Jewelry Insurance Appraisals And Estate Consultations

Did you know that most insurance companies do not automatically cover the value of your jewelry?

While there are many reasons people desire to have their jewelry appraised, the most common is to provide a detailed record and an accurate value to properly insure their jewelry in the event of loss, theft or damage.

At Gemworks, we take providing quality appraisal services to our clients very seriously. Owner, Meaghan LaPrath is one of very few qualified jewelry appraisers in the Pacific Northwest. Not only is she a GIA Graduate Gemologist, but is a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers.

What this means to you is that your jewelry items are accurately identified and described in detail (gemologist training) and they are valued appropriately to USPAP standards (appraiser training).

Unlike most jewelry stores that require weeks for your item to be appraised, Gemworks offers while-you-wait appointments on select items.

Below, you can explore what options are best for you. We also are happy to provide a free, 30 minute consultation to determine what services are in your best interest.

Jewelry Appraisal Services

  • Priced Per Item, Starting at $125 for the first item.

    Written documentation of jewelry items for the purpose of obtaining insurance. Please prepare all previous records of the item/s including former appraisals, gem or diamond certificates and receipts and provide them at your appointment. Providing these documents ensures you will have the most accurate, well documented appraisal while withholding information may lead to adjusting completed appraisal reports which may incur additional expenses. For additional details about preparing for your appointment, please see the FAQs or contact me with any questions.

  • Priced Per Item, Starting at $125 for the first item.

    Written documentation of jewelry items for the purpose of documenting and valuing items of an estate. Please prepare all previous records of the item/s including former appraisals, gem or diamond certificates and receipts and provide them at your appointment. Providing these documents ensures you will have the most accurate, well documented appraisal while withholding information may lead to adjusting completed appraisal reports which may incur additional expenses. For additional details about preparing for your appointment, please see the FAQs or contact me with any questions.

Jewelry Consultation Services

  • $95/hour — A per hour, fee based consultation service to assist in broadly sorting, organizing, identifying and approximating the values of items for estate purposes. This is the most cost efficient way to sort a large volume of unknown or not previously valued estate items. Clients are welcome to take notes for their records, but no written documentation is provided. Initial charge of 1 hour minimum. Consultations over 1 hour can be broken in to 1/2 hours of billable time.

  • $95/hour — Useful for evaluating large collections of unknown gems in a time and cost efficient manner. Verbal assessments and rudimentary testing of stones only, no written documentation is provided. Initial charge of 1 hour minimum. Consultations over 1 hour can be broken in to 1/2 hours of billable time.

  • Written or Verbal Assessments Available, Rates Depend Upon Services Provided — This service is available to assist in evaluating items for the purpose of equitable distribution between two or more interested parties. In some cases, whole or partial liquidation of items for distribution may be suggested to provide the most equitable outcome.

Additional Services

  • Priced Per Item, Starting at $105 for the first item. Discounted Rates May Apply — This service is for written documentation and the Fair Market Value of items being donated to eligible charitable organizations. Typically, this is only necessary if an item, or combined items, meets or exceeds a value set forth as requiring an appraisal by the IRS. Currently, this value is $5,000 at Fair Market Value. Please seek professional financial advice if you have any questions about this service or are in need of this service prior to scheduling.

  • Verbal Consultation, Discounted Rates May Apply — A verbal consultation to determine approximate values of items that are scheduled to be donated to eligible charitable organization. This is a useful way to determine approximate values of many items quickly and efficiently. Clients are welcome to take notes for their records, but no written documentation is provided.

  • Rates vary depending upon type of report requested, cost of report and cost of shipping, handling and insurance. — Send diamond/s, lab grown diamond/s and gems to Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Laboratory for independent grading report. Note: GIA does not assign values to any item submitted to its laboratory. Not all stones are eligible for origin reports.