/images/indexpic.jpg)
How to Do a Practical Jewelry Appraisal
/images/h1.gif)
May 30th, 2010
The best way to appraise jewelry is to have a professional jewelry appraiser do it for you. In fact, several appraisals would be better to get the real value of the item. Appraisers or gemologists of jewelry auction houses might be the most reliable, since they would have been exposed to original articles, authentic ones, fakes and copies, more than other appraisers and should be more knowledgeable about jewelries in general. Many items are sold through jewelry auctions, and because each one must be authenticated, the appraiser should readily know about your piece of jewelry and thus appraise it.
But you can do some unofficial appraisal or quick evaluation of an item at hand if you know and understand a few things about it or its relatives. Of course jewelry pieces are not like cars that have many units of one model and make, so a piece of jewelry may only have one or two identical copies. To appraise a piece of jewelry, you can:
Consult the original receipt of purchase. No matter when the item was bought, the purchase receipt will give you a distinct idea of its value. Just adjust the old monetary value to modern equivalents. You may have to calculate the antique value, though.
Compare it with others via the Internet. Search online for comparative pieces and see how much they are worth. It should give you a range of the probable price of your item, because gems vary in cut, coloration or size and thus are priced differently.
Know its history. Family heirlooms are often valuable, indicated by being chosen for keeping and passing on. Research its history among family members to get an indication of its value. If found in a garage or rummage sale, ask the owner about its history, or even story. Some can be more valuable than their prices.
Understand the value of its stones and metals. Gold, silver, alloys, diamonds, rubies, pearls and others have their own relative values. Knowing the prices will help you narrow the price range of your piece of jewelry, old or new.
Look out for fakes. Too perfect a gem and it will probably be a fake. Diamonds without flaws and perfectly round pearls will not be sold for even regular prices, more-so for paltry sums, even during a financial depression. Be suspicious and wary when offered such items.
A heavier gold ring is normally worth more than a lighter one, though not always. It depends on the purity of the gold used and the stones (if there are) set in it. All things being equal, the heavier one should be priced more.
The preceding suggestions are of course not set in stone and instead are simply practical ways to determine a jewel’s worth. Every piece of jewelry is worth different from another, except for generic bands of precious metal. Furthermore, their owners value them differently, too, aside from their values in historical or other terms. But at least, doing the above will give you an idea what the true appraised value is.
Connor R Sullivan has taken part in many jewelry auction online and won several valuable pieces. His wife often purchase her jewels at jewelry auctions online for gifts.
Related : Cheap Amazon Watches Online Store Guess Uhren Shop Billig Uhren Schmuck Shop Herren uhren Shop Kaufen Elysee Uhren Casio Uhren
