How is Jewelry Appraised?
Many of us have gotten our jewelry appraised to find out its true value, but do you know what aspects of your piece are being taken into consideration? Appraisers typically look at the materials, quality, and size of the piece. Having jewelry valued by an accredited professional is important to know how much an item is worth, especially if you have plans to sell your jewelry.
Materials
The material your jewelry is composed of is going to heavily influence the value of your jewelry. For example, an item made of gold is going to have a higher value than an item made from silver. Gold and silver are two of the most common metals in jewelry. If you have any type of stone on the piece, those are also going to help determine the value of your piece. Diamonds are the most expensive stone, whereas a garnet will be on the lower end of the price range.
Quality
The quality of your piece may be one of the most important aspects. Most materials in jewelry come in different grades. A grade in jewelry refers to the quality of the gemstone, considering color, clarity, cut, and weight. With a colored stone, high valued gems typically have a vibrant color. The clearer a gem is, the greater it climbs in value. As far as cut goes, it is based on the physical appearance of the gem’s shaping. The cut is a clear indication of the craftsmanship that went into making the piece. Finally, the weight of the material, both metal and gems, is taken into account when appraising the item. The heavier the item is in karats, the greater the value. For instance, 24 karat gold is the heaviest gold can be, so it is 100% gold. This is obviously going to be valued higher than 14 karat gold, which is a combination of gold and alloy.
Size
Size is typically the most logical part of appraising from the consumer’s viewpoint. Most people will assume the bigger the piece, the bigger the price tag. The more material that is going into the piece of jewelry, the higher the value of the item.
A jewelry appraisal is a necessary part of selling jewelry since it allows you to know the genuine retail value of a piece. Because of this, it is important to make sure that your item is in the hands of a professional when being appraised. Make sure to contact a trusted professional, such as Ohio Gem Lab to have your jewelry appraised by trustworthy appraisers in the jewelry industry.
