Jewelry Appraisal in Marlton, NJ

We Never Charge a Percentage of Value

Our fee is a flat amount per piece. It is never calculated as a percentage of what your jewelry turns out to be worth.

This is worth saying plainly because the alternative is common and it is a conflict of interest: an appraiser paid a percentage has a direct financial reason to inflate the number. That inflates your insurance premium for as long as the policy runs. Ask any appraiser how they charge before you hand anything over.

Who Is Qualified to Appraise Jewelry?

Appraisals at Billig Jewelers are completed by Richard Billig, a GIA Graduate Gemologist with more than 35 years of experience in diamonds, fine jewelry and jewelry valuation.

There is no federal or state licence for jewelry appraisers in the United States. Anyone may print a document and call it an appraisal. That is exactly why credentials matter, and why you should check them before handing over an heirloom.

What to look for:

• Graduate Gemologist (GG) — the diploma issued by the Gemological Institute of America. This is the baseline gemological training; without it, an appraiser cannot reliably grade what is in front of them.
• Certified Gemologist Appraiser (CGA) — awarded by the American Gem Society, with annual recertification.
• National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) — membership requires continuing education and adherence to USPAP, the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
• A stated valuation method — a competent report says which standard it used and why.

If someone cannot answer what their credential is and who issued it, that is your answer.

What Our Appraisal Report Includes

Each written appraisal documents:

• A full description of the piece
• Measurements
• Estimated carat weight
• Colour and clarity grades, where applicable
• Metal content and karat
• Hallmarks and maker's marks
• The valuation method used and the market it reflects
• The effective date of value
• The appraiser's signature and credentials

Photographs are not included as standard. We add them on request, or when a specific insurance company requires them — tell us at drop-off and there is no separate charge for a straightforward photo.

Appraisal or Grading Report — What's the Difference?

They are not the same document and one does not replace the other.

A grading report from GIA or IGI identifies and grades a stone: carat, colour, clarity, cut, measurements, fluorescence. It carries no value. Laboratories deliberately stay out of pricing.

An appraisal takes that quality assessment and translates it into a dollar figure in a defined market on a defined date.

The two work together. If you have a grading report, bring it — it saves us time and makes the appraisal more precise.

How Often Should Jewelry Be Reappraised?

Every two to four years, and sooner after a sharp move in the market.

The reason is straightforward: metal prices move, and gold has risen sharply in recent years. An appraisal is a snapshot of a specific date. A report written five years ago probably has your ring insured for less than it would cost to replace — you would find out at the worst possible moment. In the other direction, an inflated old figure means you have been overpaying premiums.

Bring the report in, we will bring the values current for $25. If the piece also needs work, our bench handles repairs at the same visit.

Serving Marlton, Cherry Hill, Voorhees and South Jersey

Our showroom is on Route 73 South in Marlton, a short drive from Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Medford and Haddonfield.

Billig Jewelers began in 1988 as a repair and manufacturing bench in Philadelphia, a few blocks from Jewelers' Row. Nearly four decades later the gemological work is still done in-house, by the family, with the customer in the room.

Billig Jewelers 330 Route 73 South, Marlton, NJ 08053 (856) 983-2300 Tuesday–Friday 10 AM – 5 PM · Saturday 10 AM – 4 PM · Closed Sunday and Monday

We appraise pieces bought anywhere. Appraisals are complimentary on qualifying items purchased at Billig Jewelers.