6 Things That Should Be Included in Your Jewelry Appraisal

Getting a jewelry appraisal is never a bad idea. There are many benefits to having your jewelry appraised. In some cases you may want an appraisal for insurance purposes. Or you may wish to learn more about the history and value of your personal jewelry, gifts, or inheritances. Perhaps you are considering selling the piece in order to purchase a new one and want to make sure you get a reasonable price. All of these are excellent reasons to pursue getting an appraisal.

How can you tell that your jewelry appraisal is professional and consists of everything it should?

Here are six things that should be included in your jewelry appraisal:

1. Name of Client and intended use
2. Description – This may seem obvious, but the description should be more than just a rudimentary explanation. Included in the description should be any distinguishing characteristics, weights, grades, measurements, etc. Also this may include the type of ‘cut’ of the gem (e.g. princess, round, etc.)
3. Manufacturing information – Who put together the piece, how the workmanship rates, what amount of karats are involved, what type of metal, etc.
4. Photograph – Often a photograph should be included to verify that the appraisal document corresponds to the piece.
5. Estimated Value – There should be an estimated value of the piece based on the marketplace.
6. Signature and embossing seal

Don’t be afraid to ask your appraiser questions. They don’t want you to walk away feeling confused or unsure about your piece. Most appraisers can also provide their criteria for each of the above concepts.

It can be helpful to understand how they grade things such as workmanship or the quality of the stones.