Thursday, July 05, 2007

Where To Test And Appraise Alexandrite?

The most well known gemological laboratories are listed below and all of them are equipped to test alexandrite. Most gemological laboratories only identify gemstones, they do not appraise them

Gem Studies Lab
European Gemological Laboratory
Hong Kong Gems Laboratory
Zenhokyo
The Russian MSU Gemological Center
AIGS Gemological Laboratory
The Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand
GemResearch Swisslab
Gubelin Gemological Laboratories
SSEF
AGTA Gemological Testing Center
American Gemological Laboratories
Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Association of Great Britain

A good appraisal takes time, expertise and a lot of experience especially with alexandrite. Jewelry stores who offer some sort of verbal appraisal aren´t doing their job properly and when appraiser´s first claim is that "you paid to much for that gemstone", then you are not getting an appraisal, but you are a victim of a practice known as low-balling. Your best choice is a professional appraiser from a major appraisal organizations, with standards of education and codes of ethics. To protect the client they use methodologies that provide some assurance of accuracy.

The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers
The International Society of Appraisers
The American Society of Appraisers
National Association of Goldsmith