It’s early morning: before the first insurance jewellery valuation, I am having my breakfast – soya milk coffee with yogurt. I need to hurry up. My customer will arrive at 9.30am. Before he arrives, I have to tidy the studio. Yesterday, I finished my jewellery valuations quite late, leaving room for improvement on the tidiness front!

There is a lot of preparatory work with a valuation. I need to undertake a lot of research using both the computer and also a variety of written material, such as books and magazines. I put everything back in its place: microscope, loupe, books, magazines and I am ready.

My customer called me 2 days ago as he received a letter from his insurance company requesting an Independent Insurance valuation. Without this document, the insurance would not cover his ring in case of a claim.

It’s 9.30 am. My customer, Ben, is at the front door and my coffee is ready. He can stay in my office with me, waiting for the end of the first part of the valuation, the phase when I check the piece and I collect all the information that I need. Ben sits down in front of my desk and slowly drinks his traditional Italian coffee. He tells me how he bought the ring in Malta during the holiday as he wanted to propose to her during the traditional religious festivity in mid-August. He did and she accepted! They got married in January.

What does it mean to do a Jewellery Insurance Valuation?

In the meantime, I am analysing the ring; it’s a modern diamond engagement ring with a platinum mount. The diamond, which is a round modern cut and weighs approximately 1.71ct, has an international certificate and laser inscription in the girdle. The laser inscription helps the customer to identify the diamond for as long as the ring exists.

During my due diligence, I check the colour of the diamond, the clarity and the measurement of it when compared to what is written on the certificate. From the measurement, I calculate the weight of the stone which becomes impossible to calculate when the diamond is settled in a ring.

A check with the microscope and with the UV helps me to identify if the diamonds are natural or lab-grown; this is not always easy.

Then I analyse the mount; it might be a gold, platinum, or palladium. Although the presence of a hallmark can help me ascertain the material, I check always with acid too. Sometimes, you can find the hallmark of the company that produced or imported the ring.

Ben’s ring has the hallmark 750 3443AL and has been produced in Alessandria, one of the best jewellery district in Europe. Unfortunately, due to the fact Italian hallmark law does not require it, I am not able to ascertain the year of production. After I have completed an accurate description of the ring, I am ready to take several pictures of it. I use a lightbox, with white background, and a digital camera. I take at least 20 pictures to choose 4 that I will print in my final document.

Time to go home!

Now it’s time to give the ring back to Ben and leave him to go home! He will receive the final valuation in a couple of days. He is happy; he bought a very nice stone and he has received a confirmation from me which he will pass on to his insurance in due course. Also, he had the opportunity to relax in my studio with a delicious coffee for some of his morning!

Who doesn’t love beautiful and unique antique jewellery? As a Jewellery valuation expert, I love identifying and studying distinctive antique jewellery made in the past. These pieces of jewellery speak of opulence, luxury, legacy, and elaborate style. They reflect the taste and view of master jewellers of every period in history. 

Come January 2022, I shall be visiting one of the most popular exhibitions of our time. This exhibition has attracted over 150,000 people since its opening, and I can’t wait to be there. I will be visiting the Faberge exhibition taking place at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London with my good friend, Karra. She booked our visit to the exhibition venue three weeks ago, and as jewellery valuation experts, we are both excited to visit this exhibition. 

As part of our job, we provide you with appraisals on your original antique and vintage jewellery for probate, insurance and divorce purposes. The popular saying “knowledge builds confidence“ holds for us because we continue our training daily. As appraisers, we get jewellery valued and are up to date with new and exciting things happening in the jewellery and watch trade to give you the best sales valuation.

Fabergé in London

This exhibition is titled “Fabergé in London: Romance to Revolution”.  It’s a major exhibition dedicated to the unique craftsmanship of the Russian jeweller. The exhibition started on the 20th of November, 2021, and will end on the 8th of May, 2022. 

This London exhibition is celebrating the works of Peter Carl Fabergé, the genius behind the Russian jewellery house that created luxury items for royals and aristocrats. Over two hundred objects will tell the story of this Russian jeweller. His incredible creativity and craftsmanship transformed his client’s dreams into miniature reality. If you take a closer look at his creations, you will be enticed and blown away. His luxury craftsmanship is a sight to behold, and it fills you with a sense of wonder.

He is famous for the bejewelled eggs he crafted for Russia’s Romanov imperial family in the early 1900s. Fabergé was commissioned to create a jewelled egg as an Easter gift for the wife of Tsar Alexander III of Russia. Due to his unique creativity, the Tsar ordered another jewelled egg the next year. This continued until the Russian revolution which happened in 1917. Fabergé came to London and began to preserve London in his works. He was also the owner of the largest jewellery company in Russia at that time. 

An interesting fact about Fabergé

Considering all the accolades attributed to this man, it might interest you to know that Fabergé did not make these fascinating pieces himself. He had a talented team of artists, designers, and craftsmen who worked under his guidance. He was not only known for his legendary imperial eggs, he also made figurines, letter openers, tiaras, and cigar cutters.

A lot has been said about the fascinating works of this legend, and I can’t wait to be in the exhibition venue.  I promise to share the excitement of the exhibition with you. Do you know other master jewellers of the past? Let me know in the comment section.