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THE HISTORY of GEMCORP, INC.
Serving the southeast since 1985
Gemcorp, Inc. was founded in 1985 by Stephen
Turner. There were no truly independent appraisers in the Atlanta area, and
he decided it was time to fill that much needed niche.
Mr. Turner is a Graduate Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America (www.gia.edu) and has an extensive background in
many aspects of the jewelry business. Just prior to starting Gemcorp, he was a
manager and buyer for a five store, multi-million dollar retailer. While there,
he also earned the prestigious title of Certified Gemologist-Appraiser from the
American Gem Society (AGS). Mr. Turner remains affiliated with AGS to this day (www.ags.org).
In addition, Mr. Turner is a member in good standing of the National
Association of Jewelry Appraisers (www.NAJAappraisers.com).
Over the years, and continuing to this day, specialty courses on appraising and
gemology are a priority for the gemologists at Gemcorp. These have
included programs from the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), the
American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the National Association of Jewelry
Appraisers (NAJA), the Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA), the
Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the Master Valuer
Program.
Trained as a bench jeweler and also in watch repair,
Mr. Turner also brings a unique perspective to the quality analysis of jewelry
construction and condition. On numerous occasions, a potentially
devastating loss has been prevented on new jewelry because we examine
the entire "health" of an item, as well as its value. In a time
where we are all price conscience, there is a great temptation by merchants to
cut corners on quality to offer lower prices. Our active lifestyles today are
much harder on jewelry than times in the past. It is advisable to
have any item that is regularly worn inspected by a professional bench jeweler
every six months.
The strength of an appraiser is having access to all aspects of a
marketplace. A retailer who also does appraisals often presents only the view
of the market from their perspective. Never can a "big picture"
be presented. For over 25 years, Mr. Turner has been developing
relationships with people and firms at all levels of the jewelry industry,
insuring a data base of information the envy of many other appraisers.
The result is a complete and comprehensive valuation, presented in an easily
read format.
Copyright Gemcorp Inc. 2000-2007 all rights reserved