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New way to locate diamond appraisers? Online catalogue.

gm89uk

Brilliant_Rock
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I came across this site which I thought was a really good idea:
http://www.jewelleryappraisersoftheworld.com/

It seems to be a website that has a catalogue of appraisers internationally. It lists the qualifications, basic information about appraisers and price / contact details / website etc. I'll find it especially useful being in the UK and the difficulty in finding a reputable appraisers as I did have some ridiculous dealings when getting my diamond done.

I can imagine this would be quite a powerful resource when it is well populated!

Note: I am not affiliated in anyway to the site, I just thought it was a useful resource and there are many topics here asking regarding finding a good appraiser. Does anyone recognise any of the appraisers on there?
 

Scotgem

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Jun 20, 2009
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Hi gm89uk

Thank you for posting about this.
It got picked up in my Analytics and I thought I would respond as your post is looking a little lonely ;-)

The Directory was only launched 2 weeks ago but already the interest has been strong.
You said that you thought it will be " a powerful resource" ... thank you for that, that is exactly what we think.
We are of the opinion that consumers will appreciate details of top quality, qualified Appraisers who have had their credentials verified, all being on one site. A totally advert-free site to boot!

It is quite unlike any other directory available to the professional Jewelry Appraiser in as much that those Valuers featured are required to meet certain criteria, their credentials are checked out and confirmed.

We would also like to think that the site reflects the luxury market in which the Appraisers operate and that the features such as verified client reviews and the social media tools will make Jewellery Appraisers of the World THE go to place to find excellent professional Jewellery Valuers in the consumers' area.

Currently we have Associates in Australia, Canada, France, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom and the USA with Spain and India coming soon.

I would appreciate any feedback from Pricescopers regarding the website.

Happy New Year to all
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 17, 2008
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27,198
I think this is a great idea! I hope it continues to be populated.
I don't think the general population knows how important it is to get an unbiased appraiser and where to even find one. I also wish there was more info on the different types of appraisals.

The "feel good" appraisal that values the item for twice as much as its really worth.

The "I've got to sell this. What's a fair price on the second hand market? " appraisal.

The "I'm thinking about buying this item. Is it worth the asking price and is it what they say it is?" Appraisal.

The "I need a fair value for insurance" appraisal.

I'm sure there are more and they can be mixed and matched depending on the needs of the client.

Only wish we had more qualified appraisers in the U.S.!
 

Texas Leaguer

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Thanks gm89uk for posting this and welcome to you ScotGem.

I think it is a wonderful idea and I wish you good luck in building it out. As a service to our customers we have compiled a small list of appraisers around the US that meet a set of criteria that we have developed in terms of credentials, standing in the trade, reputation, security/insurance, etc. There is naturally a lot of interest on the part of consumers to have their remote purchases verified and evaluated.

I would encourage you to contact the companies listed on our page and see if they are interested in being listed on your site. We feel they are excellent companies.
http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/whiteflash-policies/whiteflash-recommended-jewelry-appraisers-1127.htm

Cheers!
 

Rockdiamond

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I agree- consumers definitely will be well served finding a site which can steer them towards a competent, honest appraiser.

Scotgem- Is yours a paid service? In other words, do appraisers pay to be on the site?
Second- how do you vet them? What criteria do they need to meet?
Third, is a jewelry seller acceptable as an appraiser on your site?

These are aspects I think can be problematic for consumers.
For example- The Better Business Bureau. It's an advertising site, dressed up as a consumer education site. Stores pay to be part of BBB, which diminishes it's value IMO.
Not to say the new site will share the same issues, but I think discussing them will allow a better idea of how you can avoid these pitfalls.
 

Scotgem

Rough_Rock
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Hi Texas Leaguer

Thank you.
We have avoided contacting businesses in an unsolicited way (with 2 exceptions for very specific reasons), we have just let the site speak for itself. If Appraisers like what they see, they will approach us. (remember that this site is only 2 weeks live, so early days yet).

I should declare, since you have brought the subject up, that some AIJV members were the initial Appraisers to populate the site, as they were aware of the plans for this project and offered assistance in its refinement.

Your list has some great Appraisers..... in fact 3/4 of them are already on JAW or their profiles are currently in development.

Happy New Year!
Adrian
 

Scotgem

Rough_Rock
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Hi Rock Diamond
Thank you for your great questions.

In order, here are my responses:

(1) Yes, it is a paid service. An annual subscription without obligation to continue.

(2a) In short, all personnel carrying out appraisals must hold recognised and respected qualifications and the business and/or principal must hold memberships of recognised and respected appraisal associations, preferably those within the host country.
If the business buys, sells or brokers jewellery, diamonds etc, this must be one of the smallest activities of the business.
If the business is not primarily an Appraiser (e.g. Gem Market Analyst, Grading Lab, Educators etc), Jewellery appraisal must still feature heavily in the business model. All must also agree to the terms and conditions which are quite strict and have the consumer very much in mind.

(2b) To date, we already have very close connections with the Appraisers listed, half the time, I have actually been in their offices and visually scanned their certs on the wall. Verification of the "applicants" credentials are initially carried out via published lists, failing that, they need to supply photos of their certs and our fall back position is contacting the issuing authority.

(3) As you can see, from point 2a, those who are primarily involved in buying/selling/brokering are not eligible. We want this to act as a "shop window" for what the US would call "Independent Appraisers" (your definition, not mine) who are largely invisible. Retailers have virtually unlimited opportunities online for exposure including Directories dedicated to Retailers, Branded product "outlet" pages etc.

Being based in the UK, I am not overly familiar with your BBB program but can imagine it's objectives. I don't think that there is any doubt that this is a Business Directory. The word 'Directory' is the largest element immediately visible to the consumer the second the home page opens. Also the requirements for consideration to becoming a JAW lister are accessible also to consumers also, and clearly states that a fee is payable. If for any reason you feel any part of the site is misleading, I would be delighted to hear from you so this can be corrected.

Sorry for the extensive reply, I have never been known for my brevity ;-)

Happy New Year to you
Adrian
 

denverappraiser

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I'm not a subscriber to JAW, yet, but it's mostly a matter that I haven't gotten around to it. It's only been around for a few weeks.

You'll notice that this is similar but slightly different from the Association of Independent Jewelry Valuers, a sister company to JAW.

http://www.independent-jewellery-valuers.org/

Aside from the fact that they require a separate subscription to be listed, they have different ways of handling appraisers who broker. It's a deal killer for AIJV, it needs to be a sideline for JAW.

I own a separate company that brokers certain sorts of things, including jewelry, and that's why I'm not a member of AIJV, even though I think they're a marvelous group. I don't meet their definition of 'independent'. On the other hand, I'm an Independent Certified Gemologist Appraiser with the American Gem Society. Only about 20 people in the world meet THEIR definition.

This turns out to be an issue for a lot of appraisers. Through my other company, I get involved with preparing, promoting and submitting things to auction for example. It can be a complicated deal and most folks are not prepared to do it well. It's a valuable service. That pays a fee from the auction house that's a percentage of the final sale, and 'percentage of value' fees are a big red flag in the appraisal world. Some will outright buy things. That's a problem with AGS but not with AIJV. Many 'independent appraisers' operate out of a jewelry store or offer a traveling service where they see clients inside various jewelry stores. The stores get a cut of the appraisal fee. Some see that as a conflict, some don't. Each practice is a little different.

A reasonable way to shop for appraisal services is a problem, with all appraisals, not just jewelry, and an index like the JAW is a giant step forward.
 

denverappraiser

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I”m not quite so down on the BBB but I agree there's an issue. They'll rate any company they can find and there aren't very many benefits associated with being a member, but the biggest is in the ratings. They rate businesses using the familiar grading scale from school. A+ to F. The A+ grade is ONLY available to members. They still have to meet the standards, and I don't think any slack is given for membership, but non-members who do an identical job will only get an A.

note of disclosure: I'm a BBB member (with an A+ rating by the way).
 

Rockdiamond

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Hi Adrian- btw- welcome to Pricescope!
Thank you for a detailed response.
I think we all share the desire for a transparent method that works for consumers.
It's admirable that you've visited a lot of the appraisers on the site, but of course as it grows, that won't be possible.
Just throwing this out- inagine a site that used search methodology to compile a list of all business advertising as appraisers.
You could build a site somewhat like Yelp - aimed specifically at appraisers.
This would lend itself to paid membe sponsor appraisers. They would have detailed info.
For areas where you do not have a sponsor member the site could list advertised businesses. Have a tutorial on the site with questions to ask to get an appraisers.
Compiling positive and less than positive reviews in one space.

In any event- best of luck with the site- it's very easy on the eye- nicely done!
 

Scotgem

Rough_Rock
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Jun 20, 2009
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Hi RockDiamond

Thank you for your continued thoughts.

Firstly, I should point out that I have not visited the offices of prospective JAW Associates as part of the vetting, I meant that over the decades that I have been in this profession I have built close friendships with Appraisers all over the world and have often had occasion to visit their offices.

I understand what you mean by a Yelp type directory. That was one of the first thoughts I had when formulating this project. The problem with that idea is that the site would quickly get bogged down with the good, the bad and the ugly with only those willing to pay for a detailed listing being able to differentiate themselves from the inevitable bad appraisers. And when you think about it, such a directory already exists..... the internet + a search engine.

No, there needs to be a location where consumers can go and see the best of the best, not restricted to a list of Appraisers who align themselves with one particular association and where the vetting has already been done for the consumer.
Additionally, the format of JAW is done in such a way that consumers can compare appraisers based on a common framework of criteria, if it followed the Yelp model, there would be total free-for-all, especially if it was a list of "all business that advertise as Appraisers".
Also... and I realise that I am taking your "Yelp" reference literally here, the sheer volume of reviews would mean algorithms would need to be used to filter potentially fake reviews. Those of us in the UK know how badly that fails, especially if a client signs up to Yelp to specifically leave a one-off review. At JAW, we use a unique review verification process that is carried out by a human. No, fake reviews from the Appraiser, their competition or the simple troublemaker.

Thank you for your compliment on the appearance. We are pleased with it and the feedback so far has been extremely positive.

A quick note to DenverAppraiser:
Hi Neil, Perhaps we can meet up in Tucson. I would love to understand the thinking behind BBB, not least to make sure we do not fall foul of any guidelines in the US.
 
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