appraisal from the seller for real?

[clveo]

I have an appraisal from the seller of online pearls. Is this for real an fairly accurate value or basically bogus? It seems high. I have a matching set of bracelet great Hadana 7.0 mm rose tone pearls, it has a retail value appraisal of $3,600?? Will insurance use this amount to insure them?

[morphius]

Being the first to reply, if I read your message correctly...you have two (2) Akoya pearl bracelets made up of 7mm "Hanadama" quality pearls. My first questions (before being able to provide an opinion of the 'appraised value') would be;
- are the pearls 6.5-7mm or 7-7.5mm in size?
- what is the length of the bracelets (or the number of pearls on each)?
- are the pearls certified as Hanadama, or is the seller simply claiming this?
- I assume the clasps are at least 14k gold...but what type and size are they?
- a clear picture of each would be most helpful.

As for insurance - in the event you ever need to replace the items...most people have an incorrect assumption about the process. The appraisal certificate provides you with something to provide the insurance company in the event the item needs to be replaced...but the insurance company won't simply hand over the value indicated on the certificate.

Depending on how long ago the certificate is dated, the insurance company will take the appraisal to their own appraiser to get an up-to-date version of it...which depending on the economy, price of gold, adjustment for inflation, assumption of the condition of the jewelry based upon expected wear...is often less.

Also something to keep in mind is that a lot depends on where the appraisal is from. Appraisals coming from company's based in China are often considerably higher than appraisals from Canada or the USA. Appraisal values can also vary by as much as 30% as well depending on who has done the appraisal...such as a jewelry appraiser, versus a pearl appraiser...as well as how the appraisal value is determined (especially if computer software is used).

For instance, appraiser's using "The Gem Guide" appraisal software often have pearl appraisal values on the high side because they reference pearl wholesale prices from American wholesalers...and because their software uses has more grade levels within each of the 7 quality factors...like for the roundness of the pearl, the options are very off-round, off-round, slightly off-round, very slightly off-round, mostly-round, and all-round...as opposed to the GIA's off-round, near-round and round terms.

(if I've misrepresented any information here...please someone correct me).

[jshepherd]

A second appraiser would find comparable pieces to evaluate the piece as well. I'm not quite certain I understand from your post what exactly you purchased (a bracelet, set of bracelets, size ... etc), but here is one comparable.

http://birks.com/en/featured/Pearl-J...g842-57/888195

[Marianne]

Nice clasp there, Jeremy

[clveo]

I am sorry i was not clear, I bought a necklce, bracelet, and earings.
I will see if I can get some pictures of them. They are 6.5-7.0mm, Giberella clasp 14k, I misspoke I am sorry, its my first pearl purchase, they are AAA. 7.5 inch bracelet, 16 inch necklace. The pearls in stand form picture attached

[jshepherd]

So purchased from ThePearlSource/Laguna Pearl? I know National Pearl also carries a Gabriella clasp, but they don't carry hanadama.

[GemGeek]

Good comp, Jeremy! It sounds like a AAA quality set, so it would not be Hanadama.

[DerekJ]

The appraisal value seems to be appropriate for a local retail market, a little higher than what I wouldve valued the pearls at. But its dependant on the market level selected. In your case if your paying for the insurance and want a lower value, you may want to have a local appraiser value them citing the source of where you purchased them and the price they could be repurchased for.

[Katbran]

Love that Birk's clasp!

[Artpearl]

Birks is the Tiffany's in Canada. They offer unique and beautiful claps (usually 18K gold) which makes their pieces exceptional. The one thing that I would offer as a suggestion to all online vendors, develop and/or offer a signature clasps as an upgrade.