Press Releases

Briteco Jewelry and Watch Insurance Announces Partnership with IGS

It will help enhance the value of the company’s online appraisal management platform, CEO says.

Published

4 years ago

July 11, 2019

INSTORE Staff

(PRESS RELEASE) EVANSTON, IL – BriteCo, LLC, (www.brite.co) a jewelry and watch insurance company offering a free Appraisal Management Platform to qualified jewelers, announced a partnership with The International Gem Society, LLC (IGS), the world’s top resource for gem professionals, enthusiasts, and industry content. With more than 10,000 members worldwide and 4.5 million website visitors annually, IGS provides online gemology education and community forums along with gemstone pricing and buying guides, and a directory of gem-related businesses.

“We’re excited to be partnering with IGS to enhance the value of our online appraisal management platform,” said BriteCo founder and CEO Dustin Lemick. “It’s another way for us to provide our jeweler partners with the best product possible, saving them time and effort and helping to make their jewelry businesses more successful.”

“Over the last 21 years, we have assembled detailed pricing and technical information jewelers can use to help appraise over 70 different gemstones,” according to IGS managing member Seth Rosen. “The values in our guides come from a variety of sources including primary and secondary gemstone dealers, jewelers, miners, and wholesale suppliers of commonly traded gemstones.”

The cloud based BriteCo Appraisal Management Platform (AMP) from BriteCo enables jewelers to create appraisals in ten minutes or less. Free to qualified jewelers, the BriteCo AMP uses intuitive self-guided screens to enter key information, include photos, and get a recommended range for appraised value based on market data. Once the jeweler finalizes an appraised value, customers receive an email with an electronic copy of the appraisal for their records. When the appraisal is finalized, BriteCo sends an email or text directly to the customer that includes a custom quote for replacement insurance coverage. The customer clicks a link in the message, fills out a short application on their phone or other device, pays by credit or debit card, and is insured immediately. Retail jewelers can view a video demo of the appraisal platform and apply to become a BriteCo jeweler partner at www.brite.co/for-jewelers.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”