Find an Appraiser

Why you might need one

• Insurance scheduling — to insure jewelry / art for full value.
• Estate — fair market value for taxes / division.
• Donation — IRS requires appraisal for donations over $5,000.
• Selling — know what something\'s worth before consigning.
• Divorce / property division.

Find a certified appraiser

• American Society of Appraisers (appraisers.org) — biggest. Search by specialty (jewelry, fine art, antiques, machinery).
• Appraisers Association of America (appraisersassociation.org) — for fine art + decorative.
• International Society of Appraisers (isa-appraisers.org) — broad specialties.
• For jewelry specifically — Look for GIA-certified gemologist (GG credential).
• For art — must be specialist in the artist or era.

Cost

• By the hour: $100-400/hr.
• Single piece (jewelry): $50-300 per appraisal.
• Full estate: $1,500-5,000+.
• NEVER pay percentage of appraised value (unethical).

Two values they\'ll quote

• Replacement value (insurance) — what it would cost to replace.
• Fair market value (selling) — what it would actually sell for.
• These differ by 30-70%! Insurance is much higher.

Use replacement for insurance. Use fair market for actual selling decisions.

Free options to start

• WorthPoint.com — paid database of past auction prices. Often free trial.
• eBay "sold" filter — search item, filter "Sold listings" — REAL prices.
• Heritage Auctions free archives — past sales of high-end items.
• Sotheby\'s + Christie\'s past auctions — free price archives.
• "Antiques Roadshow" — has hosting in many cities for free quick valuations.
• Local pawn shops — quick low-ball estimate (they pay 30-50% of retail).