appraisal question

[jupiters_gal]

hi, my e ring is being custom made right now, and when i get it i will be getting an appraisal. When they appraise a ring, how long does it take? can you stay w/ your ring? do they take out the center stone and examine it seperatley? how much info will i get on my ring from them? Also, i am in the boston area, so any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. i was at the mall a few weeks ago and saw a booth that does appraisals what do you guys think of that? sketchy?

 

[oldminer]

Do not let anyone remove the diamond from the ring. If possible, stay with it while the appraisal is being done.

The appraiser may ask for your documents in advance, but you must decide if you wish to provide thoise before or after you have the appraiser's opinion. We handle it any way the client wants us to. Some appraisers refuse to be put to the test.

You will get sufficient info to make the ring insurable. More info is always available and some appraisers will load you up with data. Sometimes this may be overkill, but it is excellent to have total documentation if the cost is not terrifically high. You really don't need to know every tiny fact, but you do need assurance that the stone and the mounting is correct and in proper condition.

An appraiser looks at all sides of any issues and provides an expert, hopefully, opinion. You must be the judge of the appraiser's credentials and how professionally they treat you.

 

[alicat]

Hi. I am in the Boston area as well and just got my independent appraisal. I highly recommend Martoni Gem Lab in Peabody. Its right on Rt. 1 and Linda the appraiser is GIA trained and does a great job of explaining what she does and how she grades. She asks that you NOT tell her what the specs are from the cert, so that she can see how close she can come, which i really liked. She will not remove the stone, but examines it in its setting and your ring is NEVER out of your eye sight for a second during the appraisal. She does all teh standard tests, depth, table, cut, clarity, color, etc... shows you how to recognize your diamond under a microcope and provides a very comprehensive appraisal. She charges $75 per half hour and doesn't charge for the write up. She's great and i recommend her to anyone in that area.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

I would check out a sample appraisal, as well as a bio of their experience and credentials.

Takes about an hour, give or take. There's no reason for the appraiser to take the ring out of your sight if you schedule an appointment.

Ask them to supply you with as much cut information as possible. The ideal is:

Measurements
Total depth
Table size
Crown height (and angle if possible)
Pavilion depth (and angle if possible)
Girdle thickness
Culet size
Symmetry
Polish

AGS or AGA cut grade, or word description of the cut ranking.

Fluorescence is good to know as well.

Not all appraisers give this information. Probably 80-90% don't. If it were me, I'd go with somebody who does.

 

[jenibear]

I second the referral to martoni diamonds and gem lab. I drove an hour with my loose diamond to see Linda on Tuesday after reading about her on this forum. She was great. And my sister - who was visiting from NYC and can detect a liar and a cheat from 100 miles away - wholeheartedly placed her trust in this woman. Let me say again that my sister - whom I love dearly - is not known to be the nicest, most trusting person and she hates salespeople and retailers. I was expecting a fight between her and the appraiser just cause that's my lovely sister (who will be my maid of honor! Ah!) But both my sister and I were pleasantly surprised by Linda's honesty and knowledge. I'll be bringing her my finished ring if I ever make up my mind on a setting!
Linda also has a web site: martonidiamonds.com. Good luck!
Jenibear

 

[jupiters_gal]

Thanks for the info. I will def. check out martoni, peabody is pretty close.part of my concern is i chose not to have my diamond certified, but i still want as much info on it that i can get.

thanks again !

 

[jupiters_gal]

Jenibear,did Linda give you all the specs Richard specified?

 

[jenibear]

Jupiters Gal, here's what Linda did:
Checked fluorescence
measured the stone
looked at it under microscope and checked inscription number and inclusions
checked the girdle
checked the cutlet
Rated symmetry and polish
Don't know about crown, pavillian, table and depth - I can't remember. Or about AGA cut grade - though she told me mine was an outstanding cut.
I don't have the report here to check but I imiagine she can do all that. I'd call and check. She's wicked nice.
Hope that helped.
Jenibear

 

[jenibear]

Jupiters gal - forgot to tell you that she also weighed the diamond, told me its color and clarity and appraised the value. Will read the report when I get home and tell you more.
Jenibear

 

[jupiters_gal]

thanks jenibear, i intend to call her the second i get my ring, which should be pretty soon! did you have to wait long for an appointment? should i call far in advance?

 

[jenibear]

Hi Jupiters gal.
I checked my appraisal report last night. Linda did check the depth and table - the numbers were lower than GIA - which rounded them up. She did not give me crown or pavillian angles or the cut grade. I wasn't looking for that. I'd call her to ask if she could do that as well.
I got an appointment a week after I called. I could have gone in sooner, but my schedule did not permit it. She also does special evening appointments, or so I remember her voicemail saying. Good luck!
Jenibear

 

[My rock to be]

I know this is an old string, but I found it very helpful! I too am from the Peabody/Boston area. I needed an ins. appraisal done on my e ring and I had no recommendations and I had no idea who to go to. I can''t believe I came across this old string! Perfect! I plan on calling Linda ASAP. This site rocks! i''ve learned soooo much. Thanks everyone.

 

[GemEval]

Date: 12/3/2004 10:40:31 AM
Author: My rock to be
I know this is an old string, but I found it very helpful! I too am from the Peabody/Boston area. I needed an ins. appraisal done on my e ring and I had no recommendations and I had no idea who to go to. I can''t believe I came across this old string! Perfect! I plan on calling Linda ASAP. This site rocks! i''ve learned soooo much. Thanks everyone.

Hi My Rock To Be,
I helped Linda at her store for a while, she has recently moved to Florida. Their gain, our loss.
John Caruso

 

[blueMA]

After seeing this forum info, I called the business listing for Martoni & James, LTD this afternoon. As the last poster has noted, Linda did sell her business to another person Jim Schiavone when I called for an appraisal looking for Linda. I was in desperate need for an expert opinion/appraisal on my newly acquired H&A claimed 2.11 G stone that seems to be darker than other G stones I've seen (I've returned 4 stones over the Internet already...and other appraisers I've tried are not worth a dime), so after a short phone interview, I made a visit to Peabody, MA after I found out Jim happens to specialize in H&A stones directly imported from Belgium (those exact cutters who produce top H&As brand at double the price), and he's also the stone supplier/wholesaler who offers wholesale priced H&A diamonds. Jim was very easy to talk to and he seemed extremely honest & knowledgeable without the typical pompous demeanor I've observed in the area's money-hungry appraisers (or may be I was unlucky finding them...). I went through the trouble of ordering my last few stones over from a canadian wholesaler without being able to see in person, nor be able to view any pics before ordering. I was not happy with the stone I've been getting over the Internet, so I was very disturbed when I found out Jim was able to offer comparable/better price, and also offers forever upgrade plan in exchange of the payed cash value of the diamond! Only if I had known few months ago!!! argh... Jim advised me that the stone I have is indeed a very good stone although not hearts and arrows (AGAIN!!! - one of the heart is significantly smaller due lower girdle cut longer than the rest), and that he had no problem rating it as a G stone. He explained the darkness I observe in comparison is due to grey color tone the G stone has in its body, and due to thick black arrorw shafts that I mainly see under the table. I was able to see/verify this with his firescope, H&A viewer, his microscopes/loups, and compare with other stones. Although the proportaions and the info on GIA is practically perfect with the stone, I am not happy with it since it seems darker/deemer and I am able to see a very tiny black inclusion on the stone although it was guaranteed to be 100% eye-clean. I'm contemplating returning the stone since I found Jim within my driving distance...and he seemed genuinely sympathetic to my situation

Jim was more than generous with his time with me (he spent a few hours with me whining the whole time

), and I hope to save some other people from the trouble of going through what I went through (lots of money spent on return shipping/insurance/appraisal/stress and countless hours spent over the Internet). I have not had the pleasure of dealing with Linda, but it seems Jim is just as spectacular as Linda. Diamond search is no fun at all....