do not guarantee any grading or report outcomes from third-party gemological or watch labs — those reports are independent assessments by those labs, not by FORTUNA. We also don’t guarantee characteristics, attributions, or measurements that aren’t explicitly in the lot title. All lots are sold as-is, and a report you commission after the sale that doesn’t come back the way you hoped is not grounds for a return.

This FAQ is a summary only and is not intended as a standalone terms-and-conditions document. For the full and binding terms covering authentication, guarantees, returns, payment, and every other aspect of purchasing at FORTUNA, please review our complete Conditions of Sale.

Checks, money orders, and cashier’s checks should be made payable to Fortuna Auction LLC and mailed to: Fortuna Auction LLC, 2255 Memorial Blvd, Ste 10231, Murfreesboro, TN 37129. Please do not mail payments to our New York office. For accepted payment methods, limits, and card service charges, see section 6.3 of our Conditions of Sale.

Yes. Items are fully insured from the moment they’re dropped off at FedEx or UPS with our label affixed, and while in our possession they’re stored in a high-security bank vault. Outbound shipments to winning bidders are also fully insured.

Yes — and it’s a core part of what we do. FORTUNA has active clients in over 100 countries and ships to virtually every destination we can legally reach. We’re a full-service house: we handle every step of the shipping process, start to finish, white-glove. Any VAT, customs duties, or other regional taxes and fees are the buyer’s responsibility.

Yes, NYC pickup can be arranged — but we ask that buyers reserve it for cases where it’s truly the only or best option for you. Pickup is operationally inconvenient on our side; our setup is built around shipping and all outbound shipments are fully insured. If pickup really is the right fit for your situation, just reach out and we’ll coordinate.

Yes. FORTUNA collects sales tax on lots shipped to the following states: CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, and VA.

Professional dealers, resellers, and retailers may be exempt from sales tax when they provide valid documentation (such as a resale certificate or resale ID) in advance of the sale.