Some people might not like to give 5 star reviews because it could mean more competition the more people who find out about the place but when its deserved its deserved. I went into CGJ on March 10 2026 looking for silver coins and bullion. they had 2 trays with a lot of silver. Included in those trays were several Maples, a Britannia and a Krugerrand along with several other sovereign coins. There were many buffalo rounds and I even found 2 Engelhard prospector rounds. There was a lot of fractional including 1/2 oz, grams and constitutional silver. As far as selection goes I have seen more in other stores and I have seen less. They sell what they buy so I can't say that the selection will always be like this but I was very happy with the 4 items I bought and I found several more I could have bought. Now for the best part. I paid less than a buck over spot for 2 Perth mint coins and 2 prospector rounds. I asked Gia, who was awesome by the way, for confirmation and she said that was pretty much their standard pricing for generics. I think she said ASEs were 3 or 4 bucks more, still cheap compared most places. Now one might expect with prices that low the price they paid would be pretty low but it was very reasonable. I can't recall exactly because she quoted for maples, ASEs and generics but given the prices I have seen online and at other stores I would have been very happy selling to them at their prices. Further shoutout to Gia, she was wonderful to talk to. Some shop owners are grumpy old curmudgeons who just want to take your money but Gia was friendly, very informative and willing to talk (I'm a talker if you can't tell from this review) I'll probably head back today just to see what they might have. read more

If you are looking for a quick yet thorough appraisal, I highly recommend Heidi's services. I called Heidi to set up an appointment, and she was able to take me in within a day. In the 15 minutes I was with Heidi, I learned a great deal about my ring, and she did the appraisal right in front of me. Further, her fee was very reasonable for the level of service and convenience received. She provides the report for insurance prior to you leaving the appointment, and she has an extremely seamless process. Thanks again Heidi! I will definitely return the next time I need an appraisal. read more

Informative , efficient and professional. I would recommend her to anyone that is wanting to insurance their valuable jewelry.

Heidi is a blessing. She is kind and very professional. Her valuations are accurate and thorough. However she does not waste your time. I appreciate her extensive knowledge and customer service. read more

Needed to have my rings enlarged. Uncomfortable giving them to a jeweler w/o having appraisals done (before and after). Heidi was great: Professional, efficient, informative, credible. A real no nonsense kind of person--exactly the kind of qualities you want in an appraiser. Having the appraisals done before and after making the changes to my rings gave me peace of mind. I did not want to have any doubts about getting my same stones back. She cleaned my rings and gave me documentation for my personal reference and for insurance purposes in a nice, tidy package. I cannot speak to the whether or not her fees are expensive but they seemed fair, and she was very straightforward about them. Highly recommend her. read more

Heidi is amazing and very professional. My fiancé and I had my diamond ring appraised recently and we were in and out in 15 minutes with a breadth of knowledge and a detailed insurance appraisal in hand. She was careful, considerate, examined my ring right in front of us and even cleaned/steamed it afterwards. We will be back for our reappraisal in 3-5 years! read more

Heidi was great! 10/10. Quick appointment and thorough explanation and examination. Provides you will all documents needed. Recommend to anyone looking for an appraisal! read more

Heidi was great. She provided an objective and thorough evaluation of the jewelry. She spent the time to explain all the details and how the evaluation process works. I received a detailed, certified report. I would definitely return for future items. It was obvious she has been doing this for a long time and is very knowledgeable. read more

Heidi was friendly, professional and knowledgeable. We both enjoyed a few laughs as she worked to appraise my two pair of diamond earrings and a diamond engagement ring. I highly recommend her services! read more

I went to see Heidi for my engagement ring appraisal after reading all the wonderful reviews on yelp. The reviews did not lie. She was extremely knowledgeable, walked my fiancée and I through the entire process and my ring never left our sight. She gave me some great advice on ensuring the safety of my ring if and when I ever need to take it in for a cleaning, polishing, etc. which was nice. Also, she charges a flat $75 fee which is comparable to lots of places you will go but without the expertise and professionalism. A few days later, I received the very detailed appraisal paperwork as promised. I would definitely recommend Heidi to anyone in the future and will definitely go back myself, please be advised to make an appointment prior to going in since she works at different locations. read more

I had a pair of earrings meant to be a gift, so I went with a referral from one of my trusted jewelers. Glad I did. Heidi is professional and friendly, and her downtown office is pretty easy to get to from the Blue Line. My fiancee and I have some other jewelry that need appraisals, so I'll be using her services again in the near future. Thanks a bunch, Heidi! Pro tip: the building elevators on the left side only go up to the 10th floor. Take the ones on the right to get to her office. read more

Working with Heidi was a wonderful and stress free experience. She helped us choose the gems for and design my engagement ring and our wedding rings. The rings turned out gorgeous and are high quality, and she was so helpful and easy to work with throughout the whole process. read more

I was referred by Oak Park Jewelers, and decided to make the schlep to Chicago rather than wait until the next time Ms. Harders (Heidi Harders ISA-CAPP, GG) is in Oak Park (I think she does appraisals in several other Chicago-area 'burbs too) I am new to the appraisal process and wasn't sure what to expect. I was 100% satisfied: professional, prompt, informative, reasonable, friendly, appraisal done on the spot. I learned a lot about the piece I brought in, and even left with a photo. Overall enjoyable experience: I will DEFINITELY use Ms. Harders for other appraisals in the future. read more

I can't say enough good things about Heidi! I had never had my Jewelery appraised before and didnt know what to expect. Initially I was worried to go alone with my things. She only offers daytime appointments so that you wont be out late with your prized possessions. Her office is in a good area no need to worry about getting hit over the head walking in. Its a small private office with no one but you her and your jewelery!! I brought in several items and I was out in under an hour! The price is $75 for the first item and only forty for each additional item. She even takes credit. If the jewelery isnt worth appraisning she will tell you and wont waste your time or money. So in a nut shell she is private, cheap and fast!!:) Thank you Heidi Aside from the good service she and I shared a few laughs great women! read more

Heidi gives great service. She charges a flat fee for appraisal work---very ethical! I also needed to have my ring resized and she was able to arrange that service during the same afternoon that I went for the appraisal. Call for an appointment since she has more than one location and isn't always available at this address. I highly recommend her services. read more

Super knowledgeable. Heidi could not have been nicer. You can ask her any jewelry question and she has answers that illustrate her extensive knowledge and experience, and make you feel confident that you are in good hands. I love that she does the appraisal right in front of you. No leaving the jewelry and coming back! She prints you out an extensive report. Perfect for insurance coverage. I will be coming back and I highly recommend her services. read more

We had a solitaire ring we wanted to sell, and every time we tried to find out the value - we ended up with a lowball offer instead of an actual valuation. We took the ring to Heidi and she not only helped us understand the wholesale value of the stone - but also walked us through our option from auction to private party sales. She is incredibly knowledgeable not just about gems, but the overall Chicago gem market and very easy to work with. read more

Heidi was awesome. She's very personable. This was my first time getting anything appraised and she gave me great advice about which pieces I should specially insure and which I shouldn't. I'll definitely be back, and will be sending my sisters her way as well when they also get engaged. Oh, also, her prices were much more reasonable than other places I called!! read more

We chose Heidi Harders out of the many appraisers in the area because she has a TON of great credentials, plus we saw the other good reviews of her work on Yelp. She was thorough, professional, and very nice. She was even able to meet with us on a Saturday so I wasn't traipsing around the city with an uninsured ring in my pocket. We spent about 20 minutes total with her, and in the time she quickly evaluated individual diamonds and ring as a whole (we came in to appraise a wedding set for insurance purposes). She was great at answering our questions and explaining her reasoning for grading the diamonds the way that she did, as well as the value of each stone. As it turned out, two of the center diamonds on the ring were pretty badly damaged, and she even let us know of a professional that will repair the diamonds, and was able to offer her advice on how repairing them would increase the value of the stones. All in all it was a really great visit and Heidi is professional and very personable as well. She responded to every email I sent almost immediately, which I really appreciate! I highly recommend Heidi's services and greatly enjoyed working with her. read more

I was referred to Heidi by Oak Park Jewelers, who apparently have her come in occasionally to do appraisals since they don't have anyone in house who does it. I decided to make at an appointment at Heidi's downtown office instead and was able to go during my lunch hour. She appraised my heirloom ring right in front of me, explaining everything in detail (I know nothing about jewelry, so this was particularly helpful!) The flat $75 fee seems reasonable to me, and I was very happy with the paperwork she provided and the efficiency of the appraisal. She writes down every detail during the appointment, then sends a nicely-presented report via mail, which is exactly what you need for insurance purposes. I don't have much need for jewelry appraisal, but if I need something else evaluated, I will definitely see Heidi again. read more

Heidi was great to work with, I had several items I needed appraised and she made the process quick and easy. I highly recommend

Heidi did an amazing job! I was in and out within 15 minutes and she did an efficient and thorough job on the appraisal and even taught me about the diamond. I recommend her to anyone who wants to get a fast but effective appraisal-thanks Heidi! read more

Heidi was a great appraiser! She was very knowledgeable & informed me of the specific kind of diamond I had. You get to watch as she works & she writes down every detail & explains what she's looking for. A few days later I received a great detailed report of the appraisal. I was very satisfied with my experience & will definitely be back again. Very trustworthy, honest person! read more

Heidi is quick when getting back on my request for a quote. The appraisal process was concise, transparent and safe. Impressed by her expertise and service. Recommend. read more

Today, I met with Heidi and she was fabulous. She evaluated three pieces of jewelry. She was thorough and clearly explained her evaluation. She also had suggestions of how best to sell the items if I wished to do so. I highly recommend her. Not to be punny, but she is a gem! read more

After my fiancee searched for my engagement ring for several months he connected with Heidi. She turned the entire experience around from being stressful to being a great deal of fun. Heidi knows her stuff! She is professional, friendly, and provided a great deal of knowledge. The ring turned out to be gorgeous! We are so happy. If you have been at your ring search for a while and feel like you don't have a clue, definitely work with Heidi. read more

Very knowledgeable and reasonable. Was in and out in 30 minutes with a full verbal appraisal!

Heidi's work is amazing. She photographed, measured, weighed, and tested all the gold of my jewelry, also examining all the stones and other materials. My jewelry is all Indian, most of it 22kt. I knew the Indian, i.e. Sanskrit, terms for some of the settings and art, but Heidi really gave me a welcome education about my pieces and my diamonds in particular. (Now if I want to describe my Naaksathram setting in a Western/global jewelry situation, I know it is a Halo setting!) Heidi simply knows everything, even about the enameling and black beads of my Mangal Sutra (marriage necklace). All of her appraisals were methodical and fair. She also worked quickly, emailing me her appraisals immediately as well as physically mailing them. The only slight question I have in my mind about Heidi's expertise is surrounding body jewelry. I thought her appraisal of my diamond nose ring a bit low, and she did not open the labret nor measure the gauge of the screw mechanism. I was just a bit surprised because of the hundreds of details she provided about every other piece. And perhaps my jeweler overcharged me for the nose ring; I don't know. Nonetheless Heidi more than deserves my five-star rating! She also gave me a valuable tip to the best jewelry box shop around: Miller's Jewelry Supply. Thanks so much, Heidi! read more

Heidi was very responsive to my request for an appraisal appointment, which I was able to schedule later that same day. She was detailed, efficient, and had fast turn around. We met mid day on a Tuesday and I received the write up in the mail Thursday - 2 days later. Highly recommend her! read more

Heidi is very impressive and very professional, top notch. I recently used her in order to get an opinion about two large stones, a diamond and a sapphire, and I had used her some five years ago. She obviously knows gems and she is helpful in negottion strategy ad well. Lake Forest, il read more

Heidi Harders owner of CHICAGO GEM is excellent! I've been using her to do appraisals for my jewelry business for over a decade! Heidi is very proffessional and has the highest ethical standards. read more

I am honestly shocked by my experience with Heidi given the positive reviews that she has received on Yelp, but I cannot say a single positive thing about her. She recently appraised three pieces of jewelry and while she was quite abrasive during the appraisal, I brushed it off. Then I received the appraisal and one piece was appraised at $3,000 lower than we purchased it for and originally had it appraised for. When I called to inquire, she was less than helpful and in fact was quite aggressive. I tried to explain the situation - that we purchased at $3,000 above the value she provided and had it appraised three years ago by a certified appraiser - but she wasn't willing to listen and was combative. She told me that the original appraiser probably wasn't certified (which I confirmed that he was) then told me that he appraised high just to please me. All of the appraisals she provided were off - I also had her appraise a pair of earrings and she appraised them much higher than our purchase price and original appraisal. Overall, very poor experience and not a quality appraisal. Find someone else. read more