The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Jewelry Appraised

how to choose a jewelry appraiser

First of all, what is a jewelry appraisal and why should it matter to you? In short, an appraisal is a document that specifies the quality, description and an estimated valuation of the jewelry item you have.

For example, the appraisal document for a diamond ring would list the quality of the diamond (4Cs), the type of metal used for the setting and other miscellaneous details like the condition of the piece.

When preparing the document, the appraiser would also need to provide a valuation of how much it is worth, include details like photographs and also a detailed explanation of how the appraisal was performed.

In this article, you will find out the different uses of a jewelry appraisal document and whether you really need one or not. I’m also going to reveal useful tips you should know before visiting the appraiser and the questions you should ask.

Let’s dive in…

4 Reasons For Getting an Independent Jewelry Appraisal

I often receive emails from readers who are seeking advice on getting their jewelry appraised. Sometimes, they are looking for validation for a jewelry purchase they recently made. But in most cases, there really isn’t a need to get a jewelry item appraised.

Here are 4 reasons when an independent jewelry appraisal may come in handy for you:

#1 – Identification and evaluation of quality: Whether you inherited a piece of jewelry with an unknown gemstone or had just purchased a diamond engagement ring, you can get a jewelry appraiser to assess the material, quality, workmanship or even the condition of the jewelry.

Basically, if you need a peace of mind (most people are worried of diamond swapping!) or want a second opinion on a new acquisition, an independent appraiser can provide you with an unbiased assessment of the jewelry you have.

#2 – Valuation of a piece of jewelry: When it comes to getting a valuation for a jewelry item, different people do it for different purposes. For example, an appraisal value would be useful when you want to sell the item, settling an estate or even distributing property in a divorce.

#3 – To determine if you paid a fair price: For people who want a peace of mind on a purchase, you can find out whether you paid a fair price from a professional appraiser that doesn’t sell jewelry. Note the emphasis on finding an independent appraiser because competing jewelers may purposely ding and undervalue the merchandise due to conflicts of interest.

#4 – Getting documentation for jewelry insurance: If you plan to purchase an insurance policy for your jewelry, you will need to submit the relevant appraisal documentation to your insurer. The jewelry appraiser could also be listed as a witness to the existence of the jewelry at a certain point in time and this can be useful for insurance claims.

Do note that the cost of diamonds and precious metals may rise over time. Because of this, you may want to have your ring appraised every 5 years so that the current value of your jewelry is correctly reflected.

Did you know that vendors like Blue Nile, White Flash and James Allen provide a complimentary appraisal report for your jewelry purchase? This saves you the hassle and cost of getting an appraisal for insurance purposes!

Where to Find Professional Jewelry Appraisal Services Near You?

where to go to get jewelry appraised

Being in the trade, people often ask me for recommendations on where they can find reliable and affordable appraisal services near them.

Personally, I cannot recommend individual appraisers because I may not know enough about the type of jewelry you are getting appraised nor the location you are based in. For example, if you are based in Finland or in an obscure part of the USA, I honestly don’t know the local scene well enough to make a recommendation in good faith.

However, you can use national appraisal associations and networks to help you find a professional appraiser near you. Here’s a handy list you can refer to:

  1. Accredited Gemologists Association (US)
  2. American Gem Society (US and Canada)
  3. American Society of Appraisers (US and International)
  4. Appraisers International Society (US and International)
  5. Canadian Gemmological Association (Canada)
  6. Institute of Registered Valuers (UK and Republic of Ireland)
  7. National Council of Jewellery Valuers (Australia)

Shop at Vendors Who Provide Complimentary Appraisals Instead!

Getting an appraisal performed on your jewelry will require effort and money on your part. But did you know that highly reputable vendors like Blue Nile and James Allen will provide you with an official appraisal document along for your purchase?

This means there’s no need to undergo the hassle of getting it appraised and it prevents the unnecessary stress of hunting down a reliable appraiser. Here’s what an appraisal document from James Allen looks like…

james allen jewelry appraiser

This appraisal document would cost you at least $100 but James Allen provides it for free!

If you are shopping for a diamond or gemstone jewelry, I recommend James Allen and Blue Nile for their consumer orientated sales policies and superb selections of high-quality diamonds/engagement rings.

How to Prepare For Jewelry Appraisals

getting jewelry appraised

Whether you just inherited an antique diamond ring from your grandmother or need to sell your jewelry for financial reasons, here are some tips to help you prepare for a visit to the independent appraiser.

  1. Be sure to discuss the costs of evaluation beforehand.
  2. If you have your diamond report (e.g. GIA or AGS), make sure you bring it along.
  3. Bring any other official documentation that came along with your purchase. E.g. receipts, warranties or previous appraisals.
  4. Make sure you tell the appraiser the purpose of the appraisal. Insurance? Peace of mind? Etc… He/She will then be in a better position to advise you on anything else that is required.
  5. List down all the historical details you have about the jewelry piece. e.g. Who did it belong to first? Where did they live? This may help the appraiser in better assessing the jewelry piece.
  6. Always ask for an appraisal in writing, This can be used as official documentation and written proof of the jewelry’s appraisal results.

What Are the Questions to Ask an Appraiser During Your Visit?

questions to ask your jewelry appraiser

Besides asking the super obvious stuff like matching the diamond to the grading report, here are some other questions you might want to ask the appraiser.

  • Has the diamond undergone any kind of artificial treatment?
  • Can you verify the grading documents and that they are not doctored in any manner?
  • Is the information stated on the diamond grading report accurate?
  • Had the stone been damaged in anyway?
  • Has the diamond been cut properly?
  • Has the setting of the stone been done properly?
  • How much do you think the jewelry/diamond is worth?
  • What type of equipment do you have and would use for the gemological evaluation?
  • Can I stay together with the jewelry while you are working on it?
  • Can you defend your appraisal in front of a Federal Court?

Other Things to Take Note Of During an Appraisal

Usually, the appraiser won’t ask to see documents like your grading report before he/she commences to examine your jewelry. Let him/her do their work first before you show it to them for verification against their findings.

For mounted diamonds, the appraiser’s findings on the color, clarity or carat weight might have discrepancies against the GIA/AGS lab report you have in hand. There could be many reasons for this.

For example, a clarity grade making inclusion could be hidden from view under the prongs and results in an assessment of a significantly higher clarity grade compared to the grading report you have. Sometimes, the diamond’s measurements might deviate from the records you have as the setting can impair proper usage of measurement tools.

In such cases, you need to clarify them with your appraiser and see what he/she says.

Diamonds can also pick up surrounding colors easily. For mounted stones, this can cause inaccuracies as the diamond’s body color may be skewed by the metal mounting. In yellow gold settings, the diamond would take on a yellow tinge and this could hamper with estimations made by the appraiser

At the end of the day, it is important to find a good appraiser you can trust. You want someone who will share his findings with you truthfully and not someone who is clouded by their own interests in selling you their inventory.

I hope this helps to clarify the questions on visiting an appraiser and getting a peace of mind on your purchase. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me or leave a comment below.

Vendors like Blue Nile and James Allen provide a complimentary appraisal document you can use for insurance purposes. They also enable you to interact with actual diamonds using 360° videos. This means you get exactly what you see and there is no guesswork involved in buying a diamond.

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15 Comments

  1. Audrey Blakeney-
    June 17, 2015 at 3:11 pm

    The last tip about communicating the reason for having your jewelry appraised independently can be very important. Often, appraisers will have more knowledge about precious stones and metals than you will, so getting their full opinion could help you avoid any pitfalls or problems, particularly when insurance is involved. Overall, having an open but smart line of communication to your professional is a valuable asset.

  2. Joel-
    October 12, 2015 at 2:43 pm

    Great point about discussing the cost of evaluation beforehand. Sometimes when I do things like this for the first time, it’s easy for people to keep quiet about pricing until the payment is actually due. When it comes to jewelry appraisal, it’s easy to see how this would apply similarly. Thanks for the tips on how to find a good independent jewelry appraiser!

  3. Ella Ross-
    October 13, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    I would really like to sell my jewelry sometime, so it would be nice to get it appraised. I want to be sure that a professional does it, so going to an independent appraiser would probably be good, just as long as I make sure that they have all the proper qualifications. When I go to get everything looked at, I will be sure to remember these questions that you provide. That way, I will know exactly what I need to know about my jewels so that I may sell them for the right price.

  4. Kyler Brown-
    May 4, 2016 at 4:19 pm

    I appreciated this post, especially since my wife loves jewelry. I can see why it would be important to seek an appraiser’s help with getting insurance for jewelry. My wife has some pretty expensive stuff, so this seems like a good option for us. Thanks for sharing.

  5. Zequek Estrada-
    February 13, 2017 at 4:10 pm

    This clarified a few things about what I can expect from an appraiser. My grandma passed a little while ago and we’re finally getting around to cleaning out her stuff and know we’re not going to keep everything. One of my friend’s suggested that we start looking for a appraiser because you never know if an appraisal will be needed or not.

  6. Niki N-
    March 20, 2018 at 10:59 am

    Do you have any recommendations for an independent appraiser in Manhattan? We just got our engagement ring and I wanted to make sure we got a good deal. Or would you know where to go to get jewelry appraised in New York City?

  7. Paul Gian-
    March 20, 2018 at 3:14 pm

    Unfortunately, I have no one I can recommend in good faith in Manhattan. You may want to refer to the links I posted for the associations and see if you can find someone to help you.

  8. Terry Martin-
    June 16, 2018 at 9:25 pm

    I have inherited numerous pieces of jewelry, including diamond rings. Most must be at least 60 years old and should be appraised, cleaned and checked to see if repairs are needed. Can you recommend anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area? No documentation came with any of them and I’m wondering whether an appraisal can help me fetch a better price. Thank you! And if you know of the best place to sell jewelry near me, that would be so helpful as well!

  9. Paul Gian-
    June 17, 2018 at 7:38 am

    Unfortunately, I have no one reliable in that area to recommend you. Try Googling for appraisers in your area and get in touch with them about what you need to get done. If you are looking to sell your jewelry, head over to this link: https://beyond4cs.com/go/wp/

    If you are selling your jewelry, getting an appraisal document will help provide the buyer with some basic characteristics of the jewelry like diamond carat weight/clarity rating. Depending on whom you intend to sell to, a jewelry appraisal may also make your item easier to insure during transit.

  10. KERRY-
    June 29, 2018 at 4:48 am

    i am having a newly purchased diamond ring appraised tomorrow for insurance purposes. the appraiser/jewelry store asked me to bring all the paperwork that came with the ring/diamond. it feels wrong to provide this before the appraisal is done…? am i wrong? or just being silly? thanks!

  11. Paul Gian-
    June 29, 2018 at 5:05 am

    Bringing in the papers is perfectly fine. Just get the appraiser to perform the work before passing the documents to them.

  12. Joni arnold-
    June 8, 2019 at 6:32 pm

    The links you provided, though informative, did not provide appraisers within 50 miles of my area. Since my search was ” how to find a reputable appraiser” , this did not help at all. Sorry and thank you

  13. Paul Gian-
    June 9, 2019 at 3:21 am

    Thanks for the feedback. The world is really big and one of the key criteria for me to recommend someone is that I must have experience or knowledge about how they conduct business. If I can’t vet them, I can’t recommend them. And in most cases, appraisers don’t do a good job (at least by my standards). Anyway, the tips outlined here should still be able to provide some value. Let me know how things go or if you need further help.

  14. Olivia Smart-
    December 21, 2021 at 6:21 pm

    Thank you for explaining that if you plan to get an insurance policy for your jewelry, you’ll need an appraisal document from a jeweler. My sister just inherited a piece from our grandma and has been wanting to make sure it’s insured and safe. I’ll be sure to mention this to her so that she can go and get it appraised so she’s ready with the document before going to the insurance company.

  15. Bella Wiley-
    June 20, 2022 at 11:51 pm

    I liked it when you suggested asking what tools they have used to evaluate and appraise the jewelry, and this is very important because the value of your jewelry matters here.
    We plan to sell some of my mom’s jewelry to assist with the therapy she is undergoing, and we want to make sure that we can sell it at a reasonable price and without hassle.
    Thank you for listing down places and tips on selling jewelry; I’ll be sure to share this with my siblings and see how this can help us in our plan.

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