Before you decide whether to sell a ring, a necklace or a box of inherited pieces, it helps to know what they are worth and why. At 5 Star Gold Silver & Diamond, a jewellery appraisal is an in-office evaluation at our Banks Road office in Kelowna. We look at each piece with you, explain what we found, and give you a purchase offer. The assessment is free, and there is no obligation to sell.
This page covers jewellery as a whole: settings, stones, makers and mixed pieces. If you only have plain gold to value, our gold appraisal Kelowna page walks through the karat, weight and spot-price arithmetic in detail.
Our appraisal is built around one practical question: what would we pay for this piece today? That makes it different from a valuation you would file with an insurer. You bring the jewellery in, we evaluate it in front of you, and you leave with a clear figure and the reasons behind it.
If you accept, you are paid before you leave. If you decline, you take everything home and owe nothing.
Two people can both say they had their jewellery appraised and mean very different things.
An insurance appraisal is usually a written document that estimates what it would cost to replace a piece with a comparable one at retail. Because it reflects a retail replacement price, including manufacturing, setting work and retail margin, it tends to be the highest figure ever attached to a piece. Its job is to tell an insurer how much cover to provide, not to tell you what the piece would sell for.
An appraisal to sell answers a narrower question: what the piece is worth to a buyer today, as it is. It is built from the metal content, the stones, the condition and any resale value the piece has as an object. This is the kind of appraisal we carry out on every buying visit.
Neither figure is wrong. They measure different things, so a large gap between an insurance document and a purchase offer is normal. If you already hold an insurance appraisal, bring it along. It records what another professional found in the piece, which is useful even though it is not the basis of a sale.
Need a written appraisal for insurance? Please call us at (250) 801-1129 and ask before you visit, so we can tell you what is available for your piece.
We start with the metal. Hallmarks and karat stamps such as 10K, 14K, 18K, 925 or PT950 are recorded where present, and purity is confirmed by testing rather than taken from the stamp alone, since stamps wear down and are often missing on older or handmade pieces. Gold filled and gold plated items are identified at this stage, because a thin surface layer is worth far less than solid metal of the same weight.
Metal is weighed in grams, in front of you. Stones are not counted in the metal weight, and items of different karats are weighed separately so that each one is priced on its own purity.
Diamonds and gemstones are examined separately from the metal. We look at the stone type, its quality and its condition, along with how it is set. A larger centre stone usually carries most of a piece’s stone value, while small accent stones in halo or pavé settings are generally valued as a group. If you have a grading certificate from a lab such as GIA or IGI, bring it: it removes uncertainty about the stone and can support a stronger offer.
Signed and designer pieces, recognised makers and genuine period jewellery can be worth more intact than as metal and stones. When that is the case, we assess the piece on those terms and show you both figures, so you can choose. Broken clasps, missing stones and single earrings are not a problem either, as they are still bought on their metal content.
If you are bringing a large collection or an estate, call (250) 801-1129 ahead so we can set aside enough time.
If you already know you want to sell, these pages go into more detail:
Yes. The in-office assessment is free and there is no obligation to sell afterwards.
Our appraisals are carried out as part of a purchase offer, and we explain every figure in person. If you need a written appraisal for insurance, please call us at (250) 801-1129 and ask what is available for your piece before you visit.
An insurance appraisal estimates the cost of replacing a piece at retail, including manufacturing and retail margin. A purchase offer reflects what the piece is worth to sell today, based on its metal, stones, condition and resale demand. A gap between the two is normal.
Stones are examined separately from the metal and are not included in the metal weight. We look at the stone type, quality, condition and setting. A grading certificate from a lab such as GIA or IGI can support a stronger offer, but it is not required.
Yes. We can remove a stone and value the stone and the setting separately, then buy whichever part you choose to sell. Tell us at the start of your visit so we can evaluate it accordingly.
You can bring your jewellery to our office at 307 Banks Rd #206 in Kelowna. If you are bringing a large collection or an estate, please call (250) 801-1129 ahead so we can set aside enough time.
Bring your jewellery to 5 Star Gold Silver & Diamond at 307 Banks Rd #206, Kelowna, BC V1X 6A1. Free parking is available on site. Call (250) 801-1129 or send us a message, and we will help you get started.