FIND an APPRAISER now live for NAJA

[oldminer]

http://www.najaappraisers.com/html/find_an_appraiser.html

This link will take you to the NAJA site where you can put in your state and find the members of the largest "jewelry only" appraisal association.

 

[pricescope]

Thanks for the link, Dave. Are they all independent appraisers who do not sale retail?

 

[oldminer]

Leonid:

These many appraisers are all trained to varying extents, but they are not all "independent". Many, probably most of them, are located within retail jewelry stores. There are only a relatively small number of truly independent jewelry or diamond appraisers. It is a difficult thing to make a living from this narrow segment of business, so we find people wearing multiple hats and many working in or as retailers. No doubt, some of these retailers will give a competent appraisal on an item bought elsewhere, but the potential for bias is problematic. The only true solution is to ask the appraiser if they also are a retail seller, before making a snap judgment that they are a truly independent source of information.

 

[Regular Guy]

Working with an independent appraiser surely has its advantages. The buyer can know the opinion received will not be without the potential bias present in the motivation of the appraiser who would otherwise direct the buyer to their own stash. Also, because the appraiser is independent, certain freedoms can be felt by the vendor, and appreciated by the prospect, such that the vendor would allow the diamond to be sent to the appraiser...pre-purchase, and to be available there for examination. Finally, an independent appraiser had better determine to be pretty good at what they do, or they just won''t make it.

Alternately, the diamond buyer might benefit from a non-independent appraiser in either specified or strategic ways, it seems to me.

1) Specified...seems like prospect and appraiser could just agree at the outset that the appraiser''s stash would be off limits, no matter how good it is.
2) Strategically...maybe the appraiser/jeweler could be used by the prospect, encouraged by the person seeking the appraiser''s assistance, to show him a better value, if he can.

(2) may be too challenging to play well. Unless the buyer is pretty savvy, which most of us are not, I suspect the route of the independent appraiser, when available, would generally be preferred.

Thanks Dave. I will note..having checked out my own locale...the options do open up considerably with this list.