“Dad! Can you Fix This?”

I swear I say this 10 times a day sometimes. You wouldn’t believe the condition of people’s jewelrywhen they bring it to us. I have to ask them “What did you do to this?” The answers are always comical. Last week a lady told me she was wearing her heirloom hollow bangle that was 100 years old on the ski slope! It had a giant hole in it and was a mess! My dad took one look at it and asked her if she hit a tree! If you are wearing a sentimental piece of jewelry, we recommend removing it when you are doing risky things such as propelling yourself down an icy mountaintop. 

This is a very active community, my customers are busy! They’re worldly and sporty. When I’m selling a piece of jewelry I always inquire about their activity level. Especially when it’s a piece of jewelry worn daily such as a wedding ring! Nurses and servers and bartenders are notoriously rough on their jewelry, and we take this into consideration when designing their pieces. Many women (against our recommendations) never remove their jewelry. Many women gain weight through the years and don’t realize they can’t remove their ring anymore. Cutting rings off can be very traumatic to the ring and the small diamonds. Eternity rings have to be nearly destroyed in order to cut it off and remove it. My suggestion is to take it off once a day; buy a pretty dish to store it safely when not wearing it. It’s not a big deal; you’re still a married woman even without your ring on! Whatever you do, do not lay them next to the sink near the garbage disposal. This is a disaster waiting to happen.I have honestly lost count how many times horrified customers come in and hand me what used to be a diamond engagement ring or a wedding band after it took a spin in the disposal. I think the only thing worse would be placing them in a wood chipper. This is never an easy fix and can get quite expensive especially when your diamonds get chewed up. 

People choose not to remove their rings because they are afraid of losing them. This is why I recommend a decorative dish in a safe spot and making this the only place you lay down your ring. It quickly becomes a good habit. Some catastrophic repairs are possible but cost prohibitive. I’ve had flattened rings brought in for us to fix. They were somehow run over by a car and beyond repair. I have no idea how this happens,but it happens a lot. Sometimes, I wonder if perhaps there was an argument and the ring was flattened on purpose in spite. But I never ask. Unfortunately, when items are damaged this much the cost to fix it is more than the item is worth.The higher cost of gold and labor has really made this a problem for folks. One time, a lady came in with her four carat marquis cut diamond. She had broken the diamond almost in half. My father had sold her the diamond a little over a year ago; she complained he sold her a “soft diamond”! Once he got the truth about what happened, it had nothing to do with the softness of our diamond. She and her husband were building a concrete retaining wall by the pool and she just happened to drop a cinder block on the diamond ring. Ouch! 

Some of my lady customers are so clever it always cracks me up. Last year during Christmaswe had a husband arrive with the explicit instructions to pick out a piece of jewelry from our window as a gift. Anything would work. He was so relieved to have some sense of direction when he asked her what she would like for Christmas. Our window is packed with so many pretty designs, stroll by and have a look! Last Valentine’s Day, we called a woman to tell her to pick up a repair we had ready. Her husband showed up later that day to pick it up and mentioned that he thinks he was supposed to pick something out for her as a gift that day. I was tickled by this! Smart lady! Honestly, this is the best part of my job. I love it when people come in and merrily shop. Gift giving should be a fun experience, a modern-day treasure hunt. We love it when people come in to browse and ask questions. I’m excited to share my knowledge and make recommendations. 

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, thank you so much for continuing to patronize our little shop filled with big treasures! We look forward to seeing you in the new year!