Diamond Valuation · Bedfordview, Johannesburg
A diamond valuation from the desk that actually buys.
Most valuations are estimates of someone else’s market. At Prodiam the desk that values your diamond is the same Bedfordview desk that re-cuts, re-supplies and buys stones every week, so the number is real. Selling valuations run on a 48-hour process with cleared funds within 72 hours after acceptance, FICA-compliant, and written insurance valuations accompany every Prodiam piece. Bring the certificate, the photos, or just the stone.
Submit a diamond for valuation WhatsApp the desk → Book a Bedfordview appointment →
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Natural diamonds only
Mined-Earth, never lab-grown, by conviction, not price. Kimberley-Process documented from the mine of origin. Why we don’t sell lab-grown →
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GIA & EGL certified
Every loose stone certified by the GIA or EGL. Cert PDF supplied per stone.
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Insured overnight delivery
Brink’s, G4S or our nominated jewellery courier across South Africa. Ferrari Group / FedEx Custom Critical international.
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14-day in-person exchange
In-person sales at the viewing room come with a 14-day exchange courtesy on stock pieces. Distance-sale CPA cooling-off applies.
What your diamond is worth depends on who is answering
The same stone has several honest values at once: what it would cost to replace at retail (the insurance number), what a dealer will pay for it today (the selling number), and what it could become after re-cutting (the bench number). A valuation is only useful when you know which question it answers. Prodiam’s desk answers all three, and tells you which one applies to you before any number is quoted.
The three valuations, plainly
| Valuation | The question it answers | Where Prodiam fits |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance valuation | What would it cost to replace this piece at retail? | A written insurance valuation accompanies every piece Prodiam sells; insurers accept it as the replacement document. |
| Selling valuation | What will a buyer actually pay for this stone today? | The 48-hour process: documents first, stone on the desk by appointment or insured courier, then a firm number. Accept it and cleared funds follow within 72 hours, FICA-compliant. |
| Bench assessment | Could re-cutting or re-certifying lift the value? | Because Procut DCW cuts in-house, a chipped, dated or poorly cut stone is valued with its re-cut outcome in mind, which is often where estates find the hidden value. |
How the valuation runs
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Send the paperwork
WhatsApp or the form: certificate or report number, photos, carat if known, old invoices or valuations. Estates and inherited pieces are welcome with whatever paperwork exists.
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The desk reviews, then sees the stone
Documents are checked first, including the report number with its issuer. The stone itself is assessed at the Bedfordview office by appointment, or arrives by insured Brink’s or G4S courier from anywhere in South Africa.
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A firm number, in writing
Selling valuations complete within 48 hours of the stone reaching the desk. Accept, and cleared funds follow within 72 hours, FICA-compliant. Decline, and the stone returns insured, no obligation.
Selling, insuring, or upgrading
A valuation often leads somewhere: sellers take the firm number, owners insure with the written document, and many clients trade the existing piece up instead, putting its value toward a larger or better stone cut on the same bench. If you are weighing any of the three, say so upfront and the desk will run the numbers side by side. For background reading, see how to buy a diamond in South Africa and why GIA certification anchors value.
Diamond valuation questions, answered
How does a diamond valuation at Prodiam work?
Start on WhatsApp or the contact form with whatever you have: the grading certificate or report number, photos of the stone or piece, and any old invoices or valuations. The desk reviews the documents first, then the stone itself at the Bedfordview office by appointment. Selling valuations run on a 48-hour process; if you accept, cleared funds follow within 72 hours, FICA-compliant.
Why does it matter that a cutting house does the valuation?
Most valuations come from a counter that neither buys stones nor cuts them, so the number is an estimate of someone else’s market. Prodiam’s desk sits next to the Procut DCW bench: the people valuing your diamond re-cut, re-supply and re-sell stones for a living. A chipped or dated stone is valued with its re-cut outcome in mind, which is often where the hidden value sits.
What is the difference between an insurance valuation and a selling valuation?
An insurance valuation states what it would cost to replace the piece at retail, and it is the document your insurer wants; it is not an offer to buy. A selling valuation is the actual number a buyer will pay today. The two can sit far apart, which surprises many sellers. Prodiam issues written insurance valuations with its own pieces and gives selling valuations on stones offered to the desk.
Do I need the original certificate to get a valuation?
No, but it helps. A GIA or equivalent report lets the desk verify the grades and check the report number directly with the issuer before talking numbers. No certificate at all is also workable: the stone is assessed on the bench, and if certification would materially lift its value, the desk will say so before anything else happens.
I am not in Johannesburg. Can I still get a diamond valued or sell it?
Yes. The document conversation happens over WhatsApp or email from anywhere in South Africa, and couriered stones travel insured via Brink’s or G4S both ways. Sellers from Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria use exactly this route; the 48-hour valuation clock starts when the stone reaches the desk.
What should I have ready before asking for a valuation?
The certificate or its report number if one exists, clear photos of the stone and any mount, the carat weight if known, old invoices or valuations, and a note on whether you want to sell, insure, or just understand the piece. Estates and inherited jewellery are welcome; bring whatever paperwork exists and the desk works from there.
Start the valuation
Send what you have. The desk reads documents the same day and tells you plainly what the next step is, whether that is a number, a re-cut conversation, or advice to keep the piece exactly as it is.
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