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how independent are the independent appraisers ?...

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Dancing Fire

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i''m sure some of them are good friends with the vendors,nothing wrong with that since they''re in the type of business.my question is.....what are the chances for the appraiser to make a negative comment about their (vendor friend) stone,when doing an appraisel for a customer.
 

oldminer

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A very good appraiser highlights the positives and also provides the negatives. It is difficult to walk the tightrope of not discouraging you from making a purchase while still giving you the facts. Appraisers should not knock merchandise, but should use words that tell you the truth in an unshaded way. It is truly for the consumer to decide to buy or pass.

Some independent appraisers do fall under the wing of vendors. This is a problem occasionally, but not nearly the problem it might seem to be. You should be in charge of who provides you a second opinion. Don''t go to the appraiser the vendor chooses unless there is just no alternative for you. Finding your own trusted adviser is the best policy.
 

denverappraiser

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Dancing,

There is obviously a relationship that exists between the dealers and the various appraisers, between the dealers themselves and with the various wholesalers who feed into the system. There is no other option in such a small community. This is mostly based on mutual creditworthiness but other issues can come into play and it will depend on what each appraiser means by their usage of the term ‘independent’. Unfortunately, we don’t all use it to mean the same thing and there are various grey areas. The appraiser should be happy to discuss their position in the marketplace and their connection to your particular transaction. You can then decide if they are appropriate for what you are trying to learn. Some good questions to ask would be:
Do you buy or sell diamonds, gemstones or jewelry?
Are you now or have you ever been employed by or otherwise related to XYZ who is the selling dealer in this transaction?
Are you employed by or otherwise related to XYZ who is the manufacturer of the items involved in this transaction or anyone else who you know to have a vested interest in this particular transaction (like a wholesaler who is supplying the dealer or manufacturer).
Do you take work from dealers? If so, do you do work for anyone involved in this transaction?
Do you recommend a particular dealer or dealers? Under what circumstances?
Are you paying or receiving any commissions as a result of this assignment or the referral that led to it?
Do you have a financial interest in any other jewelry related firm?

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Independent Appraisals in Denver
 

Richard Sherwood

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That's the advantage of doing a comprehensive report, which leaves no stone unturned.

If you report all the facts there are to know about the diamond, the report speaks for itself. Negatives are reported as well as positives. Clarity photos, IdealScope photos, H&A photos, DiamCalc results & OGI/Sarin numbers speak for themselves.

A critique of the pros & cons of each of the five C's (with the fifth C being "cost") is also included in the SGL Comprehensive Diamond Analysis, along with a critique of the manufacture, workmanship & condition of the mounting.

I just report the information the best I can on every stone, and let the chips fall where they may.
 

Nicrez

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I would also assume that it would be negligible of an appraiser to not state ALL the facts of a stone, like if there was a chip on a stone dangerously close to the edge, or an open feather that could be an issue... Then someone could blame the appraiser for not doing his job and reporting it.

Richard is right, you talk about the stone and you write a report that is objective because there is no real reason NOT to. Anything negative you try to cover will just come back to bite the appraiser, so no relationship is worth your own creditworthiness, I think...
 

niceice

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We find the independent appraisers to be very unbiased... Sometimes they like a stone and sometimes they don''t... A good Gemologist is able to explain their basis for the grade to the customer and (hopefully) explain why there might be a reasonable difference between their opinion and that of the laboratory if there is one. We make it clear to the independent appraisers that we send diamonds to that we understand that they represent the customer and not us which is why the customer pays for their services, but not because we expect them to do otherwise, rather because we want them to be comfortable with doing so just because as people they might feel akward about recommending our diamond over another dealers or vice versa when two or more diamonds are on the table for one client... In our experience, the independent gemologists have too much integrity to alter their opinion for the sake of enabling a dealer to make a sale.
 
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