Isn’t It Obvious?

I’m back on the island and in the saddle again (my workbench). It’s nice to be missed - in less than 48 hours, my shop got buried with customers bringing in dead watches or broken jewelry after we reopened from our annual vacation. We close two weeks in September, FYI for those of you who are relatively new to the island, September here in aka “Mayberry with Sand,” is historically without a doubt the quietest and least profitable business month of the year. I remember twenty years ago (and apparently last month!) a person could pretty much rollerblade or bike down Collier Boulevard in one’s birthday suit and no one would even notice. That being said, my shop, among many other island establishments that usually close for a couple of weeks in the Sleepy Snoozy month of September to not only rest up for the oncoming onslaught of another season or avoid the pain and anguish of being open for no apparent reason. I have done it… oh, for over twenty-nine years now. It’s still amazing after all that time, my staff or I still get lambasted for the audacity of “taking time off.”

Kinda funny when there is a large sign on a locked door and behind that door a darkened jewelry store with next to no jewelry on display, stripped showcases that most normal folks peering in would say, “Gee, they must be closed for vacation!” Then there are those who will continue to pull on the door until it practically comes off the hinges and when it refuses to open, pull out their cell phones and leave an inquiring recording on the shop answering machine even after they hear the outgoing message that specifically mentions we are closed and on vacation until such and such a time and please don’t leave any messages because no one will be around to respond to it. The reason is because we are thousands of miles away in some far-away exotic place other than here. Besides, in all my years in the business, I have yet to respond to a jewelry mishap that is a matter of life or death. 

Upon returning on October 2nd, I played back numerous messages - some were nice, saying enjoy your vacation, some were not so nice, which I instantly deleted and optioned not to return their call.

Even with the two-week break, the unusual tone of the shop did not miss a beat. I still got the nighttime zombie day walkers wandering in and then I had two customers only a day apart who decided I would be the person that could help them with their particular Bed, Bath and Beyond “kitchenware” problem and waited two weeks with bated breath while I was away because they needed my immediate attention????? Sorry folks, pots and pans not my thing… wrong person, wrong store and wrong planet. And of course the usual... “I bought this from so and so while you were away and I was wondering if you could tell whether or I got a good deal or not and what’s it worth?” 

That’s all just fine and dandy, it’s the price you pay for being a media know-it-all super-jeweler. I rarely have a nice, quiet romantic dinner with my wife where we are interrupted by some person who sticks a recent purchase in my face at the moment I just happen to have a mouth full of linguine. “Oh! Aren’t you the jeweler? Can you tell me what this is worth?”I have to yell it from the rooftops! Stop the madness! Please stop buying crappy lightweight gold hollow chains or bracelets from anyone, anywhere, for any amount of money. It’s a total waste of hard-earned money. They break or crush within hours of wearing and are impossible and expensive to repair, only to fall apart later in another spot somewhere else and quite frankly, I refuse to accept the poor excuse for jewelry as some unhappy folks have found out. Save your money and buy a solid link or at least a heavier hollow link.

Last month, I came across a couple that unknowingly purchased hollow 10 karat gold wedding bands online (seriously?) and wondered why, only two months into the marriage, the rings were all crushed and dented.

Drop into our shop anytime – my experienced staff or yours truly will be happy to personally advise or point out the difference between fine, good and poor quality gold jewelry, diamonds or precious gemstones to those of you in the near future who are considering making an important purchase.