Expert Witness

Scott Papper is a fourth generation gem and jewelry professional with experience as an independent appraiser, gemologist, jewelry buyer, pawnbroker, and Expert Witness.
He is one of the industry's most highly-credentialed jewelry appraisers whose specialization includes Gem & Jewelry Forensics.  His unique skillset as an Expert Witness will supply you with the key evidence needed to win your case.

A complimentary consultation is available to attorneys and paralegals, via email or phone call, to discuss the details of the case.

Once retained, Mr. Papper handles document review, research, and report writing involving the case.  His detailed Expert Witness reports will contain the essential evidence necessary to win your case.  Deposition and court appearances are available both in-person and through Zoom.

Attorneys and Paralegals:  Please email Scott to request a Fee Schedule.

email:  [email protected]
 
Fax:  (888) 388-1412

CREDENTIALS

Scott Papper, GG (GIA), ASA (ASA), CMA (NAJA), RGA (ISG), AJP (GIA), CSMP (JA), CSSP (JA)
​Gem & Jewelry Forensics

Graduate Gemologist (GG)
Graduate Gemologist is the highest credential awarded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in the field of Gemology.  GIA’s Graduate Gemologist program teaches both the technical and the practical skills needed to evaluate diamonds, colored gemstones and pearls.  Topics covered in this program include diamonds and diamond grading, colored stones and colored stones grading, gem identification, equipment and instrumentation, gem treatments and imitations, as well as market and supply chains.  The Graduate Gemologist credential may be earned upon completion of five (5) online courses and three (3) hands-on lab courses.

Accredited Senior Appraiser, Gems & Jewelry (ASA)
To become an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) in the Gems & Jewelry (GJ) discipline of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), one must have an approved gemological diploma, a college degree or meet educational equivalency requirements, have at least five (5) years of full-time appraisal experience, must be current with USPAP requirements, must have completed the ASA Ethics Exam, the ASA GJ Principles of Value courses, and the GJ Discipline Exam.  An Accredited Senior Appraiser must complete at least one hundred (100) hours of continuing education every five (5) years for reaccreditation.

Certified Master Appraiser (CMA)
Certified Master Appraiser is the highest credential awarded by the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA).  A Certified Master Appraiser must have been engaged in the practice of writing gem and jewelry appraisals for at least seven (7) years and have accumulated a minimum of nineteen (19) education points.  A Certified Master Appraiser must have successfully completed the NAJA Appraisal Studies Course as well as the practical appraisal examination.  A Certified Master Appraiser must have an NAJA Accredited Gem Laboratory and must complete sixteen (16) hours of continuing education each year to maintain Certified status.

Registered Gemologist Appraiser (RGA)
Registered Gemologist Appraiser is the highest credential awarded by the International School of Gemology (ISG).  The ISG Registered Gemologist Appraiser for Professionals Program is designed for those who have earned gemological diplomas from other accepted schools.  It is composed of four (4) courses: Introduction to Watches, Created and Treated Gemstones, Jewelry Insurance Appraisal, and Evaluating Damage Jewelry.  The Introduction to Watches and Created and Treated Gemstones courses are intended to bring the student’s gemology education up to the level required for our Registered Gemologist Appraiser program.  Prior completion of NAJA’s Appraisal Studies Course was credited as equivalent to the Jewelry Insurance Appraisal course.  The Evaluating Damaged Jewelry course is unique in the industry and is required of all RGA candidates.

Applied Jewelry Professional (AJP)
Applied Jewelry Professional is a credential awarded by GIA upon the completion of the following three (3) courses:  Jewelry Essentials, Diamond Essentials and Colored Stones Essentials.  The Applied Jewelry Professional program covers topics such as jewelry designs, setting styles, jewelry care, as well as basic information about diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds.  The Applied Jewelry Professional (formerly Accredited Jewelry Professional) credential may be earned upon the completion of three (3) online courses.

Graduate Diamonds (GD)
The Graduate Diamonds diploma program examines the technical expertise needed to grade, buy, and sell diamonds with the insight of a seasoned professional.  This diploma program explores the GIA diamond grading procedures to assess the 4Cs – color, clarity, cut and carat weight – and how they affect diamond value.  Students use professional diamond grading equipment for the purposes of examining a diamond’s quality characteristics to grade and identify diamonds.  The Graduate Diamonds credential may be earned upon the completion of two (2) online courses and one (1) hands-on lab course.

Graduate Colored Stones (GCS)
The Graduate Colored Stones diploma program explores more than 60 species of common and collector gemstones found in the marketplace.  Subjects covered include the GIA Colored Stone Grading System, gemstone formation, composition, sources and how to distinguish natural, treated and laboratory-grown gemstones.  Students learn how to operate gemological equipment effectively to identify gemstones, as well as learn about the different value factors of colored gems.  The Graduate Colored Stones credential may be earned upon the completion of three (3) online courses, one (1) practical gem identification course, and one (1) hands-on lab course.

Graduate Pearls (GP)
The Graduate Pearls diploma program teaches GIA’s 7 Pearl Value Factors™:  size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality and matching – the essential criteria for assessing the value and beauty of pearls.  The program also discusses how market factors and the supply chain affect value.  The Graduate Pearls credential may be earned upon the completion of one (1) online course and one (1) hands-on lab course.

Accredited Senior Gemologist
The Accredited Senior Gemologist title is awarded to voting members of the Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA).  This designation represents individuals who believe in excellence and are dedicated to establishing the highest ethical and professional standards of practice in the gemological profession.  Professional references and educational requirements must be met, as well as having an approved gemological credential .

Certified Senior Management Professional (CSMP)
The Certified Senior Sales Professional designation is awarded by Jewelers of America (JA) upon successful completion of two (2) certified exams.  This certification requires moderate to advanced sales skills and knowledge of a jewelry sales professional, and at least one (1) year’s experience.

Certified Senior Sales Professional (CSSP)
The Certified Senior Sales Professional designation is awarded by JA upon successful completion of two (2) certified exams.  This certification requires moderate to advanced sales skills and knowledge of a jewelry sales professional, and at least one (1) year’s experience.

CPAA Certified Cultured Pearl Specialist
The CPAA Certified Cultured Pearl Specialist designation is awarded by the Cultured Pearl Association of America upon the completion of the PAO Pearl Specialist Course.  The course discusses the location, history, value factors, and culturing process behind many varieties of cultured pearls including akoya, freshwater, Tahitian, and South Sea.

Services

Expert Witness & Litigation Support
We offer expert witness and litigation support to attorneys, providing them with the key evidence needed to be victorious in their case.  We handle document review, and we're available to travel for deposition and testimony appearances.

Areas of specialization include estate and probate, divorce settlement, manufacturing defects, damage evaluation, as well as gem and jewelry forensics.


Damage Evaluation
Most damage claims are due to inherent vice, preexisting conditions, or jeweler error.

We are able to determine whether the claimed damage to a diamond was actually due to an impact event or if it's simply a natural characteristic within the diamond that has been present since the diamond crystal's formation.  Through forensic examination, we can also determine whether damage was caused by the diamond cutter during the cutting process, or by jeweler error during the setting process.


Salvage Recovery
Utilize our knowledge and expertise to maximize your returns involving the re-cutting of chipped or broken diamonds and gemstones.

In the unfortunate event of a fire, many times the house and contents are considered a total loss.  However, diamonds, many gemstones and precious metals do not incinerate at the temperatures reached in most building fires.  Even if the building itself is considered a total loss, it is still possible for major salvage to be achieved by sifting through the rubble to recover diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals that others may simply discard as trash.


Forensic Gem Lab
Our NAJA Accredited Gemological Laboratory is equipped to examine diamonds, gems, and jewelry at a forensic level.  Our lab uses microscopy, spectroscopy, refractometry, and polariscopy, as well as longwave and shortwave ultraviolet light, fiber optic lighting, synthetic diamond screeners, measuring devices, scales, and optical filters.


Manufacturing Defect and Subrogation
In today's day and age where time is money, jewelers will often take shortcuts that can lead to the loss of an important diamond or gemstone.  This type of costly loss might not be covered by the insurance policy.  Through forensic examination, we are able to provide photographic evidence linking the cause of loss to a manufacturing defect using photomicrography and macro imagery.

We're able to work with the insurer to subrogate losses if required, in order to ensure that the cost of manufacturing defects are the responsibility of the manufacturer and not the insurer or the insured.

Professional Affiliations

Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA)
Established in 1974, AGA is an independent, international, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting excellence in gemology and upholding the highest ethical and professional standards in: gemological education, scientific gemological research, and identification and quality determination of gem material and jewelry.

• Active Member:  2023 to Present
• Membership Level:  Voting Member
• Credentials:  Accredited Senior Gemologist

American Society of Appraisers (ASA)
Originally founded in 1936 and later incorporated in 1952, ASA is the world’s largest and oldest multi-disciplinary appraiser organization.  ASA’s purpose is to equip its members with the knowledge and professionalism to meet the highest standards of professional appraisal practice.

• Active Member:  2024 to Present
• Membership Level:  Accredited Member
• Credentials:  Accredited Senior Appraiser, Gems & Jewelry (ASA)

Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
Established in 1931, the Gemological Institute of America is a nonprofit institute dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts.  In the 1940s, GIA established the “4Cs” and the International Diamond Grading System™ – to this day, the worldwide standard for evaluating diamond quality.

• Active Member:  2010 to Present
• Membership Level:  Alumni
• Top Credentials:  Graduate Gemologist (GG)
• Other Credentials:  Graduate Diamonds (GD), Graduate Colored Stones (GCS), Graduate Pearls (GP), Applied Jewelry Professional (AJP)

International School of Gemology (ISG)
Established in the late 1990s, The International School of Gemology is an independent gemology school focusing on education in gemology and appraisals, as well as providing advanced training in the areas of jewelry forensics and expert witness for appraisers.

• Active Member:  2023 to Present
• Membership Level:  Alumni
• Top Credentials:  Registered Gemologist Appraiser (RGA)

Jewelers of America (JA)
Jewelers of America was founded in 1906, by jewelers for jewelers, with a desire to advance the professionalism and ethics of the jewelry industry.  Today, as the leading non-profit jewelry association in the United States, Jewelers of America Members stand as the most trustworthy, informed and professional jewelry businesses in the United States and beyond.

• Active Member:  2023 to Present
• Membership Level:  Certified Member
• Top Credentials:  Certified Senior Management Professional (CSMP), Certified Senior Sales Professional (CSSP)

National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA)
The NAJA is dedicated to promoting stringent quality standards for gem and jewelry appraisers.  The association was founded in 1981 on the premise that the specialized field of gem and jewelry appraising deserved representation on a professional basis.  The NAJA fulfills the need for an appraisal organization focused solely on the specific value factors inherent in gems and jewelry, that were not being addressed sufficiently by the multidisciplinary appraisal associations of the day.

• Active Member:  2018 to Present
• Membership Level:  Certified Member
• Top Credentials:  Certified Master Appraiser (CMA)
• Other Certifications:  NAJA Accredited Gemological Laboratory

Areas of Expertise

Jewelry
• Gold, Platinum, and Silver Jewelry
​• Diamond and Colored Gemstone Jewelry
​• Designer Jewelry (Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, David Webb, etc.)
• Vintage and Antique Jewelry (Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Art Déco, Retro, Mid Century, and Late 20th Century)
• Identification of Antique/Vintage Reproductions

Watches
• Rolex
​• Audemars Piguet
​• Patek Philippe
​• Cartier
​• Omega
• Vintage and Antique Pocket Watches
​• Identification of Replica Watches

Diamonds
• Natural, Earth-Mined Diamonds
​• Identification of Synthetic, Lab-Created Diamonds (Both CVD and HPHT)
• Identification of Imitation Diamonds / Diamond Simulants

Colored Gems
• Rubies
​• Sapphires
• Emeralds
​• Opals
​• Tourmaline
​• Cultured Pearls
​• Natural Pearls (Conch Pearls, Melo Pearls, etc.)

Coins
• U.S. Numismatic Coins
• Gold, Silver, and Platinum Bullion

CONTACT

Please email us with more information about your case or call us to discuss how we can help provide you with litigation support.

Email:  [email protected]

Call:  (888) 898-6963

Fax:  (888) 388-1412

Facebook:  @shopglobalgemology

Instagram:  @globalgemology