Here are the specific types of appraisals we perform.
Insurance Replacement Appraisals: These are written appraisals required by your insurance company to provide their underwriters with an accurate description (including identity, condition, and value) of your customers jewelry property for monetary coverage in the event they are lost, stolen, or damaged.
On Estate and Antique jewelry, we will provide a provenance or history of the ring that will be included in the body of the appraisal. So that when you choose to pass it on, and to whom, the recipient will know who in the family owned the ring before them, and the importance in which it as held.
Fair Market Appraisals: These are required primarily by the courts for estate or divorce settlement purposes. However, they are also appropriate for customers wishing to know what they should charge for their property if they were to put it up for sale offering it to another member of the public.
Liquidation Appraisals: Individuals, banks, estates, among others may need a liquidation value appraisal in order to know what the immediate and reasonable cash value of the items they possess are worth. We have over 25 years of experience specializing in liquidation value appraisals for jewelry stores, institutions and individuals.
Retail Pricing Appraisals: Designed for the retail jeweler to assist them by providing an accurate identification, quality ranking, and a market researched value they can use for retail pricing purposes. For example, in the case of a period piece of antique jewelry, we will identify the item, the period style, who made it (if possible), when it was made, the quality, condition, needed repairs if required, and a researched value that will assist you in fairly pricing it for sale in your market.
Appraisal Pricing:
No Charge Offer to Purchase:
If you are interested in selling your jewelry, silver or other items to us. There is no charge or obligation if you wish to receive our offer.
No Charge Consultations to see if your jewelry is worth being appraised:
There is no charge or obligation if you wish to meet and consult with us to see if your property is valuable enough to merit a written appraisal. After viewing your property, we can give you a firm estimate for your consideration of our appraisal fee.
Consultation to see what you have and what it is worth:
For those with a number of jewelry items who just need someone to sort the costume jewelry from the fine jewelry, we are available to do this at no charge. If you wish to know what the sorted items of fine jewelry are and what they are worth, our regular rates apply (given below under Additional Services: Gem and/or Jewelry consultation, identification and valuation).
Drop Off Appraisals For Later Pickup:
Please set aside 30 minutes for the take-in. We will provide you with a detailed written receipt of your property. If the rise in Covid is not a currently a concern, we do let you view your diamond or colored stone under the microscope and write down any major identifying features. You also get a copy of this. Upon pick-up (again only if local Covid infections are down), we once again put your gemstone under the microscope for you to view; and go through it with you; so that you are reassured you are receiving the same property back. The following pricing applies.
First Appraisal:
$125.00 (appraisal minimum) includes a complete written quality analysis and valuation of your gemstones and jewelry. It also includes a narrative mapping of the major gemstone, plus digital photographs. We send you an electronically signed and fully printable PDF of the appraisal document. For your convenience, we can also email it to your insurance company as well.
Additional charges that may apply in certain cases:
$75.00 for each additional gemstone in an item of jewelry that is over 0.18 ct. We will advise at time of the appraisal take-in if additional gemstone charges might apply.
Some items of jewelry may also have a number of small diamond or colored stone accents (below 0.18ct each). When these small gemstones exceed eight in number, there is an additional charge of $5.00 per gemstone for measuring, grading and valuing each piece unless the sizes and grades of these small gemstones are consistent with one another.
Some cluster rings and tennis bracelets may be subject to higher charges due to complexity and variation in sizes and qualities of the gemstones in the same piece. We are happy to provide you a quote for your consideration in advance of any work.
FAIR MARKET VALUE APPRAISALS which are for estate, divorce, or private sale purposes. Because we have to comply with the requirements of the courts and the IRS, we are required to supply additional market analysis and documentation covering the range of values in the secondary markets for previously owned jewelry or silver which are not necessary or appropriate for insurance appraisals. In short, we have to spend more time on these appraisals. If you have any question regarding this, please feel free to call for a more detailed explanation that may help you understand and appreciate the difference.
Fair market Value Appraisals begin at $150.00.
Additional Items for appraisal beyond the first item:
$125.00 for each additional item of jewelry appraised (unless they fall into the simple gold categories listed below). This charge is in addition to the $125.00 for the first item. This also includes a complete written quality analysis and valuation of gemstones and jewelry, narrative mapping of major gemstones, plus digital photographs.
Simple gold items:
$50.00 each for listing, description and photographs. This includes plain gold wedding rings, neck chains, bracelets, and earrings with no gemstones.
Charm bracelets:
$50.00 for the bracelet and $5.00 for each charm. Each charm is listed, measured, weighed, fully described and separately valued.
CD Copy of completed Appraisal: $15.00
Electronic PDF Copy of completed Appraisal: Free - included in the price of the appraisal.
Additional Services
Gem or Jewelry Identification including verbal Value Consultation: $20.00
Additional items (two or more) are billed between $5.00 and $15.00 based on time and complexity. This service is perfect for those who have inherited jewelry to be divided fairly among the family, or for those wishing to know what they have and what it is worth so they can sell it online.
Expert Witness testimony: $1,500.00 per day and payable in advance of the court appearance. Please feel free to call us with any questions.
Written Yogo Sapphire Verification & Valuation
Written Verification of Yogo Origin including valuation for loose or mounted. On mounted Yogo’s, please refer to additional charges above that may apply for more than eight accent gemstones.
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0.49 carat and under. $125.00 |
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0.50 carat to 1.25 carat $175.00 |
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1.25 carat and above $250.00 |
Please note: Yogos that are flawless (i.e. without any identifying natural inclusions or characteristics) may have to be sent out for confirmation of Yogo origin to the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory that has specialized advanced scientific instruments for determining the sapphire's origin. We will advise you in advance if this needs to be done, and where and how to send it.
If you have any questions, problems or concerns, please feel free to call us at 406-453-8403.