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How does your appraisal service work?
Schedule appointments for appraisals are made during the weekday that is convenient for the customer. After work hours can also be scheduled. The customer brings their jewelry with
them to my home where one would stay with it while I take all the
specifications along with a colored digital picture of each piece.
This usually takes approximately 20 minutes per piece. You then take
your jewelry home with you and the formal document with pictures follows
you in the mail within a day or two. The price for the 'average' solitaire
diamond ring appraisal is $75. Other pieces vary by content of gem
material. Prices range from $30. Do I have to leave my jewelry with you? People usually like to stay present while I take specifications of their jewelry pieces. If you have an errand to run and have to leave for a while, that is fine. No jewelry ever stays in my possession for longer than needed for the actual appraisal service which is usually less than one hour. [return to questions] What if I have a large number of pieces? If you would like several large pieces appraised and would prefer to keep them at home, I would be happy to travel to your home or office with my portable gem lab to perform your appraisal service. Due to the time and equipment involved, this service is not provided for less than 10 pieces. [return to questions] Do you appraise loose diamonds purchased from the Internet? If you are interested in purchasing a loose diamond from the Internet it is good idea to make sure you receive a diamond report with your diamond from either the GIA or the AGS. Once you have the report and the diamond, you can have your diamond verified with the diamond report to ensure all the specifications of the diamond match your paperwork. This process takes approximately 20 minutes and the charge is $50. [return to questions] What type of equipment do you use? A complete gem lab is used which includes
but is not limited to:
There are several different types of appraisals depending on the purpose and function. [return to questions] Replacement Value: Most common are retail evaluations written for insurance needs. This would be the cost to replace the jewelry with an item of equal quality and kind. This would be considered the current market price or the replacement value. Comparable Replacement Value: This value would be used when items are no longer in production or available. The secondary market is often used on estate pieces such as antiques. Fair Market Value: This evaluation is often done on estate pieces and is based on what price the piece will change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under compulsion to buy or sell and both having relevant knowledge of the facts. These prices are usually researched from documented prices from estate sales, second hand stores, antique stores and auction houses. This type of appraisal is used for:
Estate Settlement, Tax Liability, Collateral, and Divorce Settlement/Dissolution
of Marriage.
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LOCATION: Cary, North Carolina PHONE: 919_380.0265 EMAIL: gemappraise@aol.com
Copyright © 2003 Lois Bouchard. All rights reserved.
I
am a GIA Graduate Gemologist and I work out of my home office in Cary,
NC located close to RTP and nestled between Raleigh and Chapel Hill.
I have ten years experience in the jewelry industry as well as twenty
years of business experience working for both private and public institutions.