Thanks for sharing more specific statistics...we're certainly are open to critique! While our adjective of "skyrocketing" might not reflect the exact ebb and flow of prices in the past 5 years, we're grateful that you can appreciate the intent. Certainly if you look back 10 years gold is up significantly. To share an example, a coworker shared with us that he was at a jeweler getting a watch fixed, and the jeweler commented on his bracelet asking when he got it, which was approximately 15 years ago. He didn't remember what he had paid, but it was under $500. The jeweler weighed the piece and told him that the bracelet was worth multiple times that amount. Once you make the decision to get something scheduled, then the issue becomes ensuring that you aren't over or under insuring it by getting periodic appraisals. Again, thanks for the feedback.

Hello, and thank you for your very helpful post. I do feel it necessary to comment on this quote from your article; "...With the skyrocketing price of gold and other precious metals in the past few years...". In fact, this is not accurate as viewing the chart in the site below will indicate. On February 28, 2010, the gold price per ounce was $1783.88 and on March 6, 2015 it was $1198.60. So in roughly the past 5 years, the price of gold has actually decreased substantially and the lower prices have been relatively the norm. Similar, less than stellar patterns exist for silver at $16.85 per ounce on January 1, 2010 and $16.18 on March 5, 2015.<br /><br />This does by no means diminish the wisdom of up to date appraisals on valuable jewelry pieces and other high value assets and the inclusion of appropriate riders for inclusion in ones insurance coverage. Accuracy, however, goes a long way when presenting information such as your otherwise worthwhile presentation. AMG <br /><br /><a href="http://www.jmbullion.com/charts/gold-price/?gclid=CJrdiLCBlMQCFcZZ7AodUQYAow" rel="nofollow">www.jmbullion.com/charts/gold-price/?gclid=CJrdiLCBlMQCFcZZ7AodUQYAow</a>

Marie...we never want to disappoint so here's some additional information. Going back to the jeweler who you bought the piece is one source; however, if you no longer have access to that jeweler, any local jeweler might also provide an appraisal. We've heard of some jewelers charging a nominal fee of $25 to other appraisers charging over $100. A higher appraisal priced doesn't necessarily mean it's a better appraisal. So, it's hard to give you a specific price point for an appraisal, but it's wise to shop around. The key is to deal with someone reputable that you can trust. Some jewelers will ask you to leave your jewelry, while others will prefer that you be present for the process. Ultimately, you want the description to be clear and specific. Certainly, give us a call if you have specific questions about appraisals and what you need.

I was disappointed that this article didn't say anything about how to find an appraiser, and how much I should expect to pay for appraisals. I have no idea what is the market price for it, and so when I go to a jeweler, I have no idea if their price is fair or not. <br /><br />Can you please give some suggestions for that? Thanks.