Carole C. Richbourg, Fine Jewelry Appraisals & Consulting

This is as good as it gets! Carole has evaluated and taken pictures of my sapphire engagement/​wedding rings, kept up communication and is super super nice and sporty.
She will take the time to actually talk to you and listen to your concerns and specifically what you need, and will work with you to achieve your end goal (s).
I am going to post on my FB, something I don’t do very often.
Thank you Carole!!!

I cannot recommend Carole enough. This was my first time working with a jewelry appraiser and I was pretty nervous. Would this person try to take advantage of me because I am clearly ignorant in this area? Worse, was I going to get swindled somehow? I was also worried that I might end up dealing with someone who would give me a negative attitude or be impatient with my questions. I think we all know how infuriating it is to deal with people like that.
Upon meeting Carole in her office I was immediately put at ease. She was professional, pleasant, and courteous, and she also went to impressive lengths to accommodate my busy schedule. When I told her I only had 30 minutes for her to examine three pieces, she was willing to dive in and try to make it work, and it did. At every point in our interaction she explained what she was doing and why, and all in a way that was simple and succinct but not too direct. She listened when I asked questions and she answered with very full explanations. I couldn’t have asked for more, and I see no need to take my business to anyone else. Thank you Carole!

Carol is very helpful. I called her looking for advice on how to buy a vintage ring. Not only did she give me very good advice on what to look for and where to go but she also took the time to explain to the different sort of stones that would be best for my situation. I highly recommend Carol.

My experience, Carole is pretty difficult to speak with as she talks over you or cuts you off. Only when I pointed it out did she stop and listen only to say, «Well what I said was…». If youre going to charge higher than most because your a «master», I would appreciate customer service with her fee. Carole also seems more interested in getting bids from her «dealers» than rolling up her sleeves and doing paper work. I don’t blame her as she naturally makes a whole lot more talking and selling than providing paperwork. For what I was looking for, paperwork so that I can sell higher than «dealers» offer, I do not recommend her.

It simply doesn’t get any better than Carole.
My family recently entrusted me with the sale of some old and valuable jewelry, including a large solitaire diamond. After a couple rather challenging experiences with diamond buyers, I stumbled upon Carole via Unilocal while searching for an appraiser.
That search turned out to be an absolute blessing. Via consignment, Carole helped me and my family get almost twice the value for the stone and the jewelry that other buyers were offering.
As if that alone weren’t enough, she’s also fun, friendly, extraordinarily knowledgeable, and very communicative when working with her clients. Basically, everything all these other 5-​star reviewers are saying is right on the money.
But the best part about it for me is just how enthusiastic she is about jewelry in general. You know that feeling you get when you’re talking with someone who loves their job? That’s what it’s like talking to Carole. You get the sense that this is a person who genuinely enjoys what she does (to an infectious degree!) and uses her knowledge to help others.
Businesses like that are rare, but that’s what makes them valuable. In that way, she’s not unlike a diamond, herself.

Very knowledgeable and extraordinarily helpful. Thanks, Carole.

Carole is as good as amazing gets. Not only is she extremely passionate but also extremely knowledgeable and well-​qualified. I originally came in for an appraisal but was so impressed that I consigned instead. She gave me realistic expectations and was quick and painless. I will use her services for life.
Thanks, Carole! You’re the best!

Carole’s detailed appraisal report was instrumental in helping me easily replace my engagement ring via an insurance claim late last year. When I visited her again to get a report on my new ring, from a jewelry store with which she is familiar, she was very honest and told me that the jeweler’s report provided enough detail that it was unnecessary for me to pay her for an additional report. The integrity she displayed in saving me money caused me to forgive her for forgetting our appointment and arriving half an hour after the agreed upon time.
It’s very rare to find a knowledgeable, truly independent jewelry appraiser. I highly recommend Carole. Just make sure she writes down your appointment time.

If you are looking for a knowledgeable independent appraiser, Carole is the one!
I brought it my engagement ring and she was able to tell me all the specs without even looking at the certification I had in hand. Her knowledge was impressive and would trust her words. I would highly recommend her services to everyone.

I had a pleasant experience with Carole, she is welcoming, reassuring, knowledgeable and informative. She is the only gemologist I will ever trust and recommend!

It was a pleasure working with Carole and I highly recommend her services to anyone who needs a jewelry appraisal, especially for a large purchase like an engagement ring.
I needed an appraisal for a diamond before giving it to a jeweler to get it re-​set. Carole gave me the confidence I needed that the diamond could be identified by it’s characteristics after getting the diamond in a setting. She also provided a very detailed report that I could use for insurance.
Carole demonstrated that she is an industry expert and is well connected with local jewelers/​businesses from all my discussions with her. She was also very helpful in providing suggestions for settings and insurance options.

Carole is amazing!

I had a wonderful experience! Carole is very experienced and knowledgeable in her field and was able to immediately meet with me and give me an accuarte appraisal in a timely manner. I will definitely recomend her to my friends and family, and contact her for future appraisals.

I recently made a large purchase, and was seeking an independent appraiser, one that wouldn’t be biased and would give me an honest appraisal. I searched online and found Carole as one of the recommended independent appraisers in Northern California. I shot her an e-​mail, and she was very quick to call me back. She was also very accommodating to my scheduling needs.
During our meeting, she examined the ring without looking at any of the documentation so that she could give me her honest opinion without being biased towards the information provided on the GIA Cert. She was able to verify the stats of the diamond and ring, and matched what was provided on the GIA Cert, which was assuring. She explained in great detail as she performed each step in her examination process, allowing me to absorb her wealth of information. She was patient with me as I asked her question after question.
Once the examination was complete, she told me it would take her a couple days to complete the appraisal report. I was blown away when I received it. The depth and information provided on the appraisal is much more than I was expecting. She went above and beyond my expectations.
I highly recommend Carole for all your jewelry appraising needs. She will not disappoint.

I can’t say enough great things about Carole. Having made a big purchase online, I wanted to make sure I was getting what I paid. Carole’s expertise and knowledge reassured me about my purchase.
Before we even met, Carole told me she would look at the ring before having me show her the papers just to make sure she would not be biased. How honest is that?! Carole made me feel comfortable right from the start. I was free to any of the many questions I had about the ring. She explained to me exactly what she was doing each step while evaluating the jewelry. She was able to accurately describe/​identify the ring even more looking at the papers. Best of all, Carole was very honest and unbiased. I never felt any pressure to get an appraisal because I was just there to get some verification on my purchase.
I would not hesitate to refer any friends or family to come see Carole. I will definitely come see Carole again for any jewelry assistance or advice.

Again, Carole C. Richbourg is awesome. She keeps wonderful records of her work, and was able to quickly help me resolve a problem caused by someone else, that stressed me out for days.
I recently had my engagement ring inspected by a local jeweler who is also a gemologist, with the intention of getting an estimate for repair as I bent the ring in a fall down the stairs. The jeweler looked at my ring as I gave her the details I knew of it (I did not have my actual diamond certificate with me at the time). I knew my diamond was laser inscribed with the diamond certificate number but the jeweler said she saw absolutely no such inscription anywhere on the girdle of the diamond, which is where it had been seen by Ms. Richbourg in 2008 during the appraisal.
The jeweler was insistent that the inscription was just not on my diamond and further went on to say that it may have been mistakenly left off, and that Ms. Richbourg could have just looked at the diamond’s internal characteristics and seeing that they matched, copied all the data from the diamond certificate over to the appraisal. She had me look into the microscope and I didn’t see anything either. I do not know what kind of magnification she used but I’m not a gemologist. (Update: she used 40x magnification and told me everyone else was b.s.-ing me about the diamond having been laser inscribed, that they all made a mistake and to ask her to go above 40x magnification was ridiculous… ahem).
I was present during the diamond inspection for the appraisal in 2008. Ms. Richbourg was very informative, methodical and always let me know what she was doing. I did not know what else to do except go back to her to see if she could find the laser inscription on my diamond.
Within a minute she found it. It was small and had to be viewed under a microscope at 50x. She was not able to get a good picture of it because the inscription was so small, but she read off the inscription to me and it matched my diamond certificate letter for letter.
I highly recommend Ms. Richbourg!