What is a Jewelry Appraisal?

When looking to sell your jewelry most people tend to include an appraisal in the process. But what exactly is a jewelry appraisal? A jewelry appraisal is the process in which a certified professional examines and states a dollar-value for a piece of jewelry, such as a diamond or an engagement ring.

There are different types of appraisals that suit different purposes. For example there are a few for tax purposes, some for insurance purposes that appraise retail replacement value, and others for reselling purposes. Within a jewelry appraisal, both the precious metals and gems are considered.

What to Look for in a Jewelry Appraisal

When you are getting an appraisal of your jewelry, there are five important characteristics of the appraisal that you want to look for. These are: 

1. An appraisal process that matches the ultimate purpose of the appraisal. 
2. A clear explanation of the jewelry grading process and measurements used. 
3. A definitive statement of the value of the jewelry with seal or signature by an authorized appraiser. 
4. A statement of the appraisal purpose on the certificate. 
5. An open discussion in which you can ask any questions of the appraiser.

By making sure your jewelry appraisal checks off all five of these boxes, you’ll be sure that your appraisal is fair and that you are getting an accurate picture of how much your jewelry is worth.

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JEWELRY APPRAISAL VS. JEWELRY GRADING

While jewelry appraisal is the process of assigning monetary value to a piece of jewelry for a specific purpose, diamond jewelry grading is the thorough evaluation of the jewel’s stone and its attributes: carat, cut, color and clarity. Gradings are carried out in renowned gemological laboratories like GIA and IGI by certified professionals.

 
The market assigns value to diamond jewelry according to their grading, so if you know your stone’s 4 C’s, you can get an estimated market value of your diamond Ultimately, a diamond grading report is the most transparent, accurate and objective tool you need to determine how the market values your diamond jewelry at a specific moment in time.

WHERE CAN YOU GET YOUR JEWELRY APPRAISED

There are a few ways in which you can get your jewelry appraised. The most obvious route is at a local jeweler near you. They are likely to be certified and qualified to appraise your jewelry. In this case, you need to make sure that they carry out a resale appraisal, and not another kind of appraisal, like those for insurance or tax. For example, insurance appraisals will value jewelry at its retail replacement value, not at its resale value which can generally be substantially less than retail replacement value.

The first step to learning the value of your jewelry is to get a grading report by a reputable gemological lab such as GIA, IGI, GSI or AGS. A jeweler, or potential buyer will look at the details of the report and conduct an evaluation from there.

If your jewelry does not include any precious gemstones and is made of a precious metal such as platinum or gold you can simply have it weighed. The value of a precious metal is determined purely by its weight and position in the current market.

WORTHY JEWELRY GRADING PROCESS

When looking to sell jewelry through Worthy’s jewelry auction platform, an important step is verifying the details of your jewelry item to the buyers. Because each and every piece of jewelry we sell on behalf of our clients is unique, we have partnered with the world's leading grading laboratories, GIA, to provide the most thorough evaluation possible.

We take this extra step during our auction process to help ensure that you receive the best value for your item. The purpose of the grading is not to assign value, but to create a clearer picture of your jewelry item so that buyers can place competitive bids with confidence during the auction process. The entire jewelry auction process works as follows:

1. Describe your jewelry and upload a few photos of it. Based on the provided information, we’ll conduct a market value analysis, resulting in a pre-auction estimate.
2. Ship: We’ll provide you with a fully insured FedEx shipping label addressed to our headquarters.
3. Evaluate: When your jewelry arrives we will photograph it and have it professionally graded at the GIA laboratory.
4. Access: The e-Diamond report and professional photos will be made available to you and the buyers interested in bidding on your jewelry.
5. Relax and Make Money: All you have to do is sit back, relax, and watch the offers roll in with the live auction viewer. Approve the final bid, and the money is yours!

WORTHY AUCTIONS: WHERE THE JEWELRY "APPRAISAL" REALLY HAPPENS

The receiving and grading process at Worthy does not end in a monetary estimation or appraisal. Following the evaluation, the item is photographed and accompanied by a professional sales description to be presented at auction. The auction is where your item is ultimately "appraised" by the market.

At Worthy, the true value of your jewelry is ultimately decided by a large network of professional jewelry buyers rather than a single professional’s opinion. Once an item is made accessible to the network of buyers, they can begin to place bids based on the image and description. This process ensures that you will get the highest fair market value, what your item is really worth in the context of the greater market. 

Jewelry that includes gemstones will typically get a higher offer than those without. Diamonds are typically of the highest value depending on quality determined by the 4 C’s. Other precious gems such as sapphires, rubies, and emeralds are also very valuable and are measured on a similar scale as diamonds however with other characteristics also considered. 

Gems can vary in quality and on value based on cut shape, depth, and color saturation. Colored gems, like diamonds, are commonly faked. It is important to remember that when buying jewelry it is from a trusted and reputable seller that can provide certifications and paperwork. Here at Worthy, we have seen quite a few pieces that were found to be replications or only partially real. 

If you are looking to sell a valuable piece of jewelry with Worthy, we offer a complimentary GIA grading report as part of our services at no cost to you and without any commitment to sell the item on your part. The ultimate jewelry report will be available to you and any prospective buyers looking to buy your item.

If you are interested in selling your jewelry and seeing how the market appraises the value of your piece’s estimated worth, click the button below and you’ll be on your way selling your piece for the best price offered on the market.