1. Appraising Gems & Jewelry
by Jamie Clark Tiralla

2. About Jamie
Experience & Education
Started in jewelry in 1999
Graduate Gemologist
Gemological Institute of America - Carlsbad, CA (2003)
Gemologist & Appraiser
for Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts since 2003
Certified Gemologist
American Gem Society (2008)
Jamie Clark Tiralla
Graduate Gemologist (GIA)

3. Areas of Focus & Specialties
Diamonds, Gemstones, Fine Jewelry and Watches
Estate + Antique Jewelry and Watches
Types of Appraisals
Insurance Replacement Appraisals Estate
Appraisals
Gemstone Identification
Jewelry Verification
About Jamie

4. Why Have Jewelry Appraised
Insurance Purposes
What if the piece was lost or stolen…
Estate Evaluations
Legal document to settle an estate…
Resale Purposes
What if you wanted to sell your
jewelry…
Verification (Piece of Mind)
Did
you get what you paid for…

5. Insurance Appraisals
“The amount it would cost to replace an item with one of similar and like quality
purchased in the most appropriate marketplace within a limited amount of
time.” Definition from the Appraisers Association of America
Retail, replacement value
How much would a similar item cost in a retail setting?
Re-evaluate every 3 to 5 years
Should it include sales tax?

6. Estate Appraisals
Calculated at fair market value, “the price that property would sell for on the
open market between a willing buyer and a willing seller, with neither being
required to act and both having reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts.”
Definition from the Appraisers Association of America
Generally less than a replacement value
How much would a dealer pay, what would it sell for at auction?
Determined at a specific date

7. Verification Report
Formal document to verify the type of metal, quality of diamonds and/or
gemstones
Does not suggest a value

8. Is the Appraiser Qualified
Independent Appraiser vs. Jeweler Appraiser
Education and Continuing Education
Experience

9. What’s in an Appraisal
More than just a value!
Detailed description of the piece of jewelry
Manufacturers name, hallmarks
Photo(s) of the jewelry
Cover letter explaining purpose of document
Date, Current Metal Prices

10. How Do You Appraise Jewelry
Equipment
Magnification Lighting
Gemstone Identification
10X Loupe Fluorescent
Refractometer
Microscope Incandescent
Polariscope
Ultraviolet
Spectrascope
Weights & Measures Metal Testing Other
Tools
Millimeter Guage Testing Stone Cleaners
Scale Acid Tests
Tweezers

11. Appraising Jewelry
Type of Jewelry: Ex. Man’s Ring; Lady’s Necklace
Type and Purity of Metal: Ex. 14kt white gold; Platinum (10%IRID)
Weights & Measures: Weight of piece; length of chain; width of ring
Manufacturer or Designer
Type of Setting: Ex. Bezel set; Six-prong setting
Number, Type and Size of Diamonds and/or Gems
Description of Piece

12. Appraising Diamonds

13. Appraising Diamonds
Determining Value
Market research, trade journals, pricing guides
Finding real comparables

14. Appraising Gemstones
First step: Identify type of gemstone
Loupe
Microscope
Refractometer

15. Appraising Gemstones
Color: Hue, Intensity, Saturation
Cut: Shape, Symmetry, Proportions
Clarity: Standards vary by type of gem
Carat Weight
Special Characteristics: Example Opals, Star Sapphires

16. Appraising Gemstones
Determining Value
Market research, trade journals, pricing guides
Finding real comparables

17. Natural vs. Synthetic
Natural Diamonds & Gems
Formed in nature
Synthetic Diamonds & Gems
Lab Grown
Identical chemical and crystal structure to natural counterparts

18. Natural vs. Synthetic
Lab created gems have been popular in jewelry since late 1800s
Diamonds successfully synthesized 1940s
Synthetic diamonds rarely exceed 1 carat
A majority of synthetic diamonds and gems are used in manufacturing:
watch parts, computer parts, industrial abrasives

19. Natural vs. Synthetic
Nearly every natural gemstone has a synthetic counterpart
Most common in jewelry: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald
How Can You Tell The Difference?
Use magnification (loupe or microscope)
Evaluate the gems inclusions
Evaluate growth patterns

20. Natural vs. Synthetic
Synthetic Ruby Exhibiting
Curved Striae
Synthetic Emerald With
“Nailhead” Spicule Inclusions

21. Natural vs. Synthetic
Synthetic (Flame Fusion)
Ruby With Red Fluorescence
Under UV Light
Synthetic Sapphire Crystals (Flame
Fusion)

22. Natural vs. Simulant
Simulant and Imitation
Gemstones that look like a natural gemstone but are a completely
different material
Example: Diamonds vs. Cubic Zirconia vs. Moissanite

23. Natural vs. Simulant
Diamond vs. Cubic Zirconia
How can you tell the difference?

24. Natural vs. Simulant
Diamond vs. Cubic Zirconia
How effective are thermal testers?
What if the Cubic Zirconia has a coating?
“Diamantine” colorless cubic zirconia with a thin layer (~5nm) of
carbon, aluminum and titanium which improve the optic characteristics
of a CZ, give a false positive read in thermal testing, but do not
withstand long term wear...

25. Natural vs. Simulant
Diamond vs. Cubic Zirconia
How can you tell the difference?
Using a loupe, study the surface of the gem. Diamonds are the hardest
material and take a very crisp polish, unlike CZ. Facet lines will be
sharp, with straight edges.

26. Natural vs. Simulant
Diamond vs. Cubic Zirconia
How can you tell the difference?
Look at the stone’s girdle. Diamonds are typically polished and faceted,
however they may be left rough (bruted). A CZ will be polished smooth
(in some cases faceted) but will not be as crisp.

27. Natural vs. Simulant
Diamond vs. Cubic Zirconia
Left: Cubic Zirconia with polished girdle, left smooth, somewhat waxy in appearance.
Right: Diamond with faceted girdle

28. Natural vs. Simulant
Diamond vs. Cubic Zirconia
Left: Diamond with faceted girdle / Right: Diamond with bruted girdle “bearded”

29. Natural vs. Simulant
Diamond vs. Cubic Zirconia
“Breath Test” - Breath on the stone like you’re fogging a window.
Diamonds will clear almost instantly, compared to CZ which will take
longer.

30. Natural vs. Simulant
Diamond vs. Cubic Zirconia
“See Through Test” - If the stone is unmounted, you can place it table
down over a piece of printed material. If you can read through the
stone, it is not likely a diamond.

31. Natural vs. Simulant
Diamond vs. Moissanite
Diamonds are single refractive
Moissanite is double refractive
Moissanite has a higher dispersion
than diamonds (.044 vs .104)
Moissanite is lab-created, inclusions will vary significantly from a
natural diamond
Example of “doubling” in Moissanite

32. Natural vs. Simulant
Glass & Plastic
Glass and Plastic are common, inexpensive and can recreate the look
of any gemstone.
Glass used in jewelry since the ancient Roman times.
Plastics have existed since the 1800s.

33. Gemstone Treatments
Technically, all diamonds and gemstones are “treated” as they are
taken from their original “rough” state and faceted, cleaned and/or
shaped into a marketable gem.

34. Diamond Treatments
Treatments To Improve Clarity
Fracture Filled
Laser Drilled

35. Diamond Treatments
Treatments To Improve Color
Irradiation is used to change low colored diamonds to more desirable
“fancy” colors.

36. Gemstone Treatments
Heat Treatment
Improves color and/or clarity
Commonly heat treated gems:
Sapphire Amber
Ruby Aquamarine
Topaz Tourmaline
Tanzanite Zircon
Quartz Silk Inclusions in an unheated
blue sapphire

37. Gemstone Treatments
Irradiated Gemstones
Improve Color
Common gems that are irradiated:
Blue Topaz Green Amethyst
Orange Sapphire Ametrine
Green Sapphire Black Pearls
Irradiated Ametrine

38. Gemstone Treatments
Fracture Filling
Improves Clarity; most common in Emeralds
Left: untreated Emerald / Right: after oil treatment

39. Gemstone Treatments
Glass-filled Rubies

40. Gemstone Treatments
There are a few gemstones that are almost never treated including:
Garnet
Spinel
Peridot
Green Tourmaline
Orange, Brown and Red Zircon
Multi-colored Garnets

41. Buying Jewelry
Shop at a place you know and trust
Research vs. Impulse Buys
Buying jewelry online
Buying for investment purposes

42. Buying Jewelry
Before you buy a piece of jewelry:
1. Know the return policy
2. Ask about warranties
3. If it’s not in new condition, find out what
repairs are needed first

43. Buying Jewelry
Before you buy a piece of jewelry:
4. Details about the metal quality
5. Details about the diamonds/gemstones
6. What’s the best price?

44. Buying Jewelry
Shopping for jewelry online:
1. Know the return policy
2. Ask about warranty
3. How trustworthy is the seller?
4. Get photos and details of the jewelry

45. Investing in Jewelry
Buy something because you love it and you’ll wear it
Investing in gold, diamonds and gems is not for novice
collectors
These markets are highly volatile
It’s not worth “anything” until you sell it

46. Buying Diamonds
Know the 4C’s - Which one is most important?
It never hurts to shop around - Can you get a better deal on
the internet?
Look at the diamond under magnification before you buy it -
know your stone’s “birthmarks”

47. Buying Diamonds
Diamond Certificates - Not all are “equal”
Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
American Gem Society Laboratory (AGS)
EGL USA Gemological Labs (EGL)
Laboratory should issue a report, never an appraisal or a value

48. Buying Gemstones
Before you buy a gemstone, ask yourself:
How often you want to wear it? When? Where?
What type of work do you do?
Are you “hard” on your jewelry?

49. Buying Gemstones
Most gemstones are not suitable for daily wear
Every Day
Diamonds
Sapphires
Rubies
Jade
Frequent Wear
Topaz
Garnet
Tourmaline
Spinel
Occasional Wear
Emeralds
Opals
Tanzanite
Pearls

50. Buying Gemstones
What Questions to Ask:
1. Was the gemstone treated? How?
2. Is the origin of the gemstone known?
3. How does the stone look in different kinds of light?
4. Look at the stone under magnification

51. Buying Gemstones
Gem Lab Testing & Certificates
Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
EGL USA Gemological Labs (EGL)
American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) - closed in 2009
Laboratory should issue a report, never an appraisal or a value

52. Selling Jewelry
What are your goals?
Do you want the most amount of money you can get?
Do you want to sell it very quickly?
Have the piece appraised
Selling to a dealer vs. consignment vs. private sale
Selling jewelry online

53. Thank You!
Jamie Clark Tiralla
jtiralla@gmail.com
301.651.7029
Available By Appointment
Maertens Fine Jewelry & Gifts
Lusby, Maryland
www.maertensjewelry.com
410.394.3990