Jewelry Appraisals Phoenix

Learn about Jewelry Appraisals

An appraisal is a document, and which document you need depends entirely on what you are doing with it. People often ask for “an appraisal” when what they actually need is a specific type of valuation — and the wrong one is worse than useless, because it gives a number that does not apply to the situation.

The main types

• Insurance replacement value — what it would cost to replace the piece with one of like kind and quality at retail today. This is what insurers want, and it is deliberately the highest of the figures. It is not what the piece would sell for.
• Estate or fair market value — what the piece would realistically change hands for between a willing buyer and a willing seller. Used for probate, estate division and tax purposes. Typically well below replacement value, which surprises people.
• Resale or liquidation value — what you could actually expect to receive selling it. Lower again.

One piece can honestly carry three very different numbers at the same time. If anyone quotes you a single figure without first asking what it is for, that is a reason to ask more questions.

How appraisals work here

We work with independent certified appraisers rather than valuing pieces ourselves, and we will match your piece to the right partner for it. That separation is deliberate and it is in your interest: an appraisal carries more weight when the person writing it has no stake in selling you the item or buying it from you.

Bring the piece to us and we will handle the arrangement, talk you through what the appraisal will and will not cover, and tell you what it costs before anything proceeds.

What a proper appraisal includes

A written appraisal should identify and document the piece in enough detail that it could be replaced from the description alone: metal type and karat, total weight, and for each significant stone the shape, measurements, estimated carat weight, color and clarity grades, and cut quality. It should note any laboratory reports, record identifying marks, include photographs, and state both the purpose of the valuation and its date.

The date matters. Metal and diamond markets move, and an appraisal written in 2014 does not describe today’s replacement cost. Most insurers want them refreshed every three to five years.

Before you insure

An appraisal documents what a piece is. It does not tell you whether its stones are secure. If you are insuring something you wear daily, have it cleaned and inspected at the same time — the appraisal protects you if you lose it, and the inspection is what stops you losing it. Book an appointment to get started.