Insurance Valuation
The most common request. A written replacement-cost valuation, described in the detail an insurer needs to cover the piece properly and a jeweller would need to remake it.
Jewellery Valuations · Sunshine Coast
Know what it would cost to replace.
Written valuations for insurance, estate and resale — prepared at our Cotton Tree studio in Maroochydore by a contracted NCJV-registered valuer, by arrangement.
- NCJV-Registered Valuer
- Assessed at Our Studio
- Insurance, Estate & Resale
- By Appointment
01 · Why It Matters
An old valuation is worse than none.
Most people discover their valuation is out of date at the worst possible moment — after a loss. Metal prices move, stone values move, and a document written a decade ago may describe a replacement cost that no longer exists. If the figure is low, the settlement is low.
A valuation is also the only formal record of what you actually own: the metal, the stones, their dimensions and characteristics, described precisely enough that a jeweller could rebuild the piece from the paperwork alone. That record matters for insurance, for dividing an estate, and for knowing where you stand before selling.
Book a Valuation
02 · What Can Be Valued
Different purposes, different figures.
Replacement cost, market value and estate value are not the same number for the same piece. Tell us what the valuation is for and it will be prepared on the right basis.
Estate & Probate
Where jewellery forms part of an estate, an independent written valuation gives executors and beneficiaries a documented figure to work from rather than a guess.
Resale & Fair Market
What a piece is realistically worth in the second-hand market, which is a different figure to replacement cost — and worth understanding before you sell anything.
New & Remodelled Pieces
A bespoke commission or a remodelled heirloom is one of a kind, so there is no catalogue price for an insurer to fall back on. A valuation issued after the work is finished closes that gap.
Revaluation
Updating an existing valuation as metal and stone prices shift. Many insurers ask for a current document periodically — worth checking what your policy specifies.
Inherited & Antique Pieces
Older jewellery where nobody is quite sure what it is. The assessment establishes the metal, the stones and the period before any figure is put to it.
03 · Who Writes It
Independent, and registered.
Valuations at NY2K are carried out by a contracted valuer registered with the National Council of Jewellery Valuers, attending our Cotton Tree studio by arrangement. She is independent of the business — which is the point. A figure written by the party who sold you the piece carries less weight with an insurer than one written by a registered valuer with no stake in it.
What NY2K adds is the bench. Forty years of making, setting and repairing means the piece can be examined properly alongside the valuation — worn claws, earlier repairs, a stone that has been replaced at some point. Those things affect both what the piece is worth and whether it is safe to keep wearing.
Repairs & Restoration
04 · How It Works
Booked, examined, documented.
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i.
Book a Time
Valuations are by arrangement, since the valuer attends the studio on scheduled days. Call us and we will book you into the next available session.
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ii.
Bring the Pieces
Bring the jewellery and any paperwork you already have — old valuations, certificates, receipts. All of it helps.
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iii.
Examined at the Studio
Metal, stones, dimensions and condition are assessed and recorded here in Cotton Tree.
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iv.
Written Valuation
You receive a written document describing each piece and its value on the basis you asked for — replacement, market or estate.
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v.
Keep It Current
Store a copy with your policy, and update it when prices shift or the piece is altered.
05 · Valuations FAQ
What people ask before booking.
Who actually carries out the valuation?
A contracted valuer registered with the National Council of Jewellery Valuers, who attends our Cotton Tree studio by arrangement. She is independent of NY2K rather than a member of our staff, which is deliberate — an independent registered valuation carries more weight with an insurer than one written by the seller.
What does NCJV registration mean?
The National Council of Jewellery Valuers is the Australian body for jewellery valuers. Registration is the credential insurers and executors generally look for, because it indicates the valuer works to a recognised standard rather than simply offering an opinion on price.
Do I need an appointment?
Yes. Unlike repairs, valuations cannot be done while you wait — the valuer attends the studio on arranged days, so a time needs to be booked. Call 07 5443 1955 and we will find the next session.
How much does a valuation cost?
Cost depends on the number of pieces and their complexity, so it is confirmed when you book rather than quoted blind. Ask when you call and we will tell you what to expect for what you are bringing in.
Will my jewellery leave the studio?
The assessment is carried out here at Cotton Tree. If anything about a piece calls for further work — a loose stone noticed during examination, for instance — that is raised with you separately and nothing proceeds without your say.
How often should jewellery be revalued?
Periodically, because replacement cost moves with metal and stone prices. Many policies specify how current a valuation must be, so the safest answer is to check what your insurer requires — and to revalue after any remodelling or significant repair, since the piece itself has changed.
Can you value jewellery I didn't buy from NY2K?
Yes. Most pieces brought in for valuation were bought elsewhere, including inherited and antique jewellery of unknown origin.
Is a valuation the same as a certificate?
No, and the difference matters. A diamond certificate from a laboratory grades the stone — its colour, clarity, cut and carat weight. A valuation puts a monetary figure on the finished piece for a stated purpose. Insurers generally want the valuation; the certificate supports it.
By Arrangement
Find out where you actually stand.
Whether it is one ring or a collection built up over decades, the valuation starts with a phone call and a booked time at the Cotton Tree studio.
06 · The Studio
Book at Cotton Tree.
- Studio
- Rovera Plaza, Cotton Tree · Maroochydore QLD
- Telephone
- 07 5443 1955
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 9:30am–4:00pm · Sat by appointment
- Valuations
- By arrangement — please call to book a session
