If you are the lucky owner of an expensive piece of jewelry, you probably want to know its value for both personal and insurance reasons. To get a piece of jewelry appraised, you need to take it to a gemologist, who will perform an in-depth appraisal of the piece and then give you the results in writing, which you are then able to give to your insurance company.

                The only question is, how often should your jewelry be appraised? With the huge fluctuations in the precious metals and stones markets, you’re probably worried that your jewelry is undervalued when compared against the current market. Generally, though, the daily fluctuations of the market have little long term bearing on the value of your jewelry, apart from its liquidation value (the value of just the metal and gems, not including craftsmanship or age). This is why the Insurance Institute of America (IIA) recommends that you should have your jewelry appraised every two years to keep the insurance values current.

                Another reason that you should keep your jewelry appraisal current is that most insurance policies have a section that allows for replacement of your stolen or damaged jewelry with a piece of similar quality and style. If you have an out of ate appraisal that states that your ring is worth between $1500 and $2500, when in fact it is worth $4000, you will be losing out in the unfortunate event of a robbery or accident.