Jewelry Appraisals
An appraisal is a tool to accomplish some purpose: obtain insurance, distribute property among heirs or to collateralize a loan, to name but a few of those purposes. To provide you the very best service and advice, your appraiser needs to know the function and purpose for which the document will be used. Your appraiser is your advocate: answer any question they may have and bring any supporting documentation with you to your appointment. Should you not require formal documentation, perhaps our professional consultation will serve your needs.
Appraisal Purposes
There can be a myriad of reasons that you may need an item evaluated. Openly discuss your needs with the appraiser, and you will be best served. These types of appraisals include:
- Replacement Insurance
- Agreed Value Insurance
- IRS Documentation
- Damage Appraisals
- Liquidation Appraisals
- Pre-Nuptial Appraisals
- Donation Appraisals
- Litigation Support
- Collateral Appraisals
Insurance Appraisals
This is our most asked-for service. An Insurance Retail Replacement Appraisal Report is a very thorough document, accurately describing your jewelry and the most common selling price from full-service firms engaged in selling like kind and quality items. If the item is lost or stolen, the information contained in this report will permit a new item to be created. With this report, you can obtain coverage for that specific item from your Homeowner’s Insurance Carrier or an Independent Carrier. This document is written in such a way that any party reading it knows every aspect of the item and can re-create the item in the event of loss, theft, or damage. Our appraisals contain photographs of the described items.
Types of insurance available for jewelry
Insurance companies vary in their replacement policies. Ask your particular company how they handle losses. Knowing the type of coverage you have before you experience a loss will prevent a great deal of heartache and headache if you should experience the loss of your precious items.
Replacement Insurance
Replacement Insurance is the most common. Your insurance company will replace an item, or pay you no more than their actual cost to obtain it, regardless of the value stated on the appraisal document. You want to have current, realistic values, that reflect what is actually happening in the market. If the value is unrealistically inflated, you will be paying higher premiums for coverage that you will never recover.
Agreed Value Insurance
Agreed Value Insurance is the alternative to Replacement Insurance. It is important to note that not all companies offer, and not all customers qualify, for this type of coverage. With Agreed Value Insurance, the insurance company does not find a replacement, but rather pays you the face amount on the policy. This type of policy often is inflated annually by the insurance company automatically based on the CPI, which will inflate the premium you pay as well. Keeping tabs on your item’s current actual value is important with this type of coverage also.
IRS Documentation
This is commonly called a Fair Market Value Appraisal and is less straightforward than an Insurance Appraisal. This type of value is often less than an Insurance Replacement appraisal. These appraisals are structured to be in compliance with the legal definition of Fair Market Value and are a requirement by courts and the Internal Revenue Service for valuation issues. This value is often appropriate for other legal or tax purposes such as dissolution settlement, divorces, charitable contributions, and even for some criminal proceedings.