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Jeff
Allinson started out in the jewelry
industry in 1977 as a goldsmith; repairing jewelry, stone setting and
creating custom designs. His increasing interest in gemology led him
to attend the Gemological
Institute of America in 1980 as a resident student in Santa
Monica, CA. While in attendance he studied, in depth, diamonds and colored
stones, their quality, analysis and how to appraise them according to
market standards. After graduating from the GIA, Jeff gained
invaluable experience by conducting jewelry appraisal clinics nationwide,
for Kay
Jewelers, Inc. His work at corporate headquarters included
jewelry appraisals, assisting the diamond department with grading of
loose diamonds and as a consultant to Black
Star and Frost (Kay’s Guild Division) on estate purchases.
Other experience includes jewelry store management, employee training, and sales. For the last 19 years, Jeff has worked as an independent appraiser and consultant, with offices in Solovey Antique and Estate Jewelers in McLean, VA, gaining additional experience in circa dating and developing techniques in identifying the authenticity of important antique jewelry pieces. His expertise has been tried and tested by the curious customer who wants to know what kind of stone they have found, to pieces brought in for appraisal from renowned politicians of this and prior White House administrations. His knowledge is complemented by a wide base of reliable connections that have been made over the course of his career. |
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The Evaluation Process for Jewelry Appraisals Diamond Grading: All diamonds over 1.00 carat will be issued a diamond grading report. Clarity: - It is important in the Jewelry Appraisal process that we judge the internal characteristics (or inclusions) under a high powered gemological microscope and a plot diagram will show the location and type of inclusion. A clarity grade using the GIA clarity grading system will be assigned and noted in the report. Color analysis: The amount of inherent color in your diamond will be evaluated and compared to GIA master graded diamonds under proper daylight diamond grading lamps. A letter grade for your color type using the GIA color grading system will be assigned and noted in the report. Our lab has a full set of master graded diamonds for comparison, graded and certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Carat Weight: In our Jewelry Appraisal process, if your diamond is mounted, the carat weight is estimated by using a standard formula for the type of cut for your stone. If your stone un-mounted, it is directly weighed on a digital carat weight scale. The actual weight will be noted in the report. Cutting Proportions: The cutting proportions of your diamond are evaluated. This includes, measurements of the diameter or length & width, along with the depth of your diamond. Depth%, Table%, Crown Angle, and Girdle Thickness are evaluated and noted in the final report. Finish: In the Jewel Appraisal process, symmetry and Polish will be assessed and given a grade of Poor to Excellent and noted in the report. Cut Grade: A cutting class is assigned based on the stones cutting proportions and is noted in the report. Fluorescence: Your diamond will be tested for a reaction to long wave and short wave ultra violet light. The findings will be noted in the report. Enhancements: Any and all enhancements that are detectable by gemological testing will be noted in the report. Colored Stone Grading: All colored stones over one carat will be issued a colored stone grading report. Hue (color): An important aspect of the Jewelry Appraisal process is to view the color of your stone and compare it to a GIA master color comparison set to determine the stones color or hue and noted in the report. Saturation of Color: The saturation of color inherent throughout the stone is evaluated and noted. Tone: We use our Jewelry Appraisal expertise to examine the degree of lightness or darkness of the color of the stone is evaluated and noted. Carat Weight: If your stone is mounted, the carat weight is estimated by using a standard formula for the variety and cut type of your stone. If your stone un-mounted, it is directly weighed on a digital carat weight scale. The weight is noted in the report. Cutting Proportions: Depth%, Table%, Girdle thickness are evaluated and noted. Cut Grade: cutting class based on the stones cutting proportions is evaluated and noted in the report. Clarity Type: The clarity type is noted for your variety of colored stone. Clarity: A clarity grade is assigned that is appropriate for the clarity type for your stone and noted in the report. Finish: In our Jewelry Appraisal service symmetry and Polish will be observed and given a grade of Poor to Excellent and noted in the report. Enhancements: Any and all enhancements that are detectable by gemological testing will be noted in the report. Mounting Attributes for Jewel Appraisal Services: A complete evaluation of the mounting is done and is described in detail in the final report. Each piece of jewelry will be weighed, measured and described in detail. In our Jewelry Appraisal process, inscriptions, hallmarks, karat stamping's, signatures and any other identifying markings are noted. A metallurgic analysis is done on all metals to verify type and fineness and noted in the report. Any additional diamond accents or colored stones are evaluated for clarity and color and carat weight and are estimated using the appropriate formulas. The findings are noted in the report. Custom design and hand fabricated work, along with signed pieces are noted and taken into account in the final value conclusion. |
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