At Silveri Jewellers we're pleased to know Certified Appraiser and Expert Gemologist, Karen Howard. Karen is a longtime friend of Silveri and she has recently broken down some of the appraisal questions she is frequently asked, check out here answers below.

1.) Why do I need an appraisal? What price should an item be before I get an appraisal?

My answer to that is to explain that there are many reasons to have an item appraised and value is only one. A good appraisal, done by a reputable appraiser, will have details and description of the items as well as a photograph. Thus in the event of it being lost or stolen, there is a better chance of return than with something that is not documented. It also shows that as of the date of the appraisal you were in possession of the item. In this instance, it may be. that to you the monetary value is a secondary consideration and that you want the item documented. Are you going to be upset if the item is lost or stolen? That might be the guide you use as your reason to have an appraisal done.

2.) What are the differences between appraised for insurance or probate?

In Ontario, there is a law that all items that are being claimed in an estate during probate must now be valued by a professional. You cannot just put a price on the item that you believe to be correct. It must be documented. This is done for tax purpose and thus the government does allow the value to not be retail replacement but a lower value. Insurance value is higher to allow for replacement of the piece in the market.

3.) How come you charge so much to do an appraisal? I can get it done at the chain store but I don’t want it to be sent away and wait two weeks to get it back.

My response to that is only for my own business and I cannot relate it to anyone else, but my price for my service is based on not only the service I offer, but the timeliness of my service (sometimes same day service), my experience in the industry and the extensiveness of my education. I allow for the fact that I work from my home office so have not as much overhead but I also take into account that I have ongoing expenses in keeping not only equipment up to date but also my education. My field of work never stops changing, so if you stop learning, you will make mistakes. I have positioned myself, where I have colleagues around the world I can go to for help, when needed and always thank them for the willingness to share knowledge no matter how busy they are. Will you get this same type of service from the chain store?

Find out more about having your jewellery appraised at Silveri Jewellers here.

If you have more questions for Karen about appraisals feel free to contact her at kcappraisals@rogers.com or visit karensappraising.com