About the
American Gem Registry
The American Gem Registry is Colorado’s oldest AGS Independent Certified Gemologist Appraiser, and provides jewelry, gold, and diamond appraisals in the Denver area.
We maintain a modern gem lab equipped with the finest instruments available. Our lead jewelry appraiser, Neil Beaty, is an expert in the field and you can be confident that the documentation you receive is an accurate representation of the value of your item.
You can read below for a full list of our credentials, or click here for a list of the different types of jewelry appraisals we provide.
neil@americangemregistry.com
303-223-4944
About Our Credentials
Graduate Gemologist (GG), by the Gemologist Institue of America (GIA)
In the US, the most widely recognized gemological credential is the Graduate Gemologist (GG) Diploma issued by GIA. This is a college that teaches gemology. They have quite a few competitors who also do an excellent job but you should be careful to understand any credential that you are relying on. GIA also has several other programs that can result in claims like “member of the GIA alumni association” or “GIA Graduate”. Pay attention. A “GG” after their name is a good sign, as is FGA, FGAA, and FCGmA. If you don’t recognize it, ask about it before you hire them. They should be happy to explain.
But being a Graduate Gemologist (GG) is not enough for a fully qualified jewelry appraiser… it’s not even an “appraisal” credential.
Valuation and Appraisal
An Appraiser assignes value and “provenance” to a given piece, in a given market, at a certain time.
Provenance is the history and story of the item in question, or the cronology of its ownership… none of which can begin to be guessed at until you’ve identifed the gemological properties of the item in question. (This is why jewelry appraisal requiers two different certifications.)
Valuation and appraisal theory are taught by several different schools including:
- the American Society of Appraisers,
- the International Society of Appraisers,
- the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers,
- the American Gem Society,
and several others. All of these have good programs. There are probably more that I don’t know about. The important thing here is to understand that what is being taught in these programs is not the same as what is taught in the Graduate Gemologist (GG) or FGA programs.
You want a jewelry appraiser that has both, (like me).
What is an “Independent Appraiser”?
Independence is a mixed bag. Here’s the problem. If you want a highly trained professional who makes a living off of the appraisal fees, you can expect to be charged for their work. Some actually charge quite a bit. But if you want a fair an “independent” evaluation of the value of your item, it is worth the cost.
An independent jewelry appraiser is not in the business of buying or selling jewelry and is not otherwise involved in the transaction in any way (like they are not employed by, or are related to, either the buyer or seller). It’s not a second opinion if it comes from the same source as the first.
If the appraisal is just a few sheets of additional paper that accompany the sale with a description and a made up number, they are usually “free,” or at least, very inexpensive. It goes back to deciding what you want to know. The same is true of authentication reports. If you require a report from an independent lab (like GIA) then the stone will cost a little bit more and their is a fee that is built into the price of your stone. If the word of the seller is sufficient, they will usually be happy to offer their opinion cheaply. For most people seeking jewelry appraisal services, “independence” is worth the extra cost.
Neil Beaty's Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE APPRAISER: NEIL BEATY GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS).
Accreditation & Professional Memberships:
- Independent Certified Gemologist Appraiser, American Gem Society, 2006-Present
- Graduate Gemologist, Gemological Institute of America, Carlsbad CA. 1996
- Certified Gem Lab, American Gem Society, 2006-Present
- Certified Gemologist Appraiser, American Gem Society, 2006-Present
- Accredited Senior Gemologist,
- Accredited Gemologists Association, 2001-present.
Education:
Gemological Institute of America, Carlsbad CA,
Graduate Gemologist,1996
Advanced Gemology, 2001
Advanced Pearl Grading 2004
Appraisers National Association, Irvine CA
Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) 2004
International Society of Appraisers, Seattle WA
Core Course in Appraisal Studies 2003
American Society of Appraisers, Herndon VA
Introduction to Personal Property Evaluation PP/201, 2004
Personal Property Valuation Methodology, Research & Analysis PP/202, 2004
Appraisal Report Writing seminar, 2004
Master Gemologist Appraiser program PP/ 206 2005
Personal Property Valuation PP/203 & PP/204, 2005
USPAP 1997, 2011, 2013, 2015
National Association of Jewelry Appraisers
Grading Synthetic and Treated Diamonds, 2004
American Gem Society
Advanced Personal Property Appraising 2005-2006
Registered Jeweler program, 2005
Master Valuer Appraiser Program, Pearland TX
Master Valuer program, 1998
University of Colorado, Boulder CO,
Bachelor of Science, Accounting, 1984
University of California at Irvine, Irvine CA
Appraising for Charitable Contributions, 2005
Related experience
- American Gem Registry, Inc. and American Gem Registry, llc, Denver CO 2001-present.
- Appraisal and gemological laboratory.
USA Jewelry Brokers, llc, Denver CO, 2011-present. Consultation. Jewelry brokerage. - Aegis Goldsmiths Ltd., Denver CO, 1991 – 2003. Custom jewelry design, repair, and appraisal.
- Leavitt-Beaty Gallery, Ft. Collins CO1998-1999. Retail jewelry sales
- Banks Jewelers, Boulder CO, 1981-1982, Custom jewelry design & repair,
- Neil T. Beaty, Goldsmith, Boulder CO 1978-1991. Custom jewelry design & repair.