Jewelry Appraisals

When you own a special piece of jewelry, it's a valuable token with invaluable worth. Whether it's a family heirloom, a gift from a spouse or a souvenir from a memorable trip, you want to make sure your jewelry item is valued for what it's worth — sentimentally and financially.

To protect your investment and prove the worth of your special ring, necklace, earrings or other jewelry, you'll need to seek jewelry appraisal services.

Why Get a Jewelry Appraisal?

Fine jewelry is precious and priceless — but that's why it's essential to obtain documents appraising its value. People might get their jewelry appraised for a variety of reasons.

For example, if someone has recently inherited a family heirloom from a relative, they would need an appraisal to find out what the jewelry item is worth, what they might gain from selling it or how its value might increase in the future. A couple might need appraisal documents to insure a wedding ring, or a jewelry owner might need a value to list in their assets. Whatever the cause for appraisal, the value of jewelry will fluctuate every few years, so periodically getting new appraisals is also important.

Here at Koser Jewelers, we know how special an item of jewelry can be. In addition to our exquisite, exclusive collection of elegant jewelry, we offer professional appraisal services for fine jewelry. With a combined over 55 years of experience, our GIA Graduate Gemologist and GIA Diamond Graduate work together to evaluate your precious items and meet your needs. Come to us with insurance replacement appraisals, estate jewelry appraisals, immediate appraisals upon purchase and more. 

Insurance Replacement Appraisals

Wondering what kind of jewelry appraisal you need and what services are available? The most common type of Appraisal clients request is an Insurance Replacement Appraisal. The purpose of an Insurance Replacement Appraisal is to establish the average replacement value for insurance coverage.

Jewelry owners might need insurance for their wedding rings, family heirlooms or expensive gifts. An insurance policy on the jewelry item ensures replacement or repair if the piece should be lost, stolen or damaged. While this type of insurance — a replacement type policy — is the most common, you might also need an appraisal for an agreed value policy. Unlike replacement types, agreed value jewelry insurance policies offer a cash settlement for the value of the jewelry.

Whatever type of policy you're purchasing, jewelry insurance is important for protecting your precious items. While you can purchase basic jewelry coverage without an appraisal, you will need your jewelry appraised for better policies that cover theft, fire, loss, mysterious disappearance and more. A point of sale document or sales receipt from your jewelry is not usually valid for obtaining insurance. Most policies will also require a replacement appraisal every two to three years.

When we appraise your jewelry item at Koser Jewelers, typically the amount provided in the evaluation is higher than the original purchase price because it is calculated to represent the future value of the item. With any qualifying purchase over $500*, Koser Jewelers will supply a complimentary Insurance Replacement Appraisal upon request.

Estate Jewelry Appraisals

The second type of appraisal we supply is an Estate Appraisal. Used for tax and reselling purposes, this kind of appraisal can be useful if you're claiming an expensive jewelry item for a tax deduction or have received jewelry from an inheritance. An estate appraisal will value the item differently than an insurance-related appraisal because it's based on the price a willing seller and buyer would agree on without a forced sale. Therefore, a sale price or forced sale price cannot be used as an indicator of the estate jewelry value.

The IRS requires that jewelry be appraised at Fair Market Value, which is the amount for which the jewelry would likely sell for, in its present (used) condition in its most common market. Examples of a common market would be the sale from the estate section of a jeweler or sale at public auction.) This appraised value is usually a lower value than an insurance replacement value or the original sale piece.

Choose Koser Jewelers for Your Jewelry Appraiser

Are you searching for a reliable, caring jewelry appraisal in Lancaster, PA? Koser Jewelers is here to provide the services you're searching for. With a beautiful selection of brands and styles that speak without words, we understand jewelry better than anyone else in the area — which means we know how to evaluate it. Whether you need insurance replacement appraisals, estate jewelry appraisals or an appraisal for your own interests, we offer services for all our fine jewelry.

We also offer an appraisal service for pieces not purchased at Koser. Rates vary from the number of pieces being appraised or total time spent to complete the evaluation. Please visit us in-store or contact us today for more information on our jewelry appraisal services in Lancaster, PA.

* Engagment ring and diamond must both be purchased from Koser Jewelers in order to qualify for the complimentary appraisal on the complete piece.
**Due to fluctuating market conditions, we strongly advise that you have your appraisal documents updated every 4-5 years.