Key takeaway: If you are selling jewellery, bring it to a buyer such as The Gold Avenue in Illovo, Sandton for a free, no-obligation purchase offer on gold, diamond jewellery and luxury watches, tested in front of you. If you are insuring it, you need a paid valuation certificate from a qualified valuer or a jeweller who offers valuations. The two are different documents with different numbers, and a purchase offer is not an insurance certificate.
If you are holding an inherited ring, an engagement ring after a separation, or a box of chains you have not worn in years, the frustrating part is that “appraisal” means two different things depending on who you ask, and choosing the wrong one wastes a morning. This guide sets out where to go, what it costs and what to bring.
If you want the theory first, our sister post on understanding jewellery appraisals explains the different types of value, why they differ so widely and how to read a certificate. This page is the practical version.
Where to get jewellery appraised in Johannesburg
In Johannesburg and across South Africa you have three kinds of places, and each gives you something different:
| Where to go | What you get | What it costs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified valuer | A valuation certificate stating retail replacement value | A fee, set by the valuer | Insurance cover, estates, divorce settlements |
| Jeweller who offers valuations | A valuation certificate (many jewellers have a valuer on staff or send pieces out) | A fee, set by the jeweller | Insurance on a piece you are keeping |
| Registered buyer (such as The Gold Avenue) | A free purchase offer based on tested weight, purity, stones and the live market | Free, no obligation | Finding out what you would actually be paid if you sold |
Ask yourself one question before you go anywhere: am I insuring this or am I selling it? If you are insuring it, you need a certificate from a valuer. If you are selling it, a certificate will not get you a cent more from a buyer, because buyers test and price the piece themselves. A free purchase offer is the number you actually need.
How much does it cost to get a ring appraised?
A formal valuation certificate is a professional service and valuers charge for it. The fee depends on the valuer, the number of pieces and how complex they are, so ask for the price before you hand anything over. It is a legitimate cost when you need insurance cover on a piece you intend to keep.
A purchase offer from a buyer should cost nothing. At The Gold Avenue our valuations are free and there is no obligation to accept the offer. You can bring a ring in, watch it being tested, hear the figure, and take it home. Be wary of any buyer who charges a “testing fee” or deducts one from the offer.
How to get a valuation certificate for jewellery
A valuation certificate is a document that describes a piece in enough detail to identify it and states a value for a stated purpose, typically insurance replacement. To get one:
- Find a qualified valuer or a jeweller who offers valuations. Ask what qualification the valuer holds and what purpose the certificate will state.
- Take the piece in. Valuers work from the physical piece, so a photo is not enough for a certificate.
- The valuer records the metal and its purity, the total weight, the type, size and grading of any stones, the workmanship and the condition, and assigns a value.
- Pay the fee and keep the certificate with your insurance documents. Review it periodically, because the gold price and the rand move and an old certificate can leave you under-insured.
We do not issue insurance valuation certificates. What we give you is a free purchase offer, explained. If you need a certificate for your insurer, use a qualified valuer or a jeweller who offers valuations, and if you later decide to sell, bring the piece to us and we will value it on its own merits.
What to bring to a jewellery appraisal
You need less than you think. For either kind of appraisal, bring:
- The piece, gently wiped clean. Do not attempt repairs or have it polished first.
- Any diamond grading report (GIA or another laboratory), old valuation certificate or original receipt. None is essential; inherited pieces with no paperwork are valued in the same way.
- Matching pieces together if they were made as a set.
- For a sale: your SA ID, passport or SA driver’s licence and proof of banking details. Every purchase is completed under FICA, and a registered buyer must record your details.
What happens during a jewellery appraisal
A proper appraisal is something you should be able to watch. At The Gold Avenue we do it in a private consultation booth with a Purchasing Consultant, and it works like this:
- Weighing. The piece is weighed in front of you. Stones are accounted for separately from the metal.
- Metal testing. Gold purity is confirmed with a Niton XRF gold analyser rather than taken from the stamp. A stamp can be wrong, worn or faked; the analyser reads the metal itself. Purities run from 9ct (375) to 24ct (999).
- Stone testing. Diamonds are checked with professional diamond testers and, where needed, the Sherlock Holmes-Yehuda laboratory diamond testing system, then assessed on carat, colour, clarity and cut. GIA-certified and non-certified stones are both considered, with non-certified stones subject to due diligence on origin.
- Pricing. Gold is priced on its tested gold content against the live international spot price, less refinery and smelting costs, then a fair commercial margin. Diamonds are referenced against the Rapaport Diamond Report and what trade dealers will pay. The consultant explains each step.
- The offer. You get an offer, explained, free, with no obligation. Whole visit, 10 to 15 minutes.
A valuer producing an insurance certificate follows a similar physical process but then prices the piece at retail replacement cost, which is why their number is so much higher.
Insurance valuation vs purchase offer: why the numbers differ
An insurance valuation reflects retail replacement cost: what it would cost to buy a comparable new piece from a jeweller, including manufacturing, design, branding and the retail mark-up. A purchase offer reflects the underlying value: the tested gold content at the live price, the diamonds at trade value, and the piece’s condition and marketability. Nobody can resell your ring at a jeweller’s retail price, so nobody can pay you that price.
Your gold jewellery is valued on its gold, and your diamond jewellery on its stones and setting; our guide on how much is my gold jewellery worth explains how an offer is worked out. Where a buyer can make a real difference is reach. We have an extensive local and international network and can export the right jewellery and polished diamonds to overseas buyers who often pay more than local dealers, which is how a specialist can beat a local offer without ever touching the retail number.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get a ring valued in Johannesburg?
For an insurance certificate, a qualified valuer or a jeweller who offers valuations. For a free purchase offer, a registered buyer. The Gold Avenue is at Illovo Point in Sandton and we value rings, chains, bracelets, earrings and loose diamonds in front of you, at no charge.
Can I get an online jewellery valuation for insurance?
Not one you should rely on. Valuers work from the physical piece, so online estimates from photos are rough guides at best. For a sale, the offer is always made on the piece itself.
Where can I get a diamond appraised?
A gemological laboratory grades loose diamonds and issues a report. A qualified valuer or a jeweller who offers valuations values a set diamond for insurance. A buyer such as The Gold Avenue assesses the diamond, certified or not, on carat, colour, clarity and cut and gives you a free purchase offer referenced against the Rapaport Diamond Report and trade demand.
Do I need an appraisal before I sell my jewellery?
No. A buyer tests and prices the piece independently, so an existing certificate does not change the offer. Bring it if you have it, because the description is useful, but do not pay for one just to sell.
Is the appraisal at The Gold Avenue an official valuation certificate?
No. It is a free, no-obligation purchase offer, which tells you what we will pay for the piece today. If you need a certificate for insurance or an estate, use a qualified valuer or a jeweller who offers valuations.
How do you appraise gold with no hallmark?
The same way as gold with one. The Niton XRF analyser reads the purity from the metal itself, so a missing, worn or foreign hallmark makes no difference to the result. We buy gold from 9ct to 24ct, hallmarked or not, including broken and damaged pieces.
Get your jewellery valued at The Gold Avenue in Illovo, Sandton
Walk in or book ahead. Booked clients receive step-by-step directions with photos of the entrance, parking and lift. You are shown to a private, air-conditioned consultation booth, your pieces are weighed and tested in front of you, and you receive a free, no-obligation purchase offer with the method explained. If you accept, you sign a one-page Sale Agreement electronically and are paid by immediate EFT or cash, subject to ID, compliance and the cash available on the premises. We are a registered second-hand goods dealer under the Second-Hand Goods Act and a member of the Jewellery Council of South Africa.
The Gold Avenue, Office 804, 8th floor, Illovo Point, 68 Melville Road, Illovo, Sandton, 2196. Open Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 17:00, Friday 08:00 to 16:00, Saturday by pre-booked appointment only, Sunday and public holidays closed.
Call 010 109 0080, WhatsApp 076 393 5429, or book a free jewellery valuation online.
Written by Trent Saldsman, Founder and Managing Director, The Gold Avenue.
Trent Saldsman is the Founder and Managing Director of The Gold Avenue, the gold, diamond, Krugerrand and luxury watch buyer he established at Illovo Point, Sandton in April 2022, and a Finalist in the Absa Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award 2024. He built The Gold Avenue as a secure, professional and transparent alternative to the traditional pawn-and-gold-buying trade, and works with an extensive local and international dealer network to pay sellers more competitively for their gold, diamonds and watches.