Martin Fuller Appraisals

So far so great! I called to ask about the appraisal process and the person I talked to was EXTREMELY helpful. She even gave me places I can go to and sell the jewelry if I wanted. Gave me several places and names of businesses that I can take the jewelry to to get offers. Even advised me to get at least 3 different offers to get a better idea of what the pieces are really worth. She said that if I didn’t want to sell, then I could come back and get it all insured etc and what they would offer after the process was complete. I haven’t even been an official customer as this was all over the phone, but I would DEFINITELY take whatever business I had to them.

So many people recommend Martin for appraisals. I’ve recently taken several items for Martin to appraise and he is the best. He is warm, friendly, and a great educator. The reports he prepared had more detail and info than I expected. He mentioned that he sometimes teachers classes about the items he appraises. I would sign up in a heart beat.

I called on very short notice and Martin invited me to swing by and was able to fit me in ASAP. He walked me through every step of the appraisal process, answered my questions, discussed the style and approximate ages of the jewelry bequeathed to me by my grandmother, and demonstrated the techniques he used in determining the values of each piece. The report that he generated was very thorough and significantly better than the last appraisal I had performed (previous appraisal was done by another company).

My fiancé took our engagement ring to Martin for an insurance appraisal, after hearing buzz from pricescope. They had literally just moved to another suite down the hall, but were gracious enough to fit in an appointment for us. Martin has a great demeanor, very friendly and professional at the same time. He has been doing this a long time, enjoys it, and it shows. Martin walked my fiancé through the entire process of the appraisal, explaining each step as he went along, showing the GIA inscription under the microscope, his measurements, flourescence, how he calculated the market value, and so on. He has consulted for the Smithsonian on the Hope diamond, as well as many other multi-​million dollar gems of royal/​celebrity status, and yet still had the utmost professionalism and appreciation for our diamond. Frankly, I’m a little surprised there are not more reviews on Unilocal here (perhaps his other work is not so consumer-​based?), but at least the solid 5-​star ratings from all the other reviewers on here attests to the service Martin provides.

Mr. Fuller was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the entire process. He was professional and friendly. I strongly recommend Mr. Fuller’s services.

I had the pleasure of working with Martin Fuller and his team during my engagement ring appraisal. Having just gotten engaged over the New Year’s holiday, I wanted to consult with only the best appraiser and Martin Fuller Appraisals came up consistently for this region.
Mr. Fuller was extremely thorough and knowledgeable as he walked us (me and my mom) through the appraisal. The thing that stood out most about him was that he was so down to earth, easy to understand, and easy to talk to. He answered all of my questions and even gave me some advice on how to care for my ring.
It felt so good walking away knowing that my appraisal was completed accurately and thoroughly and most importantly, with care. Mr. Fuller not only provided a hard copy of my full, detailed report (including pictures) but he also emailed a soft copy to me as well.
I HIGHLY recommend this firm for jewelry/​gemstone appraisal. You really get what you pay for!
I will certainly use his services again!

Mr. Fuller appraised a diamond ring I purchased on-​line, having selected the stone and setting from a dizzying array. He has a fixed fee which I liked, and I was most confident in going to him bec he has a goodly number of favorable reviews on-​line. I did do a fair amount of research on diamond appraisers, read a number of reviews, talked to a number of firms, and got pricing quotes for the appraisal from several. I could not have been more satisfied in my experience with Mr. Fuller. He is very thorough, high tech, knowledgeable, and experienced, and was very clear in explaining the process and answering all my questions. It was extremely good value for the fee paid, and I learned a lot that will inform my jewelry shopping in the future. I look forward to consulting w/​Mr. Fuller in the future, and not worrying about where I think I should go for expert appraisal advice.

I love Martin and his wife! I got jewelry appraised here and they were SO, SO nice and sweet. I really loved that Martin shared his thoughts and findings as he did the assessment, you could tell his love for his work is genuine. I would recommend him to anyone and will be sure to go back in the future.

Martin and Melanie were extremely helpful. This was my first (and likely last) time having an engagement and wedding ring appraised for liquidation and they were extremely helpful. They not only provided a very thorough, professional appraisal, but they also provided excellent consulting. Even though they are quite pricey (2 — 5 times the price of other appraisers) I must say they are worth it. The first jewelry exchange place I went to in McLean recognized Martin Fuller immediately and went on and on about how he is the master of all GGA’s and how places like the Smithsonian go to Martin for help! Wow! Such a humble guy.

Martin and his office staff are true professionals, friendly, and provide great service. His hour-​long appraisal of my fiancée’s engagement ring was very informative. I felt confident going to Martin based on his glowing reputation online and he did not disappoint. I’d recommend him to anyone, which I’m doing here. It was money very well spent.

Outstanding customer service — I chose to meet with Martin Fuller to have my engagement ring (which had been ordered/​purchased online) appraised. My research showed that he is one of the most respected gemologists in the area, so he was my first choice. His findings assured me that the ring I bought was of good quality. He walked me through the whole appraisal process and very patiently answered any questions I had. I will definitely be returning if/​when I would like to have other jewelry appraised!

My fiancé and I recently visited Martin to have a ring appraised. His staff were are all very polite and made us feel welcome. We made an appointment and were seen promptly. Martin is VERY knowledgeable. He took us through every step of the appraisal process and explained each evaluation point. He not only examined the stone, but also tested the ring itself to ensure that it was platinum He treated us with respect and answered every one of our questions patiently and fully. I asked how long he has been in the business and he has been in the same space since 1987. We brought our GIA certificate and he compared his findings against the document. Everything was right on point. He showed us what the current market price of a replacement diamond would be. He also provided us with a professionally bound report with his findings and appraisal information as well as recommended some insurance companies that deal with jewelry. The entire appraisal was $ 250. Well worth every penny! I would highly recommend Martin to anyone needing to have a piece of jewelry appraised!

Mr. Fuller and his associates are a class act. They are extremely professional and friendly, and Martin has extensive knowledge in the field.
I especially recommend his shop for antique pieces where a keen eye with his historical background is much more valuable. He was able to date my piece pretty narrowly and give me background histories of how the era influenced the ring and even the stones.
That said, know that the price isn’t cheap. I admittedly walked in thinking I was overpaying for my appraisal, but walked out feeling like it was worth it. Like the prior reviewer, Martin noted that the ESL cert on my diamond wasn’t the most accurate thing in the world and did his own inspection and appraisal. He charged me $ 225 for an hour of his time (after the $ 25 discount for referencing
), vs. the local jeweler who quoted me $ 125 and I’m sure would have just read the certificate back to me. I trust his appraisal to be accurate as he walked me through the process, not inflated like you might find coming from a jeweler («oh we have this $ 25,000 diamond here for $ 8,000!» — please).
Additionally, the jeweler where I got my piece was kind of shady to say the least. But they offered me free sizing, so I shipped it out of state to get it sized after Martin’s thumbs up. His associates had no problem when I inquired if I could come back for a brief 2-​minute look (paranoid about diamond swapping!).

If you’ve never had good jewelry appraised and aren’t even sure what you own, it can be nerve wracking to find someone you can trust. Do you go to the jewelry store in the mall? No. Martin Fuller is your guy. Friendly, unassuming, answers dumb questions that he has probably heard a million times. Reams of experience. Works in front of you. Provides great documentation for insurance purposes. Finds other people who know the things he is not the current expert on for valuation. Will tell you something is not authentic in the kindest way. His small staff is just as helpful and experienced.
Expertise is not cheap, but his service is worth the cost; knowing for sure from someone with no stake in the outcome lets you sleep better.

I cannot speak highly enough about Martin Fuller and his services. I took a loose diamond I considered purchasing to him to verify the certificate was accurate and the price I paid was reasonable. The certificate was way off and rated the stone as far higher quality than it was. Martin was nice, professional and gave me stellar advice in locating a suitable stone for a reasonable price. Very good experience: you not only walk away with a reputable appraisal but also a solid education for future purchases and even jewelry maintenance.