Colored Stone Apprasials - Los Angeles

[la stone]

All,

I am searching for a blue sapphire to be the center stone for an e-ring. You may have read some posts from my girlfriend, septemberbaby, about different stones that we have looked at. See this thread.

Once we find the stone I will get it certified if it is not already and also get it appraised. It is the appraisal I need help with. Having read this thread I know that going to an appraiser familiar with high-end sapphires is important.

Does anyone know of a good appraiser in the Los Angeles area that could appraise a high-end sapphire? Once I buy the stone, I will likely get it appraised before and after it is set in a ring, so if the appraiser could also appraise the ring, that would be convenient. But, it is not necessary.

I have had Charles Carmona of Guild Laboratories recommended to me. Have any of you heard of him?

Thanks in advance!

 

[chrono]

I am unfamiliar with him but that doesn’t mean he isn’t good. The only one that I know and trust is in Sarasota, FL. He is Richard Sherwood of www.sarasotagemlab.com and is highly skilled and highly reputable.

 

[Richard M.]

All,



I have had Charles Carmona of Guild Laboratories recommended to me. Have any of you heard of him?

Charles is highly reputable. I've used his excellent services on several occasions.

Richard M.

 

[septemberbaby]

Here are a couple more questions that are somewhat related. (LA Stone won't mind me hijacking his thread, as he is my bf!)

- I always see people selling jewelry that guarantees to appraise for 2x, 3x, etc. We aren't interested in that sort of strange bs. Is it reasonable to expect an appraisal which tells us how much it would cost us to purchase a truly comparable stone?

- Side question: What kind of markups do you typically see from wholesale to retail on gemstones? I know that it varies from jeweler to jeweler, but I'm just curious what the range is... my bf and I were talking about the minimum a jeweler would mark up the cost of a stone and then sell to a consumer.

- Insurance: Do you insure your valuable jewelry items? Any opinions on insuring an engagement ring? Do you go through the same insurance company you use for home/auto/etc, or should you try to find someone who specializes in jewelry and such? What kind of policy do you have/recommend? We've heard that under some policies, the insurance company will just procure a new ring/stone/etc for you, but seems like a terrible proposition. Colored gemstones are so much a matter of personal preference...

- Any other opinions on Guild Labs and Charles Carmona are also appreciated!

Thanks...