Only a few years ago, if you needed an appraisal of The revolution in
the personal property appraisals gems and jewelry for any reason, you
asked your local field (of which jewelry is a part) is a little more
than a jeweler, who hastily scribbled a one-line handwritten decade old.
There now exist uniform standards and note. He or she usually performed
the appraisal for procedures for personal property appraisers, classes
free, and did so with reluctance, accommodating you in valuation
techniques, and degree programs in the only because as a customer you
held the promise of a valuation sciences. future sale. The price your
jeweler may have assigned Professional jewelry appraisers are on the
edge of to the jewelry was granted without the least regard a new
vocation. Banks, insurance companies, and for market research,
legalities, or ethics. In most in- governmental agencies have all helped
bring about stances, the estimate was no more than a properly the
changes and contribute to the birth of the profes- completed sales
receipt. sion; they have realized that they can demand and Gemologists
were usually pushed into the role of get high standards of performance
and integrity from appraiser by their jeweler employers, who were eager
jewelry appraisers, as they can from appraisers of real to gain an
advantage over their competitors by adver- property.