If you have a piece of jewelry that you feel may be of some value, you should use a jewelry appraisal service. There are two main reasons why you should get your jewelry appraised — resale value and insurance. If you are attempting to sell your jewelry, it is crucial that you get it appraised in order to sell the piece for what it is truly worth. In order to insure any piece of jewelry it first must be appraised, so that the insurance company can know how much the piece is worth. Then, should it ever be stolen, you will be compensated for the value of the item. The price of fine metals fluctuates often so you should get your jewelry appraised at least every three years. That way you will be insured for the current value for your item, instead of what the piece used to be worth.

A jewelry appraisal involves several different types of documentation, including but not limited to the following.

A Photograph of the Piece

While a photograph of the jewelry may seem obvious, not many people actually think to photograph their jewelry. Photographs over the years can help to prove how long you have had the piece, or how long it has been in your family.

Specific Details of Jewels and Weight of Precious Metals

Documenting the exact details of any gems or the weight of precious metals is crucial to any jewelry appraisal. In addition to a photograph, writing down the minute details of a piece can help to capture the minute uniqueness of your piece. While some jewelry may look similar to one another, there are always small differences that can be detected. 

Inclusion Diagrams

An inclusion diagram is a chart that can document small imperfections or inclusions within the stone. A stone without any inclusions is extremely rare, and if none are noted it may be mistaken for cubic zirconia since they have no imperfections. While these imperfections may not be visible to the naked eye, a skilled appraiser will be able to spot them with magnification. 

The Value Summary

To an insurance agent, the value summary is the most important part of a jewelry appraisal. This document will ultimately determine how much a piece of jewelry will be insured for. 

In conclusion, if you are going to get your jewelry appraised, your insurance company is going to need to know exactly what the diamond is worth, along with documentation of your specific stones or precious metals. 

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