Gems and jewelry appraising has changed fundamentally in my thirty-five years in the jewelry business. It has become a profession, opening the door for the first time to a mysterious world for jewelry owners, buyers and selllers, and anyone else who has a reason to wonder about the value of jewelry (see sidebar).
My minimum appraisal charges are $90 for the first item, $70 for the second, and $50 for each additional. A "plot" (diagram of clarity characteristics) is provided for any diamond weighing 0.50 carat or more, and some colored gemstones weighing 1.00 carat or more, at a minimum of $45. Digital photographs are charged at $15 per image. Actual fees are established when your need for the appraisal is made clear and your items are inspected, and before any work begins. They are always related to the time required to render a competent, credible work product.
Requests for appraising while you are present can be accommodated in most cases, as can appraising in your home or office. Always call 843-7856 or contact me to hold a free discussion of why you need an appraisal and how I work, and to schedule an appointment to take the next step.
Besides appraising, I offer consultation. What is consultation? It is a not an appraisal, because less time is taken, and it can't be given with the same degree of certainty as an appraisal. But it is a preliminary opinion of your gems and jewelry, and is meant to give an owner an idea of the possible identity, quality and value of his or her gems and jewelry. I may express it as a range of value, or as a degree of probability that a conclusion is correct. I do not give it in written form, although I make notes, and you are invited to do so as well. The focus of consultation is problem-solving. My goal is to enable a client to make choices: for instance, whether to keep an item or sell it.
Consultation is not appropriate in all situations. For example, scheduling insurance coverage for specific items always requires a formal written document. But it is very useful in many situations: for example, to sort through a number of items to determine whether a basic homeowner’s policy will cover them as unscheduled items (with best results if you come prepared! See here). It also serves to divide items among heirs when there is no legal need for a written report, at much less cost than a formal document entails.
My fee for this service is $75 per half-hour. Very often, my clients use consultation to discuss various ways to sell their jewelry. If the discussion leads to a brokerage agreement (please see FAQs about Jewelry Consultation), then I waive the fee.
If you are interested in consultation, please call 843-7856 or contact me before you come to find out more about the process and to schedule an appointment.