Pearl appraiser - recommendations?

[sortmon]

Hi, I was referred to this forum by Pricescope.

I recently received a strand of white South Sea pearls from my MIL at my wedding. The pearls are round and lustrous and I love them. However, I'd like to get them appraised so I can wear them safely without worrying about losing them or theft.

Does anyone know of a good pearl appraiser or how to find one? I live in Seattle but I'll take any recommendations. Should I just go to a reputable jeweler in the area? I have no idea what she paid for them, but I'm guessing that they're quite valuable.

I'm worried that many jewelers won't have adequate pearl experience. I don't want to end up with an inflated appraisal.

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[jshepherd]

You will be hard-pressed to find a jeweler that knows much about pearls, but a professional appraiser will know the steps to take to find comparable pieces to give you a decent appraisal.

There are five appraisers in Seattle listed on Naja. That might be a good place to start. You can ask them outright what experience they have with pearls.

http://www.najaappraisers.com/html/find_an_appraiser.php

 

[sortmon]

Jeremy, thanks for the advice! I'll contact them right away.

 

[GemGeek]

I can recommend NAJA Appraiser Ted Irwin who is across the way in Bellevue. http://nwgem.com

Ted knows his pearls and also teaches gemology classes. So anyone in the area who would like to learn more about gemology - he's your man!

 

[MSC]

Since seeing this thread I was wondering if anyone knows of an appraiser in the KY/NC area that specializes in pearls and antique jewelry? Or is that too much to ask

 

[pattye]

Andrea, Did you check the link Jeremy gave in the second post? Seems like some qualified peeps listed by state with contact numbers.