Antique Jewelry Appraiser
I posted a question here a while back and got some very good comments from the
folks here. I wanted to know about getting a value on a ring that has been in
my family for generations. I followed someone's advice and took it to a
jeweler who also is familiar with antiques and estate pieces. Here's what
happened: I showed the ring to the man behind the counter. He seemed to be
impressed with the piece and said that it was in very good condition and he
was sure that someone in the antique business would want to buy it. He also
said that it was a real ruby. Before I left, he showed it to another
gentleman who seemed to be rude and said that mostly manufactured stones were
popular during that period and that if he put the ring on display, he would
get $40.00 to $50.00 for it. I'm a little confused as to the difference of
opinions here. The first man looked at the stone with an eyepiece and the
second man hardly glanced at it. I would like to know if the ring is of any
value. What's going on?
I deal with antique jewelry in Tampa. Just a hunch, but the difference
you're getting in price is most likely due to the experience of the
appraiser with antique jewelry. I can tell you there are very few
jewelers that really know what the value of antique pieces are. They can
examine the stone and the setting, but they usually don't have any real
idea of the "antique" value. However this is changing. As some of the
others have said, I would get the piece examined by someone involved in
antique jewelry, not just jewelry. Get the stone examined and evaluated
by a graduate gemologist, not just a jeweler. And pay them for their
services, it will be worth it. Also, if you have any history, such as
sales receipts for the piece, show them to the appraiser, as they may
have bearing on the value. Rember also, the appraisal price does not
reflect what the item can be sold for, but more for what insurance will
cover. If you decide to sell it, expect to get around half the value of
the appraisal, or less, depending on what your market is like for these
pieces.