Of all your belongings, your jewelry is one of the most precious ones that can serve different purposes in different parts of your life. However, one day may come when you would like to sell it off for which you would be interested in knowing its appropriate selling price including the costs of its precious base metal, gemstones, etc. But how can this be done? The answer is simple; get your jewelry appraised by a jewelry appraisal. If you want to know about this term in detail, read ahead.
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What is a jewelry appraisal?
A jewelry appraisal is a document prepared by an experienced jewelry appraiser after a thorough in-person inspection of the jewelry. This document lists an estimate of the different parts of the jewelry like precious metal, setting, gemstone(s), etc. It also has information like the owner’s name, address, and contact details, and the date of the appraisal that’ll prove that you own that piece of jewelry.
Do I need a jewelry appraisal?
Yes, you should have an appraisal for all your jewelry. This is because like you insure your house, car, and other expensive & valuable things, you should also insure your jewelry. An appraisal will help the insurance company in determining the best possible worth of your jewelry in case it gets stolen or damaged somehow for its replacement or repairing. Hence, you should always own a jewelry appraisal.
How much does it cost for a jewelry appraisal?
Ideally speaking, there is no fixed cost for getting your jewelry appraised as it completely depends on your article. However, on average, most of the jewelry appraisers will either charge a fixed flat fee or hourly fees which more likely falls between $50 to $150. The more complex your jewelry will be, the more time the jewelry appraiser will take which will ultimately raise its cost.
How to get a jewelry appraised?
Now when you’ve decided to get a jewelry appraisal, here’s a quick 4-steps guide for that.
Know the kind of appraiser you need
Choosing the best appraiser for your jewelry is your foremost task in this process as there are different appraisers for different sorts of jewelry like antique, classic, modern, with/without gems, etc. However, the following two will more likely suffice.
Gemologist appraiser
As the name itself confides, if your jewelry has any gemstone attached to it, you should look for a certified gemologist who’ll closely examine each gem for the best resale value.
Antique jewelry appraiser
If you own any antique article, nothing will suit you more than an appraiser experienced in appraising antique pieces as the final value of such jewelry also depends upon the rarity, history, and the designer behind its making.
Hire an appraiser from an established association
As every jewelry asks for an experienced appraiser, GIA recommends hiring one from the following quality associations where well-known appraisers are available for a variety of articles. These are:
- American Gem Society
- Canadian Gemological Association
- International Society of Appraisers
- Appraisers International Society
Keep in mind the requirement(s) of your insurance company
Every insurance company has unique requirements like certain certifications, appraisal in a specific format, etc. So, it’s suggested to get your jewelry appraisal prepared in keeping your insurance company in mind.
Keep an eye on the pricing
Every appraiser will have his way of appraising the jewelry and thus a specific printing pattern but you should have a word beforehand with the appraiser to prevent any last moment arguments. On the majority, you will find the following pricing patterns.
- Flat or fixed fee for a fixed number of pieces of jewelry.
- Hourly rate whose final cost will depend upon the total hours taken by the appraiser for preparing your jewelry appraisal.
So, the above four steps will help you to get your jewelry appraised without any hurdles.
What all information is crucial to an appraiser?
To a novice, the process of jewelry appraising will appear a simple process of grading the jewelry for better resale value but this isn’t the case. It’s a complicated process that involves the following information.
- The current market and competitive retail values of each piece of the jewelry,
- Brand recognition, serial and model numbers, manufacturer’s marks on the precious stones, gemstones,
- The karat for gold and carat of diamonds,
- The metal used in the prongs and mountings of the jewelry,
- The 4C’s i.e. cut, color, clarity, and carat in case of diamonds.
All these factors highly govern the final value of your jewelry.
Are jewelry appraisals accurate?
It depends upon how accurately the appraiser has worked on your jewelry. But most of the time, be assured of an accurate jewelry appraisal which GIA recommends should be updated every 2-3 years as several factors like the market price of the majority of the jewelry pieces changes very often.
FAQs
How much does it cost to get jewelry appraised?
Most of the jewelry appraisers will either charge a fixed flat fee or hourly fees which more likely falls between $50 to $150. The more complex your jewelry will be, the more time it’ll take, thus raising its cost.
What is a jewelry appraisal?
A jewelry appraisal is a document that contains the value of your jewelry after proper inspection by a dedicated person called an appraiser.
What is the process of jewelry appraising?
A thorough jewelry appraisal includes some laboratory work to inspect and gather facts about the piece, the market research to compare like pieces, and finally all the details in writing called the appraisal.
How is it different from a diamond grading report?
While a diamond grading report specifically consists of the information about the diamond 4C’s only, a jewelry appraisal value to your entire piece by taking into consideration the setting and any stones present in the jewelry piece.
