Questions on colored gem appraisals

[Kismet]

For those of you who have got appraisals and/or lab analysis work done on your colored gems, I''m curious as to how you managed it logistically. Say you see a picture on a website of a gem you like and since it''s outside of your normal gem purchase budget by a fair bit you think getting an appraisal might be a good idea (to make sure that you''re getting what the vendor says he''s selling and for insurance purposes as well.) If you buy the stone, you have 10 days to view it. It''s not mentioned if that''s 10 days from ship date or receipt date so you may only have 8 or 9 days to actually look at the stone.

Do you deal with a highly regarded appraiser like Richard Sherwood, who''s not in your area or with someone less well known (on PS at least) but is local to you? If you go with Richard, do you send the stone to him directly to get his opinion first or do you view it first? And if you''re doing all this mailing back and forth, can this all be done within 10 days (or less)? Presumably with the local guy, you get the stone and then wander over at your leisure (well, make an appointment) to have him look at it within the 10 day period.

If it makes a difference, I''m considering a demantoid garnet in the $3,000 range. The vendor is located in the US as well, albeit on the opposite side of the country.

 

[chrono]

I wish I knew the answer to your questions, Kismet. I''ve always purchased from trusted vendors who I know gives fair prices, so I''ve never had to appraise them.

However, I''ll take a stab at some of the questions:

10 day viewing period
Most vendors will give you 10 days from the receipt date. However, there are some who are sneaky and have it start from the ship date, which I think is unfair. There''s no harm in asking the vendor which one it is.

Appraiser
For gemstones that are very expensive or rare, I''d go with a highly regarded appraiser like Richard Sherwood. I would also let the vendor know that my purchase will be contingent upon the gemstone checking out okay with the independent appraiser. Most vendors are very understanding and accomodating. If not, I would not purchase the stone from him/her.

 

[colormyworld]

This is a very good question Kismet.

You could haunt a few jewelry stores getting to know a gemologist. You would be surprized how many would be willing to look at your stones if for no other reason just to break the boredom of looking at diamonds all the time.

In my instance I have a friend who is a GIA trained gemologist and stone cutter. He is always more than happy to do a quick gem ID and color grade. We often trade services when more extensive work is required.

As a past president would often say. Trust but verify. Anything else may lead to quite a shock down the road. IMO

 

[twodoor2]

That being said, diamonds are sometimes the only thing a gemologist knows!! If you want a reliable appraisal, I would go with someone that has a reputation as having a good knowledge of colored gemstones. When I mean "colored gemstones", I mean something other than rubies, sapphires, emeralds & tanzanites.

 

[colormyworld]

As far as I know GIA gemologists are trained to evaluate gemstones for color,clarity and cut. While some may be a little rusty in thier skills I think I would trust thier opinion over a vendors. If for no other reason just the fact that they are a netural third party

I do agree with you though 2door. Not all gemologist are going to be experts on all stones. A good gemologist will know where to get the answers though.

 

[colormyworld]

I think I should rephrase a sentence.

No gemologist is going to be an expert on all stones. A good gemologist will know where to look to find the required info.

 

[twodoor2]

The problem is finding a good gemologist. They''re few and far between. Especially those in B&M stores, you''re better off having your stones appraised by your cousin Betty.

 

[colormyworld]

That is a pretty harsh statement twodoor2. Unless cousin betty is a G.G. I can not help but feel that there are many hard working G.G.s who would differ with your opinion.

Not trying to be nosey, but would you mind sharing why you would paint such a gloomy picture using such a broad brush?

In my experince most G.G.s I have met jump at the challange to work with a material that they rarely see and go out of thier way to research and give a detailed report. After all most are in this field because of thier love of gemstones as opposed to thier love of money. The biggest exception I see are with the ones trying to sell you something.

 

[twodoor2]

There are other gemological forums where this exact discussion is going on. Many of us agree that most G.G.'s have dismal knowledge of colored stones. That's not to say that there aren't any fine ones, but it is pitiful how many of them do not want to improve up on their knowledge. I suppose it's not really their fault. Most sales come from diamonds, and that's what they concentrate on. And yes, I've had several horrid experiences with GG's, as well as people in the business for years that have no clue about anything except diamonds. If you want a secure appraisal on your gemstone, I would only recommend the GG's that are recommended on Pricescope, or send your stone to the GIA or AGTA for a lab report (although that's not an appraisal).

 

[colormyworld]

I don't see where they mention anything about those who make thier living from doing appraisals.

As with most things asking the right questions can make all the difference. If I were looking for an appraisal the first thing I would ask about would be education, experince, and the how they arrived at a stated value.

 

[bar01]

A good gem dealer may be willing to extend that 10 day evaluation period for you a few more days. Mine did.

I ended up getting a quick check/appraisal locally during my evaluation time which also allowed me plenty of time to evaluate it myself. Once I agreed to buy it and have it set - I sent it to Richard Sherwood for the full detailed reports he is so famous for.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

It's cheaper and quicker to have the stone sent directly to the (out of town) appraiser, if you're planning on using an out of town colored stone "expert" to be your eyes.

For example, I usually run about a five business day turn around time. With a ten day return window, you'll be okay.

But a personal visual inspection is not to be denied as a good "make it or break it" scenario. If you're confident of your judgement of beauty, you just need an appraiser to tell you it is genuine and how it fares quality wise and price wise. In the end you are the one who judges if it sings to you or not. So a local appraiser might be the way to go for you.

 

[Kismet]

Thank you all for your input, especially Richard. In case you were wondering, this is the demantoid that I''m considering.