My dad has been a jeweller for over 35 years, so I feel somewhat qualified to answer this one. Unless, of course, this is about Jews. I really don't know anything about them.
Anyway...there are pretty much 2 types of appraisals. A) Bring it into an actual goldsmith and he will give you a rough but fairly accurate idea of what the ring is worth. B) Bring the ring to a certified gemologist for a detailed appraisal which you can use for insurance purposes, choosing a husband, etc.
For option B, there are actually only a handfull of certified gemologists in Calgary, and $60 is quite reasonable. They will give you a detailed analysis of the gemstone (clearly marking size, colour, clarity and any flaws) and give you a real world estimate of what it would cost to replace the ring.
Option A, on the other hand, can usually be done within an hour or two and will cost $30 or so. The estimate given will usually be within +- 20%, and will at least let you know if your stone is real or fake.
Hope this helps.
A little side note - the only real value in a ring is the stone. When gold was over $1000 oer ounce, a lot of people thought they could walk into a store and sell their ring for huge money. Most rings are 14K gold (not even close to pure) and worth $20 per gram to sell.
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