Appraisals of property are used for various purposes which can affect the approach, as well as the type of valuation.

 

A common misperception is that there is some standardization of appraisals and appraisers. There are no jewelry industry standards or requirements for either.

 

For the purpose of insuring jewelry, the valuation should be either at insurance replacement or retail. Insurance premiums are based on the dollar value assigned in the appraisal. Most insurance policies (unless it is an agreed value policy) contract to provide replacement of like kind and quality of the item, for the actual cash value, at the date of the loss. This means they are required to put you in the position you were in prior to the loss.  And not unexpectedly they try to do so at the lowest cost.

 

Most policies provide under personal property, a section for jewelry which has a dollar limit for all jewelry, and is subject to a deductible.  Check with your agent for information and suggestions about your coverage.  Also ask about exclusions as well as your coverage because oftentimes under this section mysterious disappearance is excluded.  You may choose to schedule (apply a floater or a writer) through your agent certain items as a supplement to your policy.  This requires an appraisal and generally provides very good coverage for a reasonable cost.

 

I most frequently utilize the cost approach to establish a current insurance replacement value which consists of calculating the cost to repair or reproduce an article for the insurance replacement cost today, plus a markup to attempt to anticipate market appreciation over a reasonable period of time.  It is very important to update appraisals periodically, as well as have your jewelry inspected for security on a regular basis.

  

I am located in Denver Colorado and work by appointment.  This allows for me to take the information about the article without requiring you to leave it.   After the appointment, I complete any applicable calculations, research, valuation, and documentation.  The appraisal is then mailed to you.  For this type of appraisal I charge $60.00 for the first item and $40.00 for each additional.  Anything unusual with respect to the time required and charge will be identified in advance. The original should be maintained by you and a complete copy forwarded to your insurance agent.  I am required to maintain a copy in my files for five years or five years from any litigation.

  

I charge an hourly fee for some types of appraisals, consultation and testimony. 

  

If you are out of the Denver area and looking for an appraiser, I would encourage you to visit the International Society of Appraisers at www.isa-appraisers.org and the American Society of Appraisers at www.appraisers.org.                      

  

Marla Pellish GG, ISA AM