Appraisals are primarily needed forthe purpose of properly insuring a piece of jewelry. Although, they also assist with the sale or resale of jewelry. There are four types of appraisals. More specifically four different dollar values that can be assigned. Retail Value - this is the "not currently on sale" price you would expect to pay at an average retail establishment such as a mall location.Replacement Value - this averages approximately 70% of retail. You might have to request that an appraiser value your jewelry at "replacement" since many appraisers default to retail value.Wholesale Value - this value is usually 50% of retail sometimes slightly less. Wholesale value rarely serves any purpose and is usually way too low for insurance purposes.Estate or Fair Market Value - This value is used for establishing a current estate or resale value. Depending on the appraiser you are working with, this can be as low as 25% of retail value. Always ask your appraiser how they came to the dollar value assigned. They should be able to explain what percentage of retail they base the appraisal on.

Many times the strongest selling tool is not the word of the knowledgeable saleperson rather the facts provided by a diamond certificate. Here at Verascribe we use some of the finest equipment available to provide detailed diamond certificates. Not only do we provide specific information pertaining to your stone, we also include a plot of the inclusions within the stone. Detailed certificates such as this are accepted by all insurance agencies. These certificates are also beneficial when doing business on Ebay or any other resale situation.

Very similar to a diamond certificate, verifying the authenticity of a stone, including details about the specific stone with the exception of a plot. I repeat. a letter of verification does not include a plot of the inclusions of a stone. These are highly recommended for anyone wishing to verify the authenticity and details about a specific stone they have purchased. Some insurance companies will accept a Letter of Verification for purposes of declaring an insured value. Therefore, upon request, we will also include the current retail or replacement value of the stone mentioned in the letter. Keep in mind ... not all insurance companies will accept a Letter of Verification. If that is the case then we strongly advise that you have the stone appraised and include a diamond certificate.