Ask J. Shea

What is the Difference between a Jewelry Appraisal and a Lab Certificate?

Jewelry appraisals and lab certificates are two important types of reports about your gemstones and jewelry, but they do not serve the same purpose.

A lab certificate or grading report describes an unmounted gemstone. Reports differ for diamonds and colored gems, but documentation includes specifics about carat weight and dimensions, color and clarity grades, and items relating to the gemstone's cut and shape.

Think of a certificate as kind of a road-map of the gemstone--it will not change unless the gem undergoes alterations or an error was made during evaluation.

A jewelry appraisal can be done on any item of jewelry, no matter what it is composed of. Unmounted gemstones are not a requirement, in fact the jewelry being appraised doesn't even have to contain a gemstone.

The purpose of a jewelry appraisal is to put a dollar value on the jewelry being appraised, often for insurance purposes.

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