May Emeralds
One of the most highly prized gemstones in the world is emerald, the May birthstone. Emerald (a member of the beryl family, and first cousin to aquamarine) is fairly hard (71/2 – 8 on the Mohs scale) as gemstones go, although by no means truly durable, and is subject to chipping (or breakage) with relative...
The Jewelry Box Dilemma
I generally prefer a “soft” approach for recommendations regarding fine jewelry, but in this case, I’ll make an exception: Never, under any circumstances, use a jewelry box placed on or in your dresser for storage of your fine jewelry! I know it’s convenient, and a traditional jewelry box with all it’s little compartments works so very well doing exactly what it was designed to do,...
Gold Rush
It seems that everywhere you look, there’s an offer to buy your unwanted gold jewelry: pawn shops and jewelers, advertised “buying events”, mail-in offers, even kiosks at the mall — and each of them promises to pay top dollar! Fueled by the current state of the economy and the high price of gold, sellers are...
The Old Switcheroo Routine
One story everyone has heard is the tale of a jeweler “switching” a diamond, but let me set the record straight on this. Although there areseveral instances of this having happened, for every one jeweler that is both dumb and dishonest enough to even think of doing something like that, there are 5,000 others who...
January Jewels
With the holidays behind us, now would be a great time to see to it that your jewelry is in the best condition possible for the new year, and this may be easily accomplished with a professional inspection and cleaning of your jewelry. This is especially important for your most frequently-worn items, or those which employ the use of any sort of catch...
Safeguard Your Jewelry this Holiday Season
There are a few points regarding the well-being of your jewelry that are especially important at this time of year. Travel is often part of the agenda for the holidays, and you should exercise extra care with your jewelry if you plan on being away. First, try not to make it obvious that you’re not...
Be an Educated Consumer
There are many different aspects to think about when purchasing fine jewelry, but perhaps the first and foremost consideration should be the issue of trust. Nobody wants to pay too much for a purchase of anything, let alone jewelry — and most people want to be sure that they’re not buying something of poor quality...
Jewelry history: Write it down
If you know the history of your jewelry items, whether they be from 90 days ago or 90 years ago, it would be well worth the effort to document this for future generations. It’s wonderful to know the story behind a piece of family jewelry, and the best way to to be assured that the...
A balanced deal
Great lengths may be taken to assure that monetary (or property) holdings are included in your estate plans, but jewelry — one of the most contentious areas for heirs — is frequently overlooked. I have seen nasty rifts form in families that previously have never had any major issues at all, and the fault is purely from...
Jewelry and your estate
Among the most overlooked issues regarding jewelry that a person owns are those which concern their estate, or passing jewelry on to the next generation. It is unfortunate that for the most part, people either do not want to think about this, or they assume that their family will take care of material possessions, and...
Jewelry Security
Few people ever consider going on vacation without taking at least some jewelry with them, and this is where trouble may come calling — because, for the most part, there is no viable way to keep jewelry safe when traveling. Never leave jewelry in an unattended suitcase (or car trunk), locked or otherwise. If you bring jewelry when staying at a hotel, you need...
Taking security measures for your jewelry
With the current gold market over $1,600, home security measures should be strongly considered by anyone who owns fine jewelry. Every two-bit thief in the world is aware of the prices gold jewelry can now bring. Aside from general security measures, you should be aware that special care should be employed when keeping fine jewelry at home. In a burglary,...
