Practice Safe Jewelry Adornment

It’s the brand-new season of “23” and the island is off to a brilliant start. Lots of my regular clients have already been in for holiday gala cleanings and inspections, and a lot of new faces have come in who apparently have taken my advice to have your jewelry checked for security while enjoying all the things that Southwest Florida and Marco Island can offer.

I recently waited on a very sad customer who had lost a spectacular two carat in and out diamond hoop earring - her earrings were four carat total. The earring catch must have been out of adjustment and that may have caused the loss - something I could have easily remedied - if she had come in before the mishap. Nice jewelry is very expensive nowadays. One has to be sure catches are catching and prongs are doing what they were designed to do; hold your diamonds or precious gems in your ring, pendant and whatever. I know, I know you are too busy to do something like that. Problem is you wear that same diamond ring day in and day out, rarely take it off and see it on your finger every day. Just tell me one thing…do you really look at it closely? Here are a few suggestions to do a simple check to prevent future traumatic stone loss. If it’s a four or six prong setting, are all prongs present and accounted for? If it’s a four prong and only one is missing, consider yourself lucky you did not lose your diamond. Next is to check your prongs for excessive wear (remember now, you have been wearing that ring every day since you married what’s his name!) Prongs wear down just like the tires on your car. If they are yellow gold, especially 18kt. yellow gold, they will wear much faster than traditional platinum or white gold prongs. As the decades slide by, believe me, your rings will need some attention. Some ladies' rings last longer than others. I noticed over the years that nurses and bartenders really do a number on their rings. Also, if your prongs seem to be snagging on clothing more than likely there is a prong missing or they are severely worn.

It’s not the end of the world if your precious diamond ring needs some T.L.C. For something as minor as one prong, it can be re-tipped; for severe loss or wear it is a better idea to replace the entire worn out “head” (all the prongs in one unit) with a new head. This process requires removing the old head and diamond or gem, replacing and resetting your diamond. I do dozens of these in any given week. The cost is according to the diamond size usually $100 and up. It is economically smarter to do that maintenance than having to replace a more costly diamond you may or may not have insured.

In the past I have had some ladies and gent’s come in for “prong checks” and a cleaning only to find out the suction of the dirt and grime were the only things holding the diamond(s) in - all or most of the prongs were long gone! 

If you are anything like me, and the eyes are not what they used to be, come on in! I have a magnifier hooked up to a TV screen where you can see any wear and tear on your pieces up close and personal.

It is so crucial that the clasp, especially an expensive diamond tennis bracelet, is functioning, especially the secondary safety catch. If you don’t have a safety, I highly suggest you add one. Personally, I’m not a big fan of installing safety chains; they are more of a hindrance than a help with that chain hanging down and snagging on everything. There are other ways to ensure peace of mind that I can suggest.

Decent good quality clasps and catches on chains that hold valuable pieces are also a necessity. A cheap flimsy spring ring on that chain holding a valuable diamond pendant is a sure way to eventually lose it. It’s a simple philosophy…easy on, easy off! Sure, some of the better quality clasps are harder to clasp or unclasp - that’s the whole idea!

I suggest a nice quality lobster claw style clasp for most chains. For those of you with less dexterity I can use a large clasp with a larger ring on the other end to give you the opportunity of a bigger target when catching the catch. The safest catch I can recommend you can use is a box or barrel clasp that has both a plunger and a figure eight safety catch incorporated in one unit, a must for expensive single diamonds on a neck chain. 

Now back to earrings. No matter how an earring is worn there is a safety system involved, whether it’s a wire or a post or a clip on, something has to hold it on or in the ear. Many ladies overlook the fact it’s not safe and secure while wearing. Well, that explains why so many of you have that single earring collection in your jewelry box. Push on friction backs should push on with some effort and fit snugly; if they go on loose, there's a good chance you will lose one. Most gold and even diamond stud earrings sold today have horrendously lightweight wicked cheap friction backs! I suggest you toss them and get yourself a sturdier pair that fits safe and snug. Ear wires with no safety system except you slide them in your earlobe can be a problem; there are clear silicone rubber stoppers you can slide on behind the ear to prevent loss. There are a multitude of other in-the-ear systems; some are spring loaded, some work simply by friction or tension and some actually snap on. These types are infamous for loss when out of adjustment and that occurs very easily - the mechanisms tolerance for closure is nearly immeasurable. You bent the post even slightly on a “huggie” style earring, for example, and it may appear to be securely on when in fact there was no click, snap or something you must feel or hear when putting them on. Loss is inevitable. Spring loaded ear wires can lose their spring (get rusted) or get bent out of alignment, also an easy adjustment to fix. 

Nothing is sadder than losing a cherished piece of jewelry especially when it could have been prevented by simply being aware. As I mentioned before, fine jewelry is expensive today and it is even more aggravatingly painful losing your favorite piece of jewelry that could have been avoided with a new set of friction backs or a simple inspection.