Fluorescence is more than just a bit of fun
Whether inspecting gemstones or diamonds, professional valuers will undertake any number of tests to help determine and grade the particular stone they have in front of them. When dealing with diamonds, testing a stone’s reaction for fluorescence under both long and short-wave UV is quick and diagnostically relevant. Not only will the type and level […]
Read More
Reports based on photographs put you at risk
I understand that life is hectic; we’re all looking for ways to simplify or speed up whatever task we have. But some things must be done properly, and there are no corners to cut. These days there is a near-endless stream of companies offering valuations or condition reports from just a photograph. And on the […]
Read More
The devil is in the details!
Everyone loves a diamond certificate. However, they shouldn’t be called certificates. That’s a misnomer; they are, in fact, reports, but that’s a gripe for another day. So why do people love these things so much? Because we are told, they make a diamond quantifiable and tell you exactly what you’re buying. There is a modicum […]
Read More
Why you need a valuation even when you have a receipt
The phrase ‘I don’t need that valued as I have the receipt’ is something I regularly hear from my clients. And on the face of it, that sounds logical, especially if it’s a relatively new purchase. Sadly a receipt only shows what was paid and not the current market value. Things change quickly in the […]
Read More
Inexpensive jewellery insurance valuations, a genuine saving or false economy? Part 2.
In the second part of my inexpensive jewellery valuation series, we will take a visual look at the difference between them. You can view the first part here. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. So below is a comparison of two valuations. The first one was undertaken by someone with […]
Read More
Inexpensive jewellery insurance valuations, a genuine saving or false economy? Part 1.
As a professional jewellery valuer, I am a service provider. And like any service; prospective clients compare the cost of employing my services against other similar companies and individuals. The adage ‘you get what you pay for’ is particularly relevant when looking at jewellery valuations, especially those for insurance replacement. The jewellery industry is like […]
Read More
Unsighted/desktop ‘valuations’; A stress-free dream or potential nightmare?
Modern life is all about speed and convenience. We want things done quickly and with the least amount of disruption and inconvenience possible. You could argue that learning which corners you could cut off a process, is a good thing. However there are some things that you just cannot cut corners on, and valuations for […]
Read More
Why do I need a valuation, when I have a receipt?
The question of, ‘why do I need a valuation, when I have the receipt’ is a common one that I encounter. On the face of it, it’s a fair one to ask. It makes sense to wonder why you’d need a valuation, especially for something you may have only recently purchased. But the key […]
Read More
An infuriating week in the life of a jewellery valuer
In a professional sense, last week was challenging, and I have had my head in my hands, more times than I care to count. The reasons behind this infuriating level of frustration are the unqualified people are providing substandard insurance valuations to the public. To be blunt, these pieces of paper are not valuations; they […]
Read More