Chicago Gem and Jewelry Evaluation, Inc

I am honestly shocked by my experience with Heidi given the positive reviews that she has received on Unilocal,but I cannot say a single positive thing about her. She recently appraised three pieces of jewelry and while she was quite abrasive during the appraisal, I brushed it off. Then I received the appraisal and one piece was appraised at $ 3,000 lower than we purchased it for and originally had it appraised for. When I called to inquire, she was less than helpful and in fact was quite aggressive. I tried to explain the situation — that we purchased at $ 3,000 above the value she provided and had it appraised three years ago by a certified appraiser — but she wasn’t willing to listen and was combative. She told me that the original appraiser probably wasn’t certified (which I confirmed that he was) then told me that he appraised high just to please me. All of the appraisals she provided were off — I also had her appraise a pair of earrings and she appraised them much higher than our purchase price and original appraisal. Overall, very poor experience and not a quality appraisal. Find someone else.

Heidi was awesome. She’s very personable. This was my first time getting anything appraised and she gave me great advice about which pieces I should specially insure and which I shouldn’t. I’ll definitely be back, and will be sending my sisters her way as well when they also get engaged. Oh, also, her prices were much more reasonable than other places I called!

We chose Heidi Harders out of the many appraisers in the area because she has a TON of great credentials, plus we saw the other good reviews of her work on Unilocal.She was thorough, professional, and very nice. She was even able to meet with us on a Saturday so I wasn’t traipsing around the city with an uninsured ring in my pocket. We spent about 20 minutes total with her, and in the time she quickly evaluated individual diamonds and ring as a whole (we came in to appraise a wedding set for insurance purposes). She was great at answering our questions and explaining her reasoning for grading the diamonds the way that she did, as well as the value of each stone. As it turned out, two of the center diamonds on the ring were pretty badly damaged, and she even let us know of a professional that will repair the diamonds, and was able to offer her advice on how repairing them would increase the value of the stones. All in all it was a really great visit and Heidi is professional and very personable as well. She responded to every email I sent almost immediately, which I really appreciate!
I highly recommend Heidi’s services and greatly enjoyed working with her.

I went to see Heidi for my engagement ring appraisal after reading all the wonderful reviews on Unilocal.The reviews did not lie. She was extremely knowledgeable, walked my fiancée and I through the entire process and my ring never left our sight. She gave me some great advice on ensuring the safety of my ring if and when I ever need to take it in for a cleaning, polishing, etc. which was nice. Also, she charges a flat $ 75 fee which is comparable to lots of places you will go but without the expertise and professionalism.
A few days later, I received the very detailed appraisal paperwork as promised. I would definitely recommend Heidi to anyone in the future and will definitely go back myself, please be advised to make an appointment prior to going in since she works at different locations.

Heidi was a great appraiser! She was very knowledgeable & informed me of the specific kind of diamond I had. You get to watch as she works & she writes down every detail & explains what she’s looking for. A few days later I received a great detailed report of the appraisal. I was very satisfied with my experience & will definitely be back again. Very trustworthy, honest person!

Heidi did an amazing job! I was in and out within 15 minutes and she did an efficient and thorough job on the appraisal and even taught me about the diamond. I recommend her to anyone who wants to get a fast but effective appraisal-​thanks Heidi!

Heidi is very impressive and very professional, top notch. I recently used her in order to get an opinion about two large stones, a diamond and a sapphire, and I had used her some five years ago. She obviously knows gems and she is helpful in negottion strategy ad well. Lake Forest, il

I was referred to Heidi by Oak Park Jewelers, who apparently have her come in occasionally to do appraisals since they don’t have anyone in house who does it. I decided to make at an appointment at Heidi’s downtown office instead and was able to go during my lunch hour. She appraised my heirloom ring right in front of me, explaining everything in detail (I know nothing about jewelry, so this was particularly helpful!) The flat $ 75 fee seems reasonable to me, and I was very happy with the paperwork she provided and the efficiency of the appraisal. She writes down every detail during the appointment, then sends a nicely-​presented report via mail, which is exactly what you need for insurance purposes. I don’t have much need for jewelry appraisal, but if I need something else evaluated, I will definitely see Heidi again.

I can’t say enough good things about Heidi! I had never had my Jewelery appraised before and didnt know what to expect. Initially I was worried to go alone with my things. She only offers daytime appointments so that you wont be out late with your prized possessions. Her office is in a good area no need to worry about getting hit over the head walking in. Its a small private office with no one but you her and your jewelery! I brought in several items and I was out in under an hour! The price is $ 75 for the first item and only forty for each additional item. She even takes credit. If the jewelery isnt worth appraisning she will tell you and wont waste your time or money. So in a nut shell she is private, cheap and fast!!:)
Thank you Heidi
Aside from the good service she and I shared a few laughs great women!

Heidi gives great service. She charges a flat fee for appraisal work — very ethical!
I also needed to have my ring resized and she was able to arrange that service during the same afternoon that I went for the appraisal.
Call for an appointment since she has more than one location and isn’t always available at this address.
I highly recommend her services.

I was referred by Oak Park Jewelers, and decided to make the schlep to Chicago rather than wait until the next time Ms. Harders (Heidi Harders ISA-​CAPP, GG) is in Oak Park (I think she does appraisals in several other Chicago-​area ‘burbs too)
I am new to the appraisal process and wasn’t sure what to expect. I was 100% satisfied: professional, prompt, informative, reasonable, friendly, appraisal done on the spot. I learned a lot about the piece I brought in, and even left with a photo. Overall enjoyable experience: I will DEFINITELY use Ms. Harders for other appraisals in the future.