Everything you need to know about inhouse appraisals...

Have you ever really looked that the appraisal done by your local jeweller? Looking past the thick high quality paper do you notice the key factors that determine a legitamite appraisal from a high quality piece of paper with a bunch of words typed across?

If you don't your certainly not alone. The fact is that many retail jewellers have added appraisal services to keep a competitive edge with ever decreasing profit margins. This is a perfectly sound practice; independent appraisal firms are hired on a contract basis to provide an independent and unbiased assesment of a clients heirlooms using tried and true methods of gemology.

However, when the jeweller takes it upon themselves to conduct the independent assement red flags must be raised as industry ethics and authenticity are thrown out the window. (You wouldn't want your realator to conduct an appraisal on a property your interested in buying) Jewellers often have no industry professionalism, for example have never taken gemological courses to obtain a gemologist degree,when it comes to appraisals...just a huge ego steming from so called 'years of experience' of making and selling jewellery. These jewellers have never taken gemological courses to obtain a degree in gemology (to obtain this prestigious degree one must identify and grade over 5,000 gems, natural, treated, untreated, and synthetic with NO MISTAKES). Then there are the certificates themselves, vauge descriptions with often no color photo in sight...if the jewellery piece needed to be replaced what physcial evidence is there that it ever existed...a description along could conjure up several different images.

Also, how can the jeweller keep their evaluation unbiased as they are sure to appraise their pieces for far more than if a client walked in with a competitors piece.

It is an unfortunate reality in which we live, especially when jewellery has been treasured for thousands of years, that this industry has so many quirks to be worked out and that jewellers would rather appease their clients than admit they do not have the skills and confidence to maintain intregrity in their businesses. What is more unfortunate is that this is not a recent problem as I know several jewellers who are doing just this and have been in business for over 30 years.

PREMIER GEMS LTD.
Bring back consumer confidence in the jewellery industry