Teaching & Quality Assurance
Specialist tutor for the NAJ Foundations of Appraisal Practice programme, BCU valuation students, and continuing professional development — delivered by one of only two UK Quality Assurance providers for FoAP.
The representative for UK IRVs on the NAJ Education and Training Panel.
Presenter and tutor for Practical Valuation Techniques.
About This Service
The NAJ Foundations of Appraisal Practice programme is the professional qualification for jewellery valuers in the United Kingdom. It is rigorous, vocational, and nationally recognised — and Gaynor Wright is one of only two professionals in the country entrusted with Quality Assurance of its coursework.
That position is not a formal title alone. It means that Gaynor reviews, assesses, and upholds the standard of every piece of submitted work against the national benchmark — ensuring that those who complete the qualification genuinely meet the demands of professional practice.
Alongside this, Gaynor collaborates with Birmingham City University to support students undertaking professional valuation studies, and serves as IRV Advisors representative on the NAJ Education and Training Group — the body that shapes the curriculum and professional standards for the valuation sector in the UK.
At a Glance
Areas of Involvement
Student-Facing
The Foundations of Appraisal Practice programme is the principal professional qualification for jewellery valuers in the UK. Gaynor provides specialist tuition to students working towards FoAP, drawing on decades of practical valuation experience across insurance, probate, and family division work to bring the curriculum to life.
National Standards
As one of only two QA providers for FoAP coursework in the United Kingdom, Gaynor plays a central role in maintaining the national standard of the qualification. She reviews submitted work, benchmarks it against the programme's requirements, and ensures that the credential means what it should.
University & Industry
Gaynor collaborates with Birmingham City University to mentor and assess students undertaking professional valuation studies. She also serves as IRV Advisors representative on the NAJ Education and Training Group — contributing to the development of policy, curriculum, and professional standards at a national level.
Who Gaynor Works With
For Students
Whether you are considering the FoAP qualification for the first time or working through the programme, Gaynor's tuition provides the kind of grounded, practical guidance that textbooks alone cannot offer. She has navigated the same professional landscape for over thirty years.
For Institutions
Gaynor's roles within the NAJ and BCU demonstrate her standing as a trusted partner for organisations that need to maintain rigorous educational standards. She is experienced in collaborative, institutional settings and accustomed to working within professional frameworks.
Credentials
The IRV is the principal professional body for jewellery valuers in the United Kingdom. Fellowship — the highest grade of membership — is conferred on those who meet its rigorous standards of competence and conduct. Gaynor holds FIRV Ref 96916.
Awarded in recognition of sustained contribution to the jewellery profession. Gaynor serves as IRV Advisors representative on the NAJ Education and Training Group.
A specialist qualification from the Gemological Institute of America in the identification, grading, and valuation of natural, cultured, and imitation pearls to international standards.
Reflecting ongoing engagement with the science and practice of gemmology, and commitment to maintaining knowledge at the frontier of the field.
Why Experience Matters in Teaching
There is a meaningful difference between someone who has studied valuation theory and someone who has spent three decades applying it. Gaynor's teaching is rooted in the realities of professional practice — the edge cases, the difficult client conversations, the pieces that do not fit neatly into a category, and the judgement that comes only with time.
Prior to establishing GHW Valuations, Gaynor held a senior management position at Tiffany & Co., London — an environment that demands an uncompromising standard of knowledge, presentation, and professional conduct. That background informs both her valuation work and her teaching.
Beyond the curriculum, Gaynor helps students understand what professional valuation practice actually looks like: how reports are structured for different purposes, what solicitors and insurers expect, how to handle pieces with uncertain provenance, and how to defend a valuation opinion under scrutiny.
The Foundations of Appraisal Practice qualification is delivered by the National Association of Jewellers and represents the recognised standard for professional jewellery valuers in the UK. Completion of FoAP demonstrates both technical competence and an understanding of the professional obligations that come with the role. Gaynor's involvement — as both tutor and Quality Assurance provider — means she understands every aspect of what the programme demands, and how to help students meet those demands.
"The greatest resource I can offer a student is not a textbook — it is thirty years of having sat across the table from the items themselves."
Gaynor Wright FIRV · FNAJ
Whether you are a student considering the FoAP programme, or an institution seeking a tutor or QA consultant, Gaynor welcomes your enquiry. There is no charge for an initial discussion.