What is A Jewelery Appraisal and Why you Need One

On occasion an appraisal is done on a loose diamond or gemstone, but the majority of appraisals are performed on a finished piece of jewellery. In this blog we will focus on finished pieces.

Each piece of fine jewellery you purchase should come with an appraisal certificate. This certificate is used for insurance purposes. You should always give your insurance company a copy of the certificate, never the original. Certificates can be misfiled, misplaced, lost or tossed by the insurance company. I’ve heard it all, so please keep the original in your possession.

Until recently, insurance companies have accepted appraisals whether prepared by a qualified appraiser or not. Because of the increase in fraudulent claims, most insurance companies now insist on a detailed appraisal prepared by a qualified gemologist. Ask the appraiser about his/her experience in appraising and what their gemological credentials are.

A jewellery appraisal should:

• describe the setting, the major stones including type, size and quality, description of the minor stones
color, clarity, and cut
measurements of the stones –


measuring the stones gives the approximate weight of the stones (the weight is arrived at by gemological formulas, allowing the gemologist to calculate the approximate weight of your diamond without removing the stone)

• give the metal, karat and total gram weight of the mounting
• state if the stone in treated or enhanced in any way
• give an approximate retail replacement value of the jewellery
• include a photograph of the item

Thus, should you ever need to file a claim, this detailed description insures that your replacement jewellery matches the quality of the piece you originally purchased.

The store you purchased the jewellery from, should supply you with an appraisal free of charge. If the purchase is substantial, have it re-appraised by an independent gemologist to substantiate what you were told. An independent appraisal will give you peace of mind.

When purchasing jewellery, be sure you have the option of returning the jewellery within a limited period of time. This allows you to return the piece if an independent appraisal shows the jewellery is not of the quality the retailer claimed. Such a return is immeasurably easier if you make your purchase by credit card, rather than by cash or check.

A Jewellery appraisal is an opinion backed and supported by training, equipment and experience, as to the authenticity, quality, design and value of a piece of jewelry.