Appraiser in Connecticut

[Chuckenator]

Hello all,

Mark Morrell is creating my fiance's wedding band and engagement ring. He suggested that he mail the completed set to an appraiser who can verify that the diamond matches the GIA report (i.e. he didn't switch the center stone on us) and create an appraisal. We both trust Mark, but his advice is sound for such an expensive item.

Can anyone recommend an appraiser in Connecticut? Preferably one in the Hartford area, but we are willing to drive an hour or two if necessary.

Thanks!

 

[Regular Guy]

Seems like Cindy Konney hasn't been writing here for a bit, but she used to, and her web site shows being still in CT. (I probably scared her off!) This is confirmed above under Resources, under appraiser. You can probably research older threads for her comments.

See here:

http://www.negemlab.com/

Regards,

Ira Z.

 

[Chuckenator]

Thanks, Ira

 

[oldminer]

http://www.neilgemologist.com/index3.html

Try Neal Cohen....in West Hartford..

 

[Chuckenator]

http://www.neilgemologist.com/index3.html

Try Neal Cohen....in West Hartford..

Due to proximity, we went with Neil Cohen. Unfortunately, it was not a good experience and I would NOT recommend anyone using his service. His customer service skills are poor at best, and better described as rude. I live outside the country and wanted to be on speakerphone throughout the process so I could ask him specific questions and share in the moment where my fiance received the new ring. Although we had discussed me calling in to the meeting beforehand, when my fiance mentioned it to Neil he literally threw the box at her (she described it many times) to open the packaging acting frustrated by the request. To be clear, I called my fiance's cellphone and there was no cost or inconvenience to Neil.

That leads into my next story - the box was apparently extremely securely taped and Neil was banging the box around and being overall very rough (prior to throwing it to my fiance). That type of experience is not something you want when you spent over $40k on a small and delicate piece of jewelry that means a great deal. You want it handled with care and respect.

After Neil literally threw the box at my fiance, he made it clear that there was nothing for me to hear (missed the entire point regarding being part of the experience) and I should hang up. Afterwards, my fiance confided in me that she felt uncomfortable during the whole meeting and didn't want to say a word or ask questions.

I don't know if his appraisal is good or not - I'm not an expert at that. What I do know is how he commented on how much the online stores inflate their appraisals and that you'd have to be "crazy" to believe that's what it's worth. I never believed the BN appraisal price, but I certainly don't want to hear negative comments about other appraisers nor have it be implied that I was crazy.

In the end his appraisal was extremely close to the amount of money I spent, which in my amateur opinion is undervaluing what I could purchase for at a B&M. It would have been great to discuss that stuff, but it wasn't worth a follow-up call to deal with him.

I truly wish I went to Cindy Konney because during our phone call she seemed great to work with. However, my finance is extremely busy and I didn't want her to drive 1.5 hours each way. If I had to do over again, I would have avoided Neil like the plague and made sure to find a time that worked well with Cindy. Neil's attitude and demeanor took away from this special experience and left an extremely bad taste in my mouth.

 

[oldminer]

WELL, i SURE REGRET GIVING YOU, OR ANYONE ELSE, BAD ADVICE. You won't see me recommend Neil Cohen again after your experience. I wish I had not thought of him and it has been a good long time since he and I met face to face. While I got mellow, he may have turned into an old curmudgeon. Please accept my sincere apology in this recommendation. At one time, he was a very good appraiser and highly qualified.

I do wish you well with your purchase. The bad experience with the appraiser won't change a good deal or make a bad one better, but we all want to be treated properly....

 

[Chuckenator]

WELL, i SURE REGRET GIVING YOU, OR ANYONE ELSE, BAD ADVICE. You won't see me recommend Neil Cohen again after your experience. I wish I had not thought of him and it has been a good long time since he and I met face to face. While I got mellow, he may have turned into an old curmudgeon. Please accept my sincere apology in this recommendation. At one time, he was a very good appraiser and highly qualified.

I do wish you well with your purchase. The bad experience with the appraiser won't change a good deal or make a bad one better, but we all want to be treated properly....

No apology needed (from you)! Before you mentioned him, I knew Neil was in West Hartford and that would be a shorter trip for my finance. However, during my initial call to Neil I didn't get a great feeling and should have listened to my gut. Instead, I went for the "easy" choice and it turned out to be a poor one.

A bad attitude I can handle. Making her feel uncomfortable and very rough handling of a precious item is not something I'm ok with.