Morning Star Jewelry & Appraisals — Local services in Scottsdale

I recently added a new gold bracelet to my jewelry collection and needed to have it appraised for insurance purposes. I called Morningstar and the owner (Penny) was kind enough to squeeze me in on a day where she was fully booked. I arrive at the shop and present my item and she eyeballs it and asks if she can scratch test it against her jewelers stone. Having just spent over $10,000 on the bracelet, it's understandable I would not want to get any scratches on my new piece. I decline the scratch test and tell her its a John Hardy piece that retails for $10,200. She then proceeds to test it with her electronic machine and tells me the plating is preventing the machine from giving her an accurate reading. (I would think someone of her expertise would know a John Hardy Bracelet at this price point would not be gold plated)

After being unable to get a reading form her machine due to the "gold plating", she then asks me for my receipt or any papers from the store I purchased the bracelet from. I tell her I do not have them. Side note: I actually do but her request is superfluous and NOT needed for the appraisal. She then tells me she would not be able to help me with an appraisal and defers me to the store I bought my bracelet from.

I'm very disappointed I wasted my time and drove out of my way for this. I have had numerous items appraised over the years and this is the first time I have encountered a jeweler that has been unable to appraise an item. What if I purchased the item in the grey market and did not have any info on it? Where is the complexity in assessing the value of a brand new item in perfect condition with a tag attached that gives you all the details? I would think any jeweler worth their weight in gold could have used the context clues here to determine authenticity and provided a value.

Penny's inability to think outside the box leads me to question her competency as a jewelry professional. If something this simple could not be done, there is no way I would feel comfortable working with her for any large purchases. At best I can chalk this experience up to a small oversight. At worst, this is pure incompetence. Nice enough lady...

I have been dealing with Penny and Morningstar jewelry for at least 20 years. Through that time, I have bought new and use jewelry from her. She has special ordered things I wanted and she had her expert jewelers put pieces together to my specifications. Her experience working in this field for over 30 years is very comforting. The service has always been above and beyond d whether it be helping me with a piece or figuring out how to ship etc. I am loyal to her but I always like to see how the price was on something I bought from her and it has always been below or competitive. The quality of the diamonds has always been excellent and the workmanship on the pieces has been exceptional. I highly recommend Morningstar jewelry...

We were referred to Morning Star through a friend. My husband purchased my engagement ring through Penny at Morning Star. I was blown away by the quality including sparkle and size of the diamond. He customer designed it, and with her experience to guide him, it was absolutely perfect. Her pricing allowed us to afford above and beyond what we would have at other jewelers. We ended up getting our wedding rings and bridal party gifts from her as well. Customer service was great and she was readily available to meet and answer questions. Selection is vast, and she can custom design what you want. Don’t go to some chain store and get ripped off. Support local and you’ll be happy you made...