Stop This Instant and Get a Jewelry Appraisal!

Did I get your attention?

If you have jewelry on hand and you haven’t had it appraised recently, you really should. I don’t mean you need to get a formal appraisal but with the volatility of gold, platinum, and diamonds over the last five years or so; it really makes sense to have a professional take a look at your jewelry and give you an idea about how its value may have changed over the last few years. At Bert Levi Family Jewelers we call those verbal appraisals.

A jewelry appraisal involves a number of steps. First, you should get a thorough examination of the jewelry. That will often include a lot of questions about the history of the piece as well as any documents or certificates, if any. If the items are branded (like Tiffany & Co or Cartier) receipts and packaging material may be considered as well.

The appraiser will then complete an analysis of the jewelry to determine its value. This includes visual inspection and an assessment of the materials. This should most definitely involve weighing the jewelry and testing the authenticity of the precious metals. It can also involve grading gemstones if the gemstones are not already certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA.) or another laboratory.

In a formal appraisal, you’ll get a document that not only establishes a value but also provides a detailed reasoning for that value. It will take into account the materials, the craftsmanship, the market conditions, and other issues impacting the assessment. With an informal appraisal the same goes into the value determination but you won’t get a document.

Okay, why is this important to you?

Well, let’s assume you have an item of gold jewelry. Do you know that just over the last year, gold has increased in price by fifty percent? An ounce of gold was about two thousand dollars a year ago. Now, it’s more than three thousand. If you have insurance on your jewelry, it might not be enough, and you don’t want to find that out when you’re dealing with a claim. Finally, facts are helpful. Perhaps you thought about selling jewelry before but were unhappy with the money involved. Knowing that has changed is good knowledge to have, right?

If you want to get an idea about the value of your jewelry, drop by my La Jolla showroom. A GIA Accredited Jewelry Professional (AJP) will give you a verbal appraisal at no charge. If you need a formal appraisal, we can talk about that as well. And if you’d like to sell, we’re committed to offering a fair price. So, reach out. You’ll be glad you did.

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