On a daily basis we have people come into our stores asking for appraisals, fair market values, evaluations or if an item is “real”.  Each of these terms has different connotations for us, so I thought sharing those details might be helpful.

Appraisals.  In our world when we talk about appraisals, we refer to Insurance Appraisals.  This is a researched document written by a certified appraiser.  It includes specific weights and measurements on the piece of jewelry in question and the amount of money it would cost to replace it if it was lost or stolen. It also includes a color photograph of the item.

Fair Market Value refers to the amount of money that an item could reasonably be sold for as a used piece of jewelry.  This term generally applies to estate jewelry that needs to be divided between parties.

Evaluations, in our stores, refer to the amount of money we would be willing to offer on a cash out basis.  We use this term when clients are interested in selling their items outright, and it is usually based on the melt value of the metal.  Melt value means the amount that we will receive from the refiner when we send the metal in (much like recycling aluminum cans).

Is it real?  This question usually follows a statement such as, “I found this at the lake…is it real?”  In most cases we can determine right at the counter, whether an item is made of a precious metal or not.  Determining whether or not it’s a precious gem may require some further testing.

We can help with all of the above questions, and we are happy to assist you determine “if it’s real” and if you need an appraisal, an evaluation, or if you should just wear it and enjoy it!

First of all, don’t panic.   There are a few tactics you can use to look for your missing stone.

First, retrace your steps.  While you’re looking, turn off the lights and get down to floor level with a flashlight.  By getting down to ground level, with the light, you increase the odds of catching that little wink of reflection that will lead you to your stone.

Second, if you’ve vacuumed recently, remove the vacuum bag and sift it out, over a towel covered surface so nothing bounces out again.

Third, check the dryer.  I’ve heard that the dryer is the number one place that people lose their stones.

Finally, take a deep breath and sit down.  As with any task that we undertake, when we approach it in a frenzied manner we don’t tend to get very far.  By the same token, when we calm down and develop a plan we can be much more effective.

Ideally, we’d love you all to avoid losing your stones in the first place.  Bring your jewelry in for cleaning and inspection any time.  With good maintenance we can usually avoid the loss in the first place.

To wrap up on a happy note, I’ll  share the following story.   I once had a customer come in the store to have her scheduled inspection performed.  She told me that she now has it checked at least every six months, since her horrible ordeal.  She told me how she lost her diamond and using the above ideas she searched everywhere in her home.  She couldn’t find it.  Finally, having all but given up, she decided to make herself a sandwich.  She opened the bag of lunch meat, and lo and behold, there was her diamond, just waiting for her, nestled amongst the salami.

How many of you have been on a business trip that ended up being a waste of time, despite promises to the contrary?  Well, our trip to Stuller, Inc. in Lafayette, LA was NOT THAT TRIP!!!!  We were greeted with Southern hospitality at its finest, combined with presentations and instruction on ways to bring technology into our business.  Stuller has developed a CAD program that will enable us to design custom work with our customers, right at the counter!  The hardware and software will be arriving shortly, so be on the lookout for its debut!  They also showed us some tools on their website that will allow us to quote accurate pricing in real time, even with the volatile metals market.  In addition to the computer work we were introduced to, we also did a little studying on the topic of change in general.  The jewelry industry has long been viewed as an industry steeped in tradition and slow to change.  We’ll keep the tradition, but after that few days in Louisiana we are ready to change and improve our service and offerings to best serve our clients.  We returned home and to our store energized and ready to tackle change , though we gained a few pounds due to the shrimp, crab and crawfish, all the knowledge we gained was well worth it!

Just the mention of pearls makes many people instantly conjure images of little, old grandmothers with ropes of pearls on to compliment lace collars.  I’m here to tell you that there is much more to the world of pearls than that!  Although the traditional round, white, saltwater cultured pearl is still as timely and appropriate as ever, it’s not the only pearl on the beach.

South Sea pearls and freshwater pearls come in all  shapes, sizes and colors. With some widely accepted treatments pearls even come in red, blue, purple, green, and chocolate. With all of these choices there is bound to be a pearl that’s just right, even for the pearl skeptic.

If you’re one of the lucky who claim June as their birth month, then you get to claim pearl a your birthstone.   Whether pearl is your

birthstone or not, if you enjoy them you are in good company.  The ancient Greeks believed that Aphrodite, the goddess of sensuality and beauty loved pearls.  With an endorsement like that, who could help but be enamored with pearls in all of their varied and lovely forms.

To keep your pearls in great shape they should be cleaned and inspected by your jeweler at least twice a year.  Strands of pearls should be restrung when their silk starts to fray or when the pearls move freely between the knots.

There is an old saying that dog is man’s best friend.  Around here, we couldn’t agree more!  We have lots of dog-friends who regularly come in to the store to say hello and of course, to have their cookie!  Brenda keeps a drawer full of dog treats so we are prepared for any and all doggie visits.  We consider ourselves a dog friendly business, not because it’s trendy or because we think it will encourage purchases, rather because we really believe that our dog companions make our lives better.  We have rejoiced with our clients when new dogs join their families and we have cried with them when their dogs have moved out of their lives.  In all cases we feel fortunate to share these doggie experiences with our clients and friends.  We’d love to meet your dog too!

Why is it that the people in our lives who we love the most often present the biggest gift giving dilemmas?   Perhaps it is because they mean so much to us that we want to be sure to get it right.  Well the good news is, when it comes to moms, the answer is easy.  If it comes from your heart, then it’s the perfect gift.  I’d love to say that the perfect gift is always jewelry, and for my mom, it is.  However, for your mom, it might not be.  The secret is to do something from your heart and do it with your whole heart and Mom will love it.  Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!

We recommend that our clients have their jewelry inspected and cleaned every six months.  We suggest this for a few reasons. First, close inspection allows us to make sure that the stones are tight, the prongs are in good order and that clasps and safety locks are all in serviceable order.  Just like our mechanics recommend routine maintenance on our cars, maintenance on jewelry enables us to circumvent problems before they arise.  By inspecting prongs on diamonds and other gem stones we are able to repair them when necessary, before the stones fall out.  Secondly, bringing your jewelry in to us allows us to polish and deep clean your treasures so they continue to look their best.  As always, cleaning and inspection is a free service that we offer, so take us up on that offer and come in to have your jewelry cleaned and checked today.

The Secret Lies in knowing and trusting your jeweler.  It’s really that simple.  When you walk into a jewelry store you should feel comfortable with the store and the people.  After that, everything else will jsut fall into place.