Gemological Appraisal Laboratory of America

Saw Joshua to appraise a newly purchased sapphire engagement ring. We actually showed up late, but they still only made us wait about 10 mins. Joshua *very* thorough and really took the time to explain everything. He even went out of his way to discuss details on another report that was run against the stone by another agency by the person that I bought the ring from. Would highly recommend them to anyone that needs appraisals.

After I had an engagement ring purchased (a combo of a diamond I found on James Allen and a ring I found from MiaDonna– both online) the next step was to get it appraised. This step is great to do for any ring but is required if you want to have the ring insured, which I did want (I chose to insure through Jewelers Mutual). If you’re a complete novice like me and thought that just any jeweler could provide an accurate appraisal then you would be wrong. Feel free to read several in depth articles on the subject like I did on why getting an appraisal from just any jeweler is a bad idea or you could take my word for it. You want to get an appraisal from someone who doesn’t make money buying/​selling jewelry and from someone who is not only highly educated in appraisals but who continuously participates in trusted industry testing and education. If you’re getting the ring insured you definitely don’t want some appraiser telling you some inflated price that’s twice what you paid because you’re going to have to pay for insurance based on that amount and the insurance company may not pay up to that amount if you file a claim later on. Of course you don’t want an appraiser to tell you what you have is worth less than what you paid for it either. You simply need a true professional to give you a fair and accurate value and that’s what GAL provides.
When it comes down to it there are only a handful of sources in the NYC area who fit this criteria. When you consider that by many estimates nearly 95% of diamonds in this country pass through the diamond district in Manhattan this is very surprising. I went ahead and called just about all of them and not only were the people at GAL the most pleasant and professional to speak with but they offered the most affordable prices. I immediately made an appointment to come in for the appraisal.
The whole procedure took less than 15 minutes, I’m guessing partly because I had a receipt for the ring and a GIA report for the diamond which was also laser engraved to match the report. The gentlemen who did the appraisal also takes a photo of the ring for the record and you’re able to leave with a beautiful laminated appraisal. Like a doctor’s office you check in and pay at the receptionist desk and I don’t recall the exact price but it was less than $ 70 for the appraisal.
If you need jewelry appraised you really ought not to look any further than GAL, they’re the best.

We went here to have our mother’s wedding watch appraised. Bruce is an excellent appraiser. Has a sense of humor and knows how to treat his customers. I will return with a ring and I will also recommend this place, without hesitation, to my friends.
Francesca and Suzanne

I came here to get an engagement ring appraised for insurance reasons and couldn’t have been happier. Quick and easy to book an appointment through there site and was extremely impressed by the knowledge of the appraiser, Josh. Additionally I looked around at a few other appraisal businesses and the costs were two times the price. Don’t think. Just go.

Very good service! I met Travis for a ring appraisal, he was very nice and explained everything clearly.

Very professional and friendly. They were quick to assess my ring and gave me my report in less than half an’ hour.

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND GAL AND MORE SPECIFICALLY TRAVIS. Their appraisal service is second to none, and their customer care/​service is incomparable. LOOK NO FURTHER, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. Travis does everything right in front of you, (so ladies no need to leave your ring’s side and come back to pick it up later). He explains EVERYTHING in amazing detail and with great clarity so you feel totally at ease and even more knowledgeable about your treasured piece of jewelry upon leaving too. He/​they tell you everything you need to know, but are very encouraging about answering any questions you may have. In the future, I will always be using their services and continuously recommended them to all my family and friends.

I made an appointment and met with Travis to get some gems appraised. He was great. He was very honest and walked me through my questions.

Boo Boo and I came to appraise her engagement ring so we can insure it. We were around the area so I called a few minutes to see if they could take us. The lady over the phone said they preferred appointments but they were able to accept us.
We had to scan/​show our id to the ‘doorman’ before we took the elevator up. We only had to wait 15 minutes for Travis to appraise our ring. He is very thorough and answered all our questions. He even gave us a question sheet for us to ask the insurance company.
I would recommend coming here for your appraisals.

I really wanted to give this place 5 stars — which is what the actual appraisal guy Kenneth deserves. Unfortunately, the two girls at the front desk were super professional. I heard them yelling, saying «crap», and obvs had some scheduling issue since they scheduled me for 4pm but I wasn’t seen til 4:20. Not a huge deal because I didn’t have to go back to work but still — if you know you’re running late, fess up! No big whoop! I prefer that over waiting and not knowing what’s going on. Kenneth, however, was awesome. Walked me through everything, communicated professionally and effectively. Invited me to come with him to clean the diamond (to keep it in my sight?) And hello, a full $ 200 less than the #1 rated jewelry appraiser in NYC. I’m good, thanks!

This was the most professional diamond appraiser I have ever encountered. Ken did an exceptional job. He provided me with an excellent outline of his appraisal of 2 Diamond rings. The insurance company accepted the appraisals without hesitation. The customer service here is excellent. I will return here soon to have my other diamond jewelry appraised.

I wish I could give useful details to help make your visit more comfortable, but at GemLab they walk you through every step of the process, so no tricks or tips are necessary!
Travis was awesome, made me feel comfortable, and was absolutely focused on his work. His office walls were coated in certificates, degrees, and credentials, which made me feel secure in my decision to go there, but it was really Travis’s personality that made me walk out of there smiling.
I appreciate that the appraisal is done in front of the customer, and I appreciate even more that there are no jewelry sales or repair services offered there. They have their specialty, know what they are doing, and don’t stretch it to try to make a profit.
Highly recommend!

An island of integrity in a sea of charlatans. Everyone’s pleasant, low key and efficient. My appointment was made via email for the following day and I was seen right on time. The gracious Joe Irizarry’s appraisal of an antique engagement ring was thorough and quick, and his knowledge of diamonds and the gems’ market proved right on: Though it was the standard «appraisal for insurance purposes,» when I told him I was going to try to sell the ring he said, «Don’t sell it for less than X.» Which I didn’t. His figure was within $ 50.00 of the four figure sale price. I might have been in the office for 15 minutes, from arrival to departure. Had I any more gems, :) I’d be taking them to GAL.

I went to this place to get my engagement ring appraised for insurance purposes and I am very pleased. The staff here is extremely professional. I made an appointment via email and they were extremely prompt in getting back to me. The person who appraised the ring was very knowledgable and explained the rating system to me. The entire time the ring was being evaluated, it didn’t leave my sight. The appraisal paperwork I got is quite professional and it only took 15 minutes! They type up an evaluation of the ring, they calculate an estimated value and even take a picture of the ring! Afterwards you get a laminated computer printout which looks very professional. I highly recommend this place.

I have made two visits here and could not be more pleased. I was nervous about getting ripped off, or not finding a reputable appraiser, but on my first visit Ken put me at ease. He was patient, efficient, knowledgeable, and walked me through the whole process (I was there to get a certified appraisal on my engagement ring so I could get the ring insured). On my second visit, Travis helped me with my grandmother’s old wedding ring (which I wanted to add to the same insurance policy). He was equally wonderful! The jewelry never left my sight. I was in and out within 20 minutes. And I was charged a very reasonable fee. Highly recommend!

Joe was great. Appraised some pieces for me. Was very professional. Would go again. They took a picture and attached it to the appraisal.

My fiancé wanted a 2^nd appraisal (the jeweler gave him one when he picked up the ring) so I did some research & saw the rave reviews for GAL. After having my appointment with Travis, I see why they get such rave reviews.
Travis was very professional and explained everything. He also took time to answer my question and tell me additional things about my ring. While it was definitely pricey, it was money well spent. Thanks to GAL, my fiancé has piece of mind his money was well spent & we have thorough documentation to provide the insurance company.

So we went recently to have a necklace and an antique ring appraised. We made an appointment Saturday night through their online form for a Monday afternoon time and they confirmed first thing Monday morning. We were helped by Joe, who was very nice and explained the whole process — what he was doing, what the color and quality meant, etc. He offered to clean the ring as well, which was appreciated. The cleaning was the only time the ring was out of sight. He printed out the appraisals right then and we were out within 30 minutes.
I’d forgotten to bring the documentation from the jeweler for the necklace, but Joe advised that once I had it, they could adjust the appraisal if necessary. It turned out the documents stated a total weight that was slightly different (design of the necklace makes it nearly impossible to measure precisely), so after emailing the documentation over, they revised the appraisal the same day, and sent back a PDF with the original to follow in the mail, arriving the very next day.
It saved us a lot of trouble (and several lunch breaks!), and they were great to work with. I’d definitely go back to them if I ever need anything else appraised.

Joe did my engagement ring appraisal and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the appointment.
He was professional, knowledgeable, and super nice.
I really like how he explained everything he was doing in detail.
I had been really apprehensive about the appt given the furor of the other gentlemen on 48^th street, but this was an excellent experience.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND !

Very nice folks; they took me as a walk-​in. I waited a grand total of probably 10 minutes and the man who helped me (Joe) apologized for making me wait! I was a walk-​in so I assumed I’d wait, if they could take me at all.
I had a ring appraised, which I’d never done before. He walked me through everything, giving me the value of what I could safely expect to get on Ebay, from the many guys on the street of the diamond district who bark «Buying? Selling?» at everybody, and a written insurance estimate. My stone was just around a half carat so the charge for everything was $ 40, which I feel to be more than fair.
Thanks again folks