How To Get Accurate Appraisals
The first of several thing you must look for in picking an appraiser is to ensure they are certified as such by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to appraise the kind of jewelry you have. They should have one or more certificates posted. If not, ask for them.
The second thing is to select an appraiser who does not, themselves, buy or sell jewelry. This will help eliminate the tendency to appraise low if buying, and high if selling. A few years ago a lady called us with some jewelry to sell. As she did not have any written appraisals, I offered to meet her at Diamond Appraisers of Florida who does most of our appraisals. One piece was a diamond bracelet which appraised at about $9000. The woman was stuned as she had paid over $18,000 for it and said that it was appraised at $22,000. The appraiser asked if the $22,000 was appraised by the jeweler who sold it to her? The woman said "OH", as the light lit over her head.
The third thing, and this is sometimes difficult, is to find an appraiser who knows their antique or designer jewelry if you have such a piece. Too often they may not include the additional antique or designer value of the piece. A piece by, let's say, David Webb may bring double the intrinsic value of
the gold and gemstones use to create it. A rare piece of Georgian jewelry that is 300 years old is worth a lot more than a contemporary piece with bigger and finer gemstones. In such cases, it would pay you to take along guides on antique jewelry or auction catalogs showing the prices that similar items have brought in the past.
Following these three points will take you a long way toward getting accurate appraisals of your jewelry. If you already have old appraisals, it might pay you to spend a few dollars to update them as values change over time.