San Diego Area Jewelry Appraiser - Gemological Appraisal Services

Expert Witness Testimony - Our gemological experts are available to help with any litigation needs. Our experience includes the following types of cases.

Divorce
Inheritance
Disputes between jewelers
Litigation between a customer and a jeweler
Jewelry identification in damage claims
Stone-switching or theft charges

Consultations - These services include the following.

Pre- or post-purchase evaulations
Stone identification
Gem authentication

Our services in this area include verbal statements of color and/or clarity, rechecking color and/or clarity, as well as weight, measurements, and opinions on available improvements to a stone.

We also offer certificate verification and consultation on most kinds of gem purchases, including internet and overseas.

Types of Services

This report is most commonly referred to as an insurance appraisal. This type of report is necessary for insuring your items against loss or damage. The accuracy and detail included in this report makes it possible to identify or have exact duplicates recreated of these precious items should they ever be lost or stolen.

This report is for estate evaluation purposes and is necessary to determine inheritance taxes on an estate. Jewlery values for estates are legislated to include specific information and data. Fair market value is used for this type of valuation and it is always necessary to include comparable sales.

This is a fair market value report for an equal division of common property.

This report expresses the difference in value resulting from breakage and estimates the cost of the removal, re-cutting and resetting of the gemstone, as well as the value of the re-cut gemstone (loss of weight).

These reports are based on fair market value and are necessary for tax deductions of donated items.

This appraisal value is determined when an owner decides to convert jewelry items into immediate cash. The sale can be held under forced or limiting conditions and with time constraints, such as under court order or bankruptcy.

This report is for a client who brings in a jewelry or gemstone item to verify its identity and/or quality as claimed by the seller. Comparison appraisals usually reflect the item at its most common retail replacement value.

This report establishes the value of a previously undocumented item that was lost or stolen. This is a hypothetical valuation based on information supplied by the client and supported by photographs and a description of the item.

This report determines the fair market value of a lost, stolen, or destroyed item not previously documented. The IRS allows an income tax deduction of some portion of the value with a proper casualty loss appraisal.