How to Value your Jewelry at Home or Work
(c)David Foard - All Rights reserved
http://www.online-jewelry-appraisals.com
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Many thanks for taking the time to read this compact jewelry
article entitled 'How to Value your Jewelry at Home or Work'.
You are about to discover the intricacies and formulas that
highly qualified Gemologists and Valuers are using, right now,
to evaluate and appraise gold, silver and platinum jewelry.
But before we begin, I would simply like to bring you 'up to
speed' on what will be required. As you know, the art of valuing
jewelry takes many years to learn (over five years before you
can graduate) and then it takes several more years to gain the
necessary experience to 'get it right'.
Gemologists don't all become Valuers because of this high level
of study, which doesn't include the expense of Microscopes and
Refractometers and Dichroscopes and and and....
In this program we don't even want to explain what these pieces
of equipment are because firstly; they are too expensive (you
can pay thousands of dollars just for a binocular microscope)
and secondly because you are not a trained jeweler, and probably
don't want to be.
So don't let that put you off because we are NOT trying to turn
you into professionals overnight. That would be wrong of us to
even try.
We don't want the Jargon either. Just some simple facts. What we
are going to achieve is nothing more than a simple understanding
of what you need to know, to at least get a 'Slippery Grip' of
basic terms. The hardest part is NOT the testing or algorithms
involved but mainly the correct and systematic identification of
what your are trying to value. The calculations are nothing more
than a natural outcome, which just proves what can be
accomplished using the most simple school mathematics. If you
can multiply and divide, and add money, you can do this course.
We assume you are trying to get a 'Ball Park' figure on
something you own, or want to own, or sell, or insure. Which
brings us to the first question.
What exactly is a Valuation or Appraisal?
*****
All of the calculations and procedures done throughout this
series of articles are built into our 'Online Jewelry Valuation
Self Appraisal Kit' which does all the work for you. Why? So you
don't have to. Simple...
You can go to the Valuation Appraisal Centre, to discover how
easy it is to value your own jewelry at home or work (The
address is listed at the bottom of this article) and discover
why we use it ourselves.
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This is an important yet sadly overlooked concept.
People, just like you, simply want to 'Know what it's Worth' but
that's a very subjective statement. For example: What's it worth
to you? Does it have sentimental value? If it does, there is no
way we can measure or calculate for that. It's a personal thing.
What's it worth on EBay? That depends if you are a Buyer or a
Seller. At the end of the day the value lies in what two people
agree upon.
What's it worth if you bought it from your neighbor? What's it
worth to them or what's it worth to you? These are two different
things.
What's it worth when your local Jewelry Store has a 50% Off
Sale? Are you really buying a bargain or is it just another ploy
to get your money.
What's it worth if it's stolen? Does this value represent the
true figure? If you were 'Fagin' in Oliver Twist, what was it
worth to him? Bet Fagin had a different price in mind when he
traded with the Artful Dodger.
But what if you were the jewelry owner. What's it worth then?
The Insurance company might have a different view to you. After
all, they want to replace it as cheaply as possible, while you
want it valued as high as you can. You pay the premium for the
privilege, of course, but it still remains very loose.
Tip: A 'Valuation or Appraisal' is generally accepted as a price
based on Insurance assessment. ALL other valuations flow from
this one rate.
So the answer lies in some form of accepted standard which must
be based on sound principles, backed by REPEATABLE formulas
which can be expected to be 'around the same figure' no matter
where you go in the world.
And thankfully, it is. Gold is Gold is gold... right?
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The calculations used (behind the scene so you never need to see
them) in our 'Online Jewelry Valuation Self Appraisal Kit' knows
from your answers to multiple choice questions, exactly 'What's
it worth'. Easy eh?
Go to the Valuation Appraisal Centre to uncover the secrets of
just how stress-free it is to value your own jewelry at home or
work (The address is listed at the bottom of this article) and
let the 'Kit' do it for you.
*****
Like humans, not all gold is created equally. Thankfully. A lot
will depend on what part of the world you come from and
certainly can dramatically change the value of any jewelry item.
You may have wondered about that VERY yellow gold which comes
from the Middle East or Asia. Is it the same as the gold on
Sixth Avenue or Hatton Garden in old London Town?
Why is it that jewelers talk about CARAT weight in diamonds and
gemstones, but also use the term CARAT when it comes to the
quality of gold. Are they the same thing?
We will certainly be looking into that term in an upcoming issue.
You see, when it comes to Gold (this does not apply in quite the
same magnitude for Silver or Platinum items) because it comes in
more than one color and more than one quality.
You have the typical yellow gold, a green gold, the ever popular
white gold which is currently making a bit of a comeback, and
the sought after 'Rose gold,' fashionable in Victorian and
Vintage Jewelry.
Each of these will have a different price structure when it
comes to appraising your jewelry. Nothing dramatic, but a
difference anyway.
Yet the bottom line could add several hundreds of dollars to a
Bracelet or ring, so you will need to know 'How to' spot these
distinctions in metal.
So how do you do it? By using the best tools a Valuer can
possess (your eyes) while employing the greatest skills you can
learn (how to measure things). Once you have these handy little
methods in your arsenal, the rest is just a matter of
arithmetic.
So head over to the website for your next issue of this
mini-course, where we'll reveal the single most important
consideration when it comes to valuing ANY jewelry.
regards and please watch the road. David Foard F.G.A.A. Fellow
of the Gemological Association of Australia and former member of
JATVC - The Valuers Council (retired).
P.S. If you are really serious about getting a Valuation
Appraisal done quickly and easily with minimum effort.... then
go to the Valuation Appraisal Centre to discover just how easy
it is to value your own jewelry and reproduce a Certificate on
your own Printer at home or work (The address is listed below)
and follow the advice given there. Couldn't be any easier.
P.P.S. If you administer a website or publish an ezine, please
feel free to use this article as long as you leave all links in
place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as
listed below. Just send me an email at
gemmo1@online-jewelry-appraisals.com and let me know if and
where you used it. If you need other great content -
complimentary of course - then drop me a line at the email
address given - 'cause I've got Gallons of the stuff....