Jewelry Appraisals and Estate Consultation

Douglas R. Harris Jewelers, Inc. operates a state of the art Gem Lab on premise.  Each appraisal is performed in-house with strict guidelines and precision.  We follow the guidelines of the Insurance Industry, the Gemological Institute of America, the American Gem Society, and the American Gem Trade Association.  We are insured and secured – alarm monitored for your protection.  Mr. Harris has over 40 years experience in the jewelry appraisal industry.  He has performed appraisals for Gaston Co. Courts, Lawyers, Bank Trust Departments, Bankruptcies, Divorces, Estates and for Estate Planning.

Each appraisal includes a formal written appraisal with digital photography of each piece.  Each piece is cleaned by ultrasound and steam cleaned.  All pieces are checked for tightness and wear.  We have the capability to e-mail the finished appraisal to your insurance company and also maintain a copy of your appraisal in the store for future reference.

Gold is at an all-time high!

Now is absolutely the right time to update any existing appraisal or have your new or inherited jewelry appraised. This is also an excellent time to consult with Doug or Lou Anne about sending your “old” gold to the refinery, turning it into cash. Please call for an appointment.

Types of Appraisals:

Insurance Replacements

Estate

Re-Sale

Bankruptcy

Estate Planning

Fees / Rate Schedules

24 Hr Express Service:  1st item $200.00

Each Additional item $85.00

Standard 3-5 Service:  1st item  $125.00

Each Additional item $55.00

Click here for a sample appraisal

Estate Consultation and Estate Planning

Jewelry Estate Consultants:

When a loved one passes away, among all of the other challenges and difficulties, there comes the need to divide the jewelry portion of the estate. Arriving at a fair and equitable division can be tricky.

Douglas R. Harris, Jewelers, Inc. offers a free consultation where our jewelry experts will sit down with you and explain the different types of value and how they relate to your particular jewelry. We will evaluate your jewelry inheritance and arrive at an accurate value.

Like most products, jewelry value is not one set number. It changes with the marketplace (global economy and commodity prices) and time and styles. The standard of value establishes the dollar value of a jewelry item based on a set guideline. The same item of jewelry can have at least three different dollar values:

  • Replacement Value:  The most popular jewelry appraisal is an insurance appraisal for replacement purposes. in the case of loss of theft, this would be the amount of money that would be necessary to produce a NEW piece of jewelry.
  • Estate Retail Value:  The estate jewelry at retail value estimates the price an item would sell to used jewelry customers. A used piece of jewelry will be worth less to the general public that the same piece that is brand new.
  • Estate Wholesale Value:  In this instance, Douglas R. Harris, Jewelers, Inc. would work to find a wholesaler, perhaps in New York, that specializes in a particular type of estate jewelry. Many of these companies travel to Hong Kong and Tokyo where they have a clientele that would be interested in specialty items.

Full and open disclosure of how the jewelry is valued allows for a fair and smooth disbursement of the estate. Heirloom jewelry can have a great value to some and to others, it is just old. Establishing an heirloom value is very personal and can not be measured in a jewelry appraisal.

Douglas R. Harris, Jewelers, Inc. is here to help when you need guidance on choosing a value standard, evaluating your jewelry or selling it to a market that understands and appreciates fine “old” jewelry. Call us @ 704-866-8269 to set up an appointment.