How to estimate the value of jewelry
At this point in the book, I assume you have spent sometime looking at jewelry, either
online or in a retail venue. Have you noticed the lack of consistency in pricing? One
reason prices are so varied arises from the term value.
Value is all based on perspective. If I were to offer you a tattered old coat for your child
from my giveaway bin in the basement, and your son had several coats, one for each
season, you would most likely find very little value in my offer.
However, if I offered you the same tattered coat, and you and your family had gone
through some tough times and your son had only a spring coat for a cold winter, you
might place a great deal of value on my gesture.
Likewise, most jewelry buyers are not educated in appraising, and the value of the gems
or stones is often perceived by the marketing and presentation.
You need to educate yourself to protect your best interests (and your customer’s
too!)
What Will You Need?
1. Eyeglass – If you have a Jewelers Loupe (a tool used by jewelers to magnify the
image below in varying degrees) kicking around, you can certainly use it, but for
the those just starting, don.t buy one off the bat
You can purchase a small plastic eyeglass with a 10-x magnification that will do
the trick.
Jewelers Loupe
2. A ruler or micrometer – This needs little explanation, as you want to measure
the size of the stones or items you are appraising.
3. Use the 4 C’s – If you are looking at gemstones there are standardized
guidelines for the jewelry industry called the 4 C.s:
. Color
. Cut
. Clarity
. Carat (weight)
Let’s take a closer look at color:
Most people falsely believe that the darker the color the more precious the stone. This is
not necessarily true. The exquisite stone is evidenced with brightness and vividness.
As a primer, the Munsell Color Grading System is a look place to start in judging the
color. With the plastic tools in place, you can begin to look for the hue (gradation of
color, shade or tint), and the chroma, or saturation of the color, which gives the color a
vividness, strength or purity. Lastly, we look for the Value or tone; that which causes you
to think of a color as dark red or light red.
If it sounds complicated, it is because it is complicated!
For most people the sound advice offered online and offline is this: hire a reputable
appraiser and save yourself a bundle of time, energy and possible regret.
But let.s face it; in our business if we hired an appraiser every time we had questions
about a stone, we wouldn.t make any money ourselves.
There are courses available at colleges and in adult education programs that you can
take for 2 years or more to study gemology. If that interests you it might be worth the
time and effort.
There are also courses online you may want to check out. One we found that not only
offered the courses but actual appraising kits and assistance with your own appraisals is
found at How to Value Jewelry. David Foard is the owner of the site with over 35 years
as a gemologist. The site is extensive with free information and the right tools to help in
appraising stones.
Another site worth using as a reference is: http://www·onlinejeweler·info/index·php