Some good reasons to have your jewelry appraised

A jewelry appraisal is a valuable service to people who own diamonds and or other high-end jewelry. Jewelry appraisal by a qualified jewelry appraiser is not only very useful when you’re in the process of buying a diamond, or other expensive pieces of jewelry, but I can also think of at least four or five other occasions where a good jewelry appraiser can come in handy when it comes to protecting the value of your Precious. (jewelry)

First of all, the jewelry appraiser can identify your jewelry relative to the material, quality, workmanship, and condition of the jewelry piece. Other characteristics that influence your jewelry item’s value, like diamonds that appear similar to the eye can differ in terms of color, cut, clarity, fluorescence, measurements, and durability can all be easily identified by an experienced jewelry appraiser. An appraiser can see the sometimes subtle factors that uniquely identify one diamond from another and the little things that can cause the value of one stone to be more than double that of another even though they may both look identical to the untrained eye.

Second, since the definition of value can vary depending on the purpose of the appraisal, the jewelry appraiser can offer a more accurate estimate of the true value that should be attached to a piece of jewelry. In other words, an appraisal value could be quite different if the purpose is 1) selling the item, 2) purchasing an item from a retailer, 3) ensuring the item after purchase, 4) settling an estate, and 5) distributing property in a divorce, or as an expert witness in a lawsuit.

Third, if you’ve ever lived through a major disaster in which not only was your jewelry lost, but the paperwork or photos you kept as proof of ownership were also lost the jewelry appraiser can serve as a witness to the existence of the lost property. This is important in the process of filing an insurance claim for the loss of an item, especially where proof might be required that the jewelry existed at a certain point in time and was in a certain condition. This is why an appraiser should insist on examining the jewelry item when updating an insurance appraisal.

Fourth, the jewelry appraiser can provide advice as to the durability, wearability, and repair of your piece of jewelry. Jewelry made of metal and gemstones can vary greatly in their hardness, toughness, and resistance to heat or chemicals. Because the appraiser has professional training (i.e. Graduate Gemologist) and is not involved in the sale of the item, they can provide unbiased recommendations based on their experience.

With regard to the above when selecting a jewelry appraiser, understand why you are seeking the jewelry appraiser’s services so you can choose the best provider of those services. Professional jewelry appraisers set their fees based on an hourly rate or a per-item basis, never as a percentage of appraised value. Appraisers who are efficient and highly computerized can often provide lower prices for services than those performing the same task but take twice as long to perform them.