GEMWORLD INTERNATIONAL INC.

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Margaret asked me if I had photos I could send her to help out in knowing what to charge for the appraisal. After I sent her the photos she let me know what she believed they were and told me what it was selling for on ebay. It was so honest and kind of her to tell me it was a beautiful bracelet but the value wasn't what my Mom had always thought it was. Now I know I can wear the bracelet and enjoy the memory of my Mom without worrying about it's monetary value. If it had alot of value I was considering selling it to help my Dad out, so I appreciate Margaret not taking my money knowing in advance the value wasn't there.

Very good, professional gemologist. Took great pictures. Fair appraisal with explaination.

Perfect.

During the appointment both articles of jewlery were examined, weighed, and the reason why the diamonds were rated as they were were explaned. Upon questions, I was able to view the diamond under extreme magnification so I could see flaws where indicated.

I contacted Margaret via email and spoke to her on the phone later that day. After a answering several questions, she gave me a quote for appraisals on two watches and an engagement ring. We scheduled a meeting at her office in Glenview to examine the jewelry. The meeting lasted only 30 minutes and having any paperwork really helps. I had paperwork on one of the watches, but nothing for the other two items. I heard back from her within a week and paid for her fees with a credit card over the phone. I received the appraisals both in electronic format as well as several hard copies. Margaret was very professional and knowledgable. The Gemworld office was clean, professional and very easy to get to. I am so glad to have found a great appraiser.

I was very impressed and pleased with the experience, and will recommend Gemworld and Margaret to anyone. The Company was very responsive - I contacted them through Angieslist late one evening, received a phone call the next morning and scheduled the appointment for the following week. During that phone call, Margaret walked me through what her services would include, told me what I would need to bring, asked probing questions to help her prepare for the appraisal and quoted me a price based on my responses. She explained in general how the pricing works, which answered my question of why the price for my ring was higher than some posted on Angieslist reviews (prices are based on number of stones and carat weight, since my fiance's ring has more stones, it takes more time, and costs more). She answered all of my questions easily and directly during that phone call. She matched the diamond to the GIA report, and built a completeley independent appraisal of the replacement cost using two different industry sources, including Gemworld's own industry guide (visit their website if you want to learn more about that). She was very candid and answered my questions during the appraisal as well. I ran late for the appointment, though she was very accomodating and still saw me. The entire appraisal took about an hour, and I left with two copies of the appraisal, including a nice, cardboard-backed copy for myself in addition to the insurance copy. The ring never left my sight. Again, very pleased, I would recommend Gemworld to anyone.

I contacted Gemworld and set up a 2 hour appointment to get my jewelry appraised. I brought about 15 pieces of jewelry in and asked them to determine which pieces would be worth getting an appraisal and which were not. Stuart quickly separated out a few items that would not be worth having an appraisal due to their value. During the appraisal, the jewelry never left my sight. Stuart meticuously looked at, measured, weighed and photographed each piece. Approximately two weeks later, I received the appraisal in the mail (2 copies, one for me and one for my insurer). The appraisal is very professional, each piece is well described with a photo and current value. Also, included is information about with the grading scale. I have never had an appraisal done before, except what the jeweler gives you when you buy a piece of jewelry. This is much better than what I received from the jeweler. Also, this is an independant appraisal. I would highly recommend this service to anyone, especially if you have some pieces and have no idea as to their value.

The price is fair. You pay by the item. They were very professional and friendly. They take pictures of the items that are sent to the insurance company. They give you two brochures, one for yourself and the other for the insurance. They work very quickly. They do the appraisals in front of you instead of sending them out.

The experience was entirely positive. Margaret Gilmore answered the phone when I called. She was flexible in scheduling a time to meet. She sent a follow up e-mail confirming the appointment and giving very detailed directions to their new location at 2640 Patriot Boulevard in Glenview. Their phone number is 847-657-0555. I called to say I was running a few minutes late, and she was very nice about it. She was extremely professional in examining my ring and the appraisal I had from ten years ago. She took her time to examine the item very carefully. She explained what she was doing and the extent to which her measurements and assessment were the same or different from the earlier appraisal. She prepared a new appraisal right in front of me. I watched the whole process. The meeting took less than 45 minutes. I left with two copies of a thorough and detailed appraisal.

Richard did a thorough job evaluating my ring for a reasonable price. He came in early to accommodate my schedule. He realized I was on a tight time frame to get in and out, and he took care of me quickly, while answering all of my questions. For the price, you get a good, basic evaluation of the ring.

AT THE START OF OUR APPOINTMENT, STUART BRIEFLY VIEWED ALL THE JEWELRY HE WOULD APPRAISE, AND THEN QUOTED THREE HOURS OF WORK AT $150 PER HOUR, WHICH INCLUDED OUR APPOINTMENT AND ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND REPORT PRODUCTION TIME AFTER I LEFT. THE $450 FINAL TOTAL CHARGE WAS VERY REASONABLE GIVEN THE DETAIL AND THE QUALITY OF THE FINAL REPORT, AND THE WORK AND EXPERTISE THAT WENT INTO PRODUCING IT. YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO PAY AN HOURLY FEE FOR THIS KIND OF WORK, NOT A FEE BASED ON A PERCENTAGE OF APPRAISAL VALUE OR A FLAT PER-ITEM FEE. A PERCENTAGE-OF-VALUE FEE IS UNETHICAL, AND A FLAT PER-ITEM FEE WILL OFTEN MAKE THE FINAL FEE MUCH HIGHER FOR ESTATE JEWELRY THAN AN HOURLY FEE. GEMWORLD ALSO APPRAISES JEWELRY FOR OTHER PURPOSES SUCH AS INSURANCE AND FAIR MARKET OR RETAIL VALUE, AND WILL APPRAISE ONE ITEM OR MUCH LARGER LOTS OF JEWELRY THAN MINE. THEY DO NOT BUY OR SELL JEWELRY. I WOULD USE GEMWORLD AGAIN FOR JEWELRY APPRAISAL AND WOULD RECOMMEND THEM TO A FRIEND.