The Benefits of jewellery Appraisals

A critical step in protecting and preserving the value of your jewellery is getting an updated appraisal on a regular basis. In fact, if the most recent appraisal of your jewellery took place five or more years ago, it’s time to get a new appraisal.

You may be asking what a jewellery appraisal does for you. The obvious answer is that an appraisal sets a value for your jewellery. And with today’s roller-coaster values for gold, platinum, silver and gemstones, knowing what your jewellery is worth can save you heartache later if your jewellery is lost or stolen.

The appraisal provides basic information most insurance carriers need to offer coverage for your jewellery. The updated value, along with the detailed description provided by an appraisal, will help smooth your settlement process if you were to suffer a loss.

Another appraisal benefit is having an updated assessment of your jewellery’s condition. Over time, prongs, clasps, settings and even stones can become loose or damaged. The review of your jewellery by a professional can help mitigate a possible loss by drawing to your attention any minor damage so an item can be repaired.

Now that I’ve convinced you to get an appraisal, who should you go to and what should it contain? The first choice for your appraisal should be a jeweler you trust. They should have the credentials necessary to do an appraisal, such as a Certified Gemologist Appraiser (CGA) from the American Gem Society, and/or be a member of one of the appraisal societies that dictate ethical appraisal practices. You may already have a grading report from AGS or another lab. These reports are used to verify the quality and authenticity of gemstones or diamonds, but do not establish value.

Your jewellery appraisal should contain:

Your name and address
Type of jewellery
What is the jewellery item made of?
What type of gemstones are used?
How are the stones graded?
How is it designed or fashioned?
Condition of the item being appraised
colour photograph
Current precious metal values
Manufacturer, origin, or designer
Purpose of the appraisal (example: for insurance purposes)
Credentials of the appraiser
Signed and dated by the appraiser

Phillip Bosen is the Director of Business Development at Von Bargen’s jewellery and the only Certified Gemologist Appraiser in Vermont.

Taken from: AMERICAN GEM SOCIETY
By Phillip Bosen, CGA and Director of Business Development at Von Bargen’s jewellery

Which Ruby is best?

We all know that the ideal colour for ruby is bright red. The value of precious gemstones has always been determined by rarity, colour and inclusions. But, which Ruby should we be buying?  Popular choices today are Burmese, Indian and Madagascan Ruby.

Burmese Pigeon Blood Ruby has always been the most desirable, the most beautiful and the most expensive Ruby. However, over the last several years this has changed due to new deposits of Ruby being found in previously inaccessible areas like Madagascar.

Top quality Vietnamese Ruby, popular in the 90's, actually surpassed the popularity of Burmese Ruby.  Recently, deposits in Tanzania have been discovered and these "Winza" rubies are of remarkable quality.  Rubies are mined in  Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Greenland, and Tajikistan.

Conclusion:  All qualities of Ruby are good, it just depends on your budget and the desire to own one.

The beauty is included

We all know that inclusions in diamonds can be a bad thing. Nearly invisible specks inside a diamond can have a tremendous effect on value. However, inclusions play a major role in the world of coloured gemstones. Inclusions are a very important part of gemstone identification. They can be indicators of species, origin and treatments. As with diamonds, if inclusions are too numerous they can have a negative effect on beauty and value.

In some cases inclusions are desirable in coloured gemstones. Horsetail shaped inclusions inside Dementoid Garnet are not only identifying characteristics, under magnification they are quite beautiful. In fact, Dementoid Garnets with well-formed horsetails are very desirable and often carry a significant premium in the market.   Collectors seek out gemstones that display inclusions that are unique to the species; Lilypads in Peridot, 3-phase inclusions in Colombian Emerald, even insects in Amber. Microscopic inclusions cause the optical effects of asterism (stars) and chatoyancy (cat’s eye).

The real fun comes when inclusions are large and bold enough to become an essential part of a stone’s beauty and interest. The Quartz family is known for interesting inclusions. Rutilated Quartz contains crystals of Titanium Dioxide, sometimes radiating from a dark grey cube of Hematite in a captivating starburst of brilliant metallic gold needles. Tourmalinated Quartz looks like small black or dark green rods frozen in clear ice. Many minerals can form inside Quartz; sometimes as floating crystals other times appearing more like a colourful coral reef captured in stone. They are beautiful to the eye and even more fascinating under a microscope.

One of the hottest collectable inclusion stones are Trapiches. Meaning “wagon-wheel” Trapiches are usually cut as a cabochon or as a flat slab. The typical appearance shows spokes radiating out from a central hub with contrasting colours or a different mineral between the spokes. First found in Colombian Emeralds, we now find Trapiches in Sapphire, Ruby, Quartz and several other species including diamonds.  Trapiches of any species with good colour and distinct, well-defined spokes are in high demand and the prices are rising quickly. Grab them when you see them.

Gemstones with interesting and visible inclusions offer jewellery designers a broad palette of colour, shape and texture. Inclusion stones can be very affordable or very expensive. Commercial grade inclusion quartz can be had for less than a dollar per carat while superb examples of Rutilated Quartz could fetch over $100 per carat, even more if cut by a top artisanal gemcutter. A large Trapeiche Emerald with deep green colour and well defined spokes can run well into the thousands of dollars per carat.

Be included!
From Jewellery Net Asia