Accredited Jewelry Appraisers

What Accredited Jewelry Appraisers does

Accredited Jewelry Appraisers, LLC is an independent jewelry appraisal practice founded in 1988 by Jeff and Sharon Allinson, operating from Falls Church, Virginia and serving the Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia markets. The firm provides professional gemological appraisals using GIA (Gemological Institute of America) methodologies, GIA master graded diamond reference sets, high-powered gemological microscopes, and daylight grading lamps. Service offerings are organized around the appraisal purpose — insurance replacement, fair market valuation, estate settlement, equitable distribution / dissolution of marriage, charitable donation, collateral, and pre-sale evaluation — plus structured diamond and colored stone grading reports for stones above defined carat thresholds.

The underlying "technology" is a documented 14-category evaluation methodology covering enhancements, finishing, clarity, cut grade, cutting proportions, color saturation/tone/hue, carat weight, and fluorescence, paired with comprehensive mounting evaluation. The business is differentiated from retail jewelers and buyers by its independence, which removes conflicts of interest in valuation.

The revenue model is professional services with a secondary transaction-fee component. Appraisal fees are quoted per engagement based on jewelry type and complexity, billed on a pay-as-you-go basis; the firm does not publish pricing. A channel partnership with a fine jewelry auction house (announced 2019) generates referral or commission income when clients choose to sell through that auction venue, offering 3% lower seller premiums and a zero-risk consignment model. Distribution is entirely appointment-based — Tuesday through Friday, 10am to 4pm — with marketing concentrated in content/SEO, Google and Yelp reviews, and light organic social presence (X, Facebook). The customer base is a long tail of individual consumers (insurance, estate, engagement ring) with a secondary segment of estate attorneys and executors; there are no recurring contracts or anchor accounts, and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Accredited Jewelry Appraisers

Legal name

Accredited Jewelry Appraisers, LLC

Website

https://accreditedjewelryappraisers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Accredited Jewelry Appraisers is an independent GIA-credentialed jewelry appraisal firm in Falls Church, VA, founded in 1988 by Jeff and Sharon Allinson, providing insurance, estate, fair market, and resale valuations to individual consumers and estate attorneys across the DC Metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewelry Appraisal Services

akta.pro primary industry

Appraisal, Authentication & Insurance Documentation (CRAKALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Estate Jewelry & Collection Liquidation Services (CRAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Jewelry appraisal services
• Diamond grading reports
• Gemstone evaluation
• Estate jewelry valuation
• Insurance replacement appraisals

Headquarters

HQ city

Falls Church

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Jewelry Appraisal Services: Professional jewelry appraisal services for various purposes including insurance replacement value, fair market value, estate valuations, equitable distribution for divorce, charitable donation, collateral, and pre-sale evaluations. Fees are charged per appraisal based on the complexity and type of jewelry.
2. Auction/Resale Facilitation: Assistance with selling client jewelry through partnered auction houses. The company does not buy or sell jewelry directly but facilitates sales, earning commissions or referral fees from their auction partner. Benefits include lower seller premiums (3% lower than normal), international marketing exposure, and zero-risk if items don't sell.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Accredited Jewelry Appraisers provides independent, GIA-certified jewelry appraisal services for diamonds, colored gemstones, and fine jewelry, with a focus on insurance replacement, fair market, and estate valuations. The firm delivers detailed 7-8 page written and electronic appraisal reports based on a proprietary 14-category evaluation process and also facilitates client jewelry resale through a partnered auction house.

Product overview

Accredited Jewelry Appraisers is an independent jewelry appraisal service providing comprehensive gemological evaluations for insurance, estate, and resale purposes. Their core offerings include insurance appraisals, engagement ring appraisals, fair market appraisals, and estate valuation services. They offer add-on modules including diamond and colored stone grading reports for pieces over certain carat weights, as well as jewelry auction services through a partnered auction house to assist clients in selling their valued pieces. The company specializes in modern, vintage, and antique fine jewelry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insurance Appraisals Comprehensive jewelry appraisal reports for insurance replacement purposes, providing detailed descriptions required by insurance companies to replace lost, stolen, or damaged items in like, kind and quality.
• Engagement Ring Appraisals Specialized appraisals for engagement rings, examining cut, clarity, carat, color, hue, fluorescence, and enhancements to determine accurate replacement value for insurance coverage.
• Fair Market Appraisals Appraisals establishing fair market value required for estate settlement, equitable distribution, and taxation purposes.
• Estate Valuation Appraisals Professional appraisals for estate settlements, helping executors distribute assets fairly among family members and heirs, including heirloom and antique jewelry pieces.
• Equitable Distribution / Dissolution of Marriage Appraisals Accredited appraisals for divorce proceedings and family court matters, providing court-accepted fair market valuations for equitable distribution of marital jewelry assets.
• Charitable Donation Appraisals Appraisals to determine value of jewelry for tax-deductible charitable contributions.
• Collateral Appraisals Jewelry appraisals for collateral purposes, evaluating pieces for their market value when used as loan security.
• Pre-Sale Evaluations Expert evaluations for auction submission or secondary market sales, helping clients understand jewelry value before selling.
• Jewelry Auction Services Partnership with an auction house to help clients sell fine jewelry, vintage, antique, and heirloom pieces; offers lower seller premiums, international marketing exposure, and zero-risk consignment with no fees for insurance, photography, or marketing if items remain unsold.
• Diamond Grading Reports Diamond grading reports issued for all diamonds over 1/2 carat, including GIA color grading, clarity assessment, cut grade, and fluorescence testing.
• Colored Stone Grading Reports Colored stone grading reports issued for all colored stones over one carat, evaluating hue, tone, saturation, and clarity type.

Quantifiable outcome

• Detailed 7-8 page appraisal reports with photographs and plots
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fine Jewelry Auction HousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 October 2019Accredited Jewelry Appraisers has partnered with an auction house that specializes in fine jewelry. The partnership provides clients with international marketing exposure through in-house and online bidders. Benefits include lower seller premiums (3% lower than the normal rate) and zero risk if items don't sell - pieces are mailed back or held for the next auction. No fees for insurance, photography, or marketing even if items remain unsold. Brand names that perform well at auction include Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Graff, Piaget, Bulgari, Chopard, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Buccellati.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Gemval: Online gemstone valuation reference service providing estimated price ranges for diamonds and colored stones. Represents a low-cost digital alternative for straightforward valuations that could partially substitute for in-person appraisals.
• BriteCo: Online jewelry insurance and appraisal platform offering digital appraisal workflows. Comparable as an alternative channel for jewelry owners seeking valuations for insurance coverage, though it competes digitally rather than via in-person GIA gemologist expertise.

Regional players

• Abe Mor Diamond Cutters: Diamond cutter and buyer offering appraisal and consulting services with strong colored-stone expertise. Comparable in deep gemological knowledge but operates more on the buyer/dealer side of the market than as an independent appraiser.
• WP Diamonds: Diamond buying service offering valuations and direct purchase offers, primarily operating digitally with mail-in processes. A partial substitute for clients seeking pre-sale evaluations, though with a buyer-side conflict of interest.
• Lang Antiques: San Francisco-based antique and estate jewelry dealer offering appraisal services. Comparable in vintage/antique jewelry appraisal expertise, but geographically distinct and operates primarily as a dealer rather than a pure independent appraiser.

Others

• Heritage Auctions: Major US auction house with a fine jewelry department that performs in-house valuations and consigns pieces. Comparable as part of the appraisal-to-sale value chain AJA's clients traverse, and a potential alternative channel for jewelry sellers.
• National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA): Professional association of which AJA's principals are Senior Members. Functions as the industry's credentialing and standards body and directory through which competing independent appraisers are sourced by consumers.
• Replacements.com: Large-scale silver and china replacement dealer that publishes reference price guides and pattern valuations. Comparable only loosely; not a direct appraisal services competitor but serves as an alternative reference resource for owners valuing heirloom pieces.

Broad incumbents

• Gemological Institute of America (GIA): The premier gemological standards body whose diamond and colored stone grading methodologies AJA explicitly follows and uses master stones from. Functions as both the credentialing body for AJA's principals and a potential indirect competitor through GIA's own report services.
• International Gemological Institute (IGI): Global gemological laboratory offering diamond and colored stone grading reports, similar in core gemological methodology to AJA's GIA-based evaluation. Differs in scale and geographic reach, and is a broader industry incumbent rather than a regional independent appraiser.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/jewelappraisal
• Facebookfacebook.com/accreditedjewelryappraisers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accredited-jewelry-appraisers-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Accredited Jewelry Appraisers