So, you’ve found a good jewelry appraiser to give you an insurance appraisal for your jewelry, but what exactly does he do? There are five important points that every good jewelry appraiser will check on your ring, necklace, bracelet or other piece of jewelry that you have evaluated.

#1: A Good Jewelry Appraiser Will First Check the Authenticity

Probably the very first thing your jewelry appraiser is going to do is to check to see if your jewelry is real. There are plenty of times a person buys what they think are real diamonds or other gems only to find out they are glass or cubic zirconia. Even gold can be difficult to judge by the untrained eye. So, the appraiser will let you know if everything is authentic and as it should be.

#2: Quality Varies Greatly from Stone to Stone

One of the things you pay for in a gem is the quality of the stone. They are all different and they all have their flaws. Those with the least flaws are usually valued higher. So, the good jewelry appraiser will judge the quality of the gemstones and overall quality of the piece of jewelry.

#3: The Appraiser Will Note the Design

The jewelry appraiser will give a detailed description of the jewelry that he is appraising. On your appraisal, you will see every detail about your jewelry that makes it unique.

#4: Description of the Metals and Stones

Of course, the appraiser will also make notes on what type of metals your jewelry is made from and what kinds of gemstones are in it. How many karats of gold will be noted as well as any other metal involved in the design and where it is used. Great detail is used in describing the mounting style and other features involved. The appraiser will go into great detail in describing your gemstone’s clarity, weight, size, cut and color. This description can be very handy to have if anyone ever switches gemstones from the setting. It will be obvious in reading the description that the new gemstone isn’t the one that used to be there. The gemstone will also be graded, much like collectable coins are graded.

#5: Determine the Current Value

Once all that information is judged and compiled, the jewelry appraiser can then put a value on your jewelry. He will compare your metals and gemstones to the current market prices in order to set the value. Your appraisal will be your record of all his findings. The appraisal will also include the replacement value for use with the insurance company should your jewelry ever become lost or stolen.

Finding a Good Appraiser

Finding a good jewelry appraiser is really important, because an appraisal is an opinion of an expert. So, a well-educated, GIA Graduate Gemologist appraiser is going to be able to do a more accurate appraisal than someone who isn’t very well trained. It is important that you ask a jeweler that you trust who you should use. Ben David Jewelers in Danville, VA, has an appraiser that they recommend and he comes into their jewelry store once per month for their customers’ convenience.