Urban Myths

The Appraiser Sub-Culture

In recent years some members of the jewellery industry have chosen to become minions of the insurance industry, catering to the insurance brokers in the hope of getting work supplying a replacement for your lost or stolen jewellery. Frequently, the insurance agencies require documentation certifying that the individual has taken some cursory courses (usually by correspondence) in "gemmology", or gem identification, in the mistaken notion that this makes one a "jewellery appraiser". This amounts to believing that a knowledge of paint makes one an art appraiser. Even an infrequent viewer of the Antiques Road Show knows better than this. Despite what your insurance broker says, despite what a "jewellery appraiser" says, and despite what your local jeweller says, our original designs are protected by international copyright law and cannot be duplicated by anyone without our permission. Stealing is free – creating is not. Yet the standard methods used by typical jewellery appraisers do not give any consideration to the monetary value of either design or craftsmanship. For your protection, do use our stated value when acquiring insurance coverage for your Idar jewellery. We are certified gemmologists.