What is a jewelry appraisal and why do you need it?

A jewelry appraisal is very useful if you want to know how much your jewelry is worth. There are even circumstances when you have to do the appraisal, but we will get to that later on. Whether you found some old jewelry in the attic and want to find out how to clean jewelry or are thinking of selling some of your pieces, a jewelry appraisal will help you get the most of the transaction. Read further to find out everything you need to know about a jewelry appraisal and how can it help you.

What does a jewelry appraisal consist of?

A jewelry appraisal is more than a jeweler letting you know if your pearl necklace is worth $20 or $2000. It is an official document where the jeweler estimates the price of your jewelry and details all the factors that contributed to it. What are those factors? Let’s find out.

The condition of the piece is very important as any scratch or discoloration can lower its value. On the other hand, a pristine condition will increase the value of your jewelry piece, especially if we are talking about antique jewelry. The gemstones represent the second factor, as a diamond necklace will always be worth more than a turquoise choker, for example. The jeweler will determine if your piece feature precious or semi precious gemstones and will also take their condition into account. For gemstones, the cut, clarity, and color represent the main pricing factors.

The jewelry appraisal document will also contain information about the settings in your jewelry piece, as well as the metals used to create the piece. Last, but not least, if your jewelry is vintage or antique, it will be worth more than simple estate jewelry.

After taking all those factors into account, the jeweler will write the value of your jewelry on a document. They will also insert a detailed description of how they did the jewelry appraisal and what factors they valued.

When do you need a jewelry appraisal?

There are many situations when you need a jewelry appraisal. The most common one is when you want to get your jewelry insured. The insurance company will ask for an appraisal to determine the value of your pieces. And in case your jewelry gets stolen, the appraisal document will also help to identify it by its specific characteristics.

Another common situation for needing a jewelry appraisal is when you discover an antique piece. You may inherit a family heirloom, find an old jewelry box while cleaning the attic, etc. You may never know what you are sitting on unless you have a jewelry appraisal to discover. Many people have had nice surprises over the years when they found out that what they believed to be trinket was a rare and valuable jewelry piece.

Last, but not least, when you are thinking of selling your jewelry, do a jewelry appraisal firstly. Your jewelry pieces are assets, just like your car or your home. You wouldn’t sell those without having an expert tell you how much to ask, would you? It’s the same with your jewelry. To avoid the situation of a bad bargain, have an appraisal and know exactly how much to ask for.

Is it worth getting a jewelry appraisal?

This depends on your jewelry. An appraisal can come free of charge, but it can also be quite pricey. It is not worth having an appraisal just for the fun of it. We recommend you to have it for your diamond or pearl jewelry as well as for antique and vintage jewelry. If you want to appraise your gold hoops just for the fun of it, you will discover that it may not be worth the hassle.

All in all, a jewelry appraisal is a fantastic way to discover the value of your jewelry, especially if you don’t know how much it cost initially. And even if you do, you may have the surprise to discover that its value has increased over time.

Or you could have a wonderful surprise as Richard Taaffe had a while ago when he discovered a completely new and valuable gemstone. He bought what he believed to be a couple of cut spinels only to discover at home that one of them was different. It reacted differently to light. That was enough for him to send it to an appraisal and when the answer came back he was bewildered. That gemstone didn’t belong to any known category. This is how he discovered the taaffeite back in 1945 and since then only a couple of these rare gemstones have seen the light.

We hope you learned more about jewelry appraisals from this article. If you like our content, make sure to read our other articles as well. To view Ana Luisa’s unique jewelry collections, visit our online jewelry shop.

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Ruxandra

Ruxandra is a fashion blogger who teaches fashion stumped twenty to thirty somethings how to shop their jewelry boxes for polished new ensembles. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Fashionista, Nylon, and Refinery29.