Appraisals of jewelry and precious stones
How difficult it is to estimate the value of some of our dearest assets: jewelry, diamonds and other precious stones.
We inherit them from our loved ones: grandparents, parents or other family dear or maybe someone gave them to us on a very special occasion or perhaps we acquired them because they subjugated their beauty.
Although emotionally they have no price, they are irreplaceable, it is necessary to know their updated values, and if the original invoice is lacking, it is essential to make them an appraisal.
Jewelry appraisal
It can be divided into two: adornment jewel and the one we could call "investment type" of jewellery.
Adornment Type Jewellery:
It is one whose design is fashionable. They usually use a large number of various small gems, such as: diamonds, emeralds, aquamarines, rubies and others, with different size styles.
The price is determined by:
The metal used: gold, platinum and the law of the alloy, if it is gold: 22K, 18K, 14K.
The weight: type of gems, quantity of gems used.
Cost of manufacture, in this case we consider: the jeweller's labour and that of the gem setter.
The final value will define it, if they are jewels made in series or if they are pieces with exclusive designs manufactured by companies or jewellers of great name or international prestige, such as: Cartier, Bulgari or others. This type of jewellery, when fashion passes, is reduced in price to 1/3 of its initial value, equivalent to the cost of the materials used: gold, platinum and gems.
If they are jewellery with brands of renowned companies, they maintain the initial value and usually increase it.
In the type of ornament jewels are also the jewels manufactured with only precious metals, their value is based on the weight of the metal used, the law of this (the grade of the metal), if they are unique jewels or are made in series.
The ‘investment’ type of jewellery:
Its price is largely based on the value of the central gemstone, usually gemstones whose weights are greater than 0.50 ct. and of optimum or good quality.
Their quality is determined by the 4 factors called the 4C's: Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat.
The color in diamonds judges the total absence of yellowish tints or color saturation, in color diamonds, street fancy color diamonds, This concept also applies to other colored gemstones.
In addition to judging quality, transparency or semi-transparency in gemstones is also considered.
For cut diamonds, there are international price lists, according to the factors that determine quality, the 4C's.
In contrast to colourless diamonds, with coloured gemstones, determining the price is more ambiguous as there are no international price lists.
The total value of this type of jewellery is obtained by adding the price of the central gemstone and the other components, taking into account: metal cost, according to weight and grade, elaboration cost, setting of the central gemstone and other gemstones, when the piece contains other gemstones in addition to the central gemstone.
When they go out of fashion, diamonds or other precious stones will have a price equivalent to the purchasing value of the moment, except for market circumstances, they will always have a higher price than when they were acquired.
Jewellery and precious stones are our greatest assets, they adorn and embellish us, they give us status, they concentrate great fortunes in spaces no bigger than the size of our fist, that is why we must take care of them, they are irreplaceable and part of that care is to know their prices.
Know the price of your jewellery 💍
Fidel Orta Godoy
Jewelry Sales Manager & GIA Gemologist
Telephone:
📱 Miami: +1 (305) 984 8593
