Jewelry appraisal is something that we really enjoy doing for our customers. What makes jewelry interesting is that there are so many various types and styles from all different periods of time. Each jewelry appraisal that we perform is done through our website; you can learn the value of all of your jewelry without ever having to leave your home. This includes every type of jewelry you may have, whether it is a contemporary watch, an antique cameo, or anything in between.
For many of our customers, the primary reason for having a jewelry appraisal is for insurance purposes. A lot of people are of the opinion that jewelry should be worn or displayed, rather than being sealed up in a safe deposit box somewhere. It should be enjoyed! But with that enjoyment comes the risk of the jewelry getting lost or stolen. In order to insure against those unfortunate events, the insurance company will require an official jewelry appraisal. We will provide you with all of the necessary documentation showing the appraised value.
Before submitting your appraisal request, you will need to take some digital pictures of the item(s). In general, the more pictures you take, the better. Examine each piece of jewelry closely, even using a magnifying glass, to determine if there are any imperfections. You will also want to note any markings such as silver hallmarks, gold standard designations, or anything else that may mark the piece in any way. These notations can help determine the age and value of the piece. If your camera is able to take close-up pictures of these markings, please do so.
One of the things we will want to know about your jewelry being appraised is its history.
Some of the questions we may ask:
• Did you purchase this piece from a retail store? Do you have the original receipt from that purchase?
• Did you discover it at a yard sale or purchase it from an individual? Do you know anything about its ownership before you bought it?
• Was the item a gift to you? If so, how did the gifter obtain it?
• Was the item an inheritance? Is there any documentation that would show a path of ownership from one person back to another?
In a jewelry appraisal, every bit of information could turn out to be helpful. The more you know about the piece of jewelry and can pass along to us, the better.
If you have a digital scale or can otherwise weigh the piece, that would be good information for us to know also. Some people come to us with the opinion that the heavier an item is, the more valuable it is. While this can sometimes be true, it is not a hard and fast jewelry appraisal rule. You may have a turquoise and silver belt buckle that is quite heavy, but a nice diamond ring could be much more valuable.
There is a big advantage in having your jewelry appraisal done online, in addition to being able to do it from your home. Unfortunately, there are appraisers that are less than honest. You may bring in a piece of jewelry to get an idea of its value, and the appraiser may need to take the item in the back briefly, under the guise of having to clean it or some other reason. The piece that he comes back with may look similar to yours, but can you say for sure that it is the same one? Fortunately, those that pull tricks such as this don’t stay around very long. Just remember that whenever you are having someone appraise your jewelry, keep your property in your sight at all times just to be safe.
We offer our jewelry appraisal services around the country at fine arts and antique shows, and online through our website.
