What our written appraisal contains

An appraisal document is only as valuable as its precision. A line reading 'lot of jewelry: €15,000' defends nothing — not before the administration, nor before heirs with questions. Here is what we provide, and why each element matters.

One sheet per piece

Each piece of jewelry is described individually:

• Nature and type: ring, necklace, bracelet, brooch, watch, unmounted stone, etc.
• Metal and purity: yellow, gray or pink gold 750/1000, platinum 950, silver — determined from hallmarks and verified.
• Gross weight of the piece, in grams.
• Stones: nature, number, estimated or certified weight in carats, and for diamonds the observable characteristics — color, clarity, cut.
• Signature and period when present: brand, serial number, master's hallmark, style and manufacturing era.
• Condition: wear, chips, repairs, missing or replaced stones.
• Market value retained, expressed in euros.

Why the description matters more than the figure

The amount alone is unverifiable. It is the description that makes it defensible: it allows anyone — you, an heir, the administration, an expert called in later — to understand on what basis the value was set, and to check it.

This also provides long-term protection. Article 860 of the French Civil Code requires, for the reporting of gifts, that the value be taken at the day of partition according to the state of the property at the time of the gift. Without a precise dated description, this state cannot be reconstructed twenty years later. We detail this mechanism on the page the gifted jewel at the time of partition.

Existing certificates

When a diamond is accompanied by a laboratory certificate (GIA, IGI, HRD, LFG), we reproduce it and verify its correspondence with the stone presented: inscription number on the girdle when present, weight, dimensions. A certificate that does not match the stone — it happens — is noted.

In the absence of a certificate, we perform a gemological analysis. It does not replace a laboratory report, but allows a reliable market value to be established. If the stakes justify it, we indicate that certification would be useful — it can significantly modify the value of an important stone.

What our document is not

To be honest, let us clarify its limits:

• it is not an inventory within the meaning of Article 789 of the Civil Code: this act falls within the purview of a public officer or bailiff;
• it is not a judicial expert report: we are not appointed by a court;
• it is not a laboratory certificate: only gemological laboratories issue certification reports.

It is a professional supported valuation opinion, from a market operator who buys and sells these pieces daily — and therefore stakes their reputation on the figures they put forward.

Page updated on July 25, 2026.