The Independent, Expert, Registered Valuer – Georgina Deer FGA DGA PJ.VAL.DIP – talks to The Anchor about her work for SafeGuard in the North West of England. The Birmingham Assay Office has been providing SafeGuard Jewellery Valuation services for over six years. The SafeGuard Company pioneered the provision of Jewellery Valuation services to retailers throughout the UK.
A growing team of independent, expert, registered valuers are the face of the company and they travel the length and breadth of the country throughout the year, working with large retail multiples, small to medium groups through to independent retailers and individual jewellers. Behind the scenes they are supported by an equally expanding professional team of operational and administrative personnel based in Birmingham.

Georgina Deer has been working for SafeGuard since 2004. She underwent a very thorough training period at SafeGuard under the guidance of expert valuer, Jim Potts. She covers the North West area of England, from Leeds to Birkenhead and all points in between. Georgina herself has a solid retail jewellery background. Her father was a watchmaker who ran his own retail business and Georgina worked in the family shops from the age of 13, starting as aSaturday Girl. She went on to study at Durham University and upon graduation she returned to work in the family business which she eventually took over upon her father’s retirement. She also obtained the PJ.VAL. Diploma and as a Fellow of the NAG has been a registered valuer since 1987.

Georgina loves variety in her working day and the role of a SafeGuard valuer certainly provides her with plenty of that….. She enjoys the diversity of working environments and the varied staff and customers she encounters not to mention the multiplicity of items that she is asked to value on a daily basis. Georgina says “Having worked as a retailer myself for many years and for other valuation companies as an independent valuer, I do believe that the SafeGuard method of training which is extremely rigorous makes us some of the most highly skilled valuers in the country. It is at least a seven year apprenticeship to gain registered Valuer qualifications but your education is never complete. By coming into contact with jewellery every working day you are honing and expanding your knowledge and valuation experience. I can value anything from antique jewellery to contemporary items. Notable recent trends have seen an increase in imported jewellery and nonhallmarked items being bought in to be valued. The amount of white gold and platinum items is also increasing”. After Georgina had spent a busy morning working in Chester, The Anchor met up with her in Altrincham at the flag ship store of the renowned independent jewellery retail group David M Robinson.

Altrincham lies some eight miles south of Manchester and with a population of over 40,000, it still retains its distinctive sense of being predominantly a market town. David M. Robinson has 6 stores across the North West and has been crafting exclusive jewellery since 1968. Creating exclusive collections of diamond jewellery has become their trademark and David M Robinson himself has been twice winner of the De Beers Diamonds International Award – the top award of the diamond jewellery design industry. David M Robinson Jewellers has two main divisions; the David M Robinson Yellow Box Collection of exclusive diamond jewellery which features the Dreamcatcher, Honeycomb and Cloud Nine ranges and the watch division which includes, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Chopard, Breitling and Tag Heuer to name but a few. The Group sees its success in the premium end of the UK retail jewellery sector as the product of many things; a caring business ethos, unceasing commitment to customer care and unquestionable professional integrity.

David M Robinson has recently elected to start promoting its own SafeGuard Valuation Days throughout the Group. Georgina has been providing the group with added value jewellery valuation services for some time and they are now looking to promote a combined SafeGuard Jewellery Valuation and Design Day in conjunction with their own inhouse bespoke jewellery designer. Wendy Song – Operations Manager at David M Robinson explained that the Group recognised the potential to offer additional services to their customer base by expanding the provision of SafeGuard Valuation services across all of its stores. Georgina concluded that “The beauty of a SafeGuard Valuation Day is that it provides additional income to the retailer and at the same time provides a valuable additional service to the consumer. SafeGuard Valuers are able to give expert, independent advice to the customer as well as promote other services that the retailer provides, such as repairs, insurance and credit facilities”.
For further information on all SafeGuard Valuation services please contact: Tel: 0871 423 7922.

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