A professional who estimates pawn or pledge value of articles, such as jewelry, cameras, and musical instruments, and lends money to customer. Responsibilities include:

• Examines article to determine condition and worth.
• Weighs gold or silver articles on coin scales or employs acid tests to determine carat content and purity to verify value of articles.
• Inspects diamonds and other gems for flaws and color, using loupe (magnifying glass).
• Assigns pledge value to article based on knowledge of values or listing of wholesale prices.
• Rejects articles in unsatisfactory condition or having no pledge value.
• Issues pledge tickets and keeps record of loans.
• Computes interest when pledges are redeemed or extended.
• Sells unredeemed pledged items.
• May examine customer's identification and record thumbprints for police reports.
• May testify in court proceedings involving stolen merchandise.