What our written appraisal includes

An appraisal document is only as good as its precision. A line like "lot of jewelry: €15,000" defends nothing—neither before the administration nor before heirs who have questions. Here is what we provide, and why each element matters.

One sheet per piece

Each piece of jewelry receives a separate description:

• Nature and type: ring, necklace, bracelet, brooch, watch, unmounted stone, etc.
• Metal and fineness: yellow, gray, or rose gold 750/1000, platinum 950, silver—established 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 they exist: maison, serial number, maker's mark, style, and manufacturing period.
• Condition: wear, impacts, repairs, missing or replaced stones.
• Fair 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 determined, and to verify it.

This is also what provides long-term protection. Article 860 of the Civil Code requires, for the reporting of gifts, to retain the value at the date of division based on the state of the property at the time of the gift. Without a precise, dated description, that state cannot be reconstructed twenty years later. We detail this mechanism on the page the gifted jewelry at the time of division.

Existing certificates

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

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

What our document is not

For the sake of honesty, let us clarify its limits:

• it is not an inventory within the meaning of Article 789 of the Civil Code: that act falls under a public officer or a judicial officer;
• it is not a court 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, reasoned opinion of value, from a market operator that buys and sells these pieces daily—and therefore stakes its reputation on the figures it provides.

Page updated on July 25, 2026.