TIPS FOR BUYER AWARENESS WHEN PURCHASING JEWELRY DURING YOUR TRAVELS

You have heard the expression "buyer beware". When you are on vacation and venture out to shop, especially for jewelry, there are a few key things that you need to be aware of in order to make sure that you are safe and that you are not being ripped off or conned when purchasing a piece of jewelry.


1.Purchasing from a street/beach vendor does not guarantee that you are going to get a "bargain" in some cases people have paid much more from these vendors than if they would have purchased it from a reputable store. Also, there is no guarantee that the item is genuine. Sterling silver can be stamped 925, but could be metal. Also, the gemstone could be a simulated stone.

2.Do purchase your jewelry from a reputable store that has a return policy for merchandise that can be returned in a reasonable amount of time for a full refund, not a store credit if you are not satisfied with it.

3.Be aware of "deals". If the price is too good, be cautious.

4.When entering a jewelry shop make sure that no one follows you in or follows you out.

5.Never shop alone.

6.When making a purchase, especially an expensive piece, don't put it on to wear out of the store. You do not need to draw attention to yourself.

7.Be a good negotiator. Try to get the best bang for your buck. Even the finest jewelry shop will have some flexibility in price.

There are so many tourists that travel to destinations that are known for their beautiful beaches and 5 star hotels, but the citizens are dirt poor. You need to be very careful when shopping to insure your safety.

Tips for Insuring Your Jewelry

A standard homeowner’s policy will provide a limited amount of coverage up to a specified dollar amount as stated in your homeowner’s policy. Some losses may not be covered and that is why it is advisable to purchase additional coverage, also known as a floater.

When purchasing the extra floater insurance, an updated appraisal certificate and pictures of your jewelry will be required so the insurance company has them on file. The floater would cover those pieces if they would be lost, stolen, or in some cases, if you lose a stone, they would be covered under this policy.

It is very important that your jewelry is appraised by a certified appraiser. An appraisal certificate will outline all the details of the item, i.e. size of stone, karat of gold, weight, type of metal, unique features, current market value. It is also recommended to have the appraised pieces updated every 2-3 years because of the fluctuations in the gold market.

Imagine owning piece a piece of jewelry that was appraised several years ago with a replacement value of $2,000.00. Years pass and the value has increased to $4,500.00

Now if that piece is lost or stolen, and the appraisal is not current, the replacement value will be based on the $2,000.00 value.

Insurance companies have their preferred jewelers, also know as their preferred vendors and will indemnify you to your exact state before your loss. So for example, your 1kt VS1 diamond will be replaced with a 1kt VS1 diamond.

If your ring was insured for $6,500.00, and the insurance company can have it replaced for $5,500, you have the option to have their jeweler replace your ring or you could choose to have your own jeweler replace your piece. In the latter case, the insurance company would pay you out, also known as cash-out on the actual value—in this case you would receive $5,500—less your deductible, if applicable.

With regard to antique jewelry, which would be difficult to replace, the appraisal certificate would provide all the details and it would be based on the replacement value. You would receive a cash settlement.

Please note, this is a very GENERAL OVERVIEW and may not apply to your own specific insurer. I strongly recommend that you contact your individual agent to determine your insurance company’s specific policies with regards to insuring jewelry.

SLIDE BRACELETS - A PIECE OF WEARABLE HISTORY

There are specific types of jewelry that have historical significance as well as reflecting your own personal history. As one example, a charm bracelet, with its lifetime collection of charms can reveal quite a bit about you. Another type, which dates as far as the Victorian era, is the slide bracelet.

During the 19th century, women in England wore them as a fashion accessory. Since wrist watches were not created at that time, they wore heavy watches, often referred to as heavy hunting case watches, on a necklace. They added decorative “slides” to their chains which were placed under the watch that allowed them to shorten or lengthen the necklace by moving the slides up or down as well. Also, the slides prevented the watch from twisting and turning on the chain.

Women used to collect a variety of slides to match what they wore. Many of the slides were designed from old watch fobs that were engraved; others were set with gemstones and were very ornate. Other unique slides that were collected included stick pin heads that would be mounted on plain slides. Lucky for these ladies if there were a lot of men in their family who would give them their stick pins!

During the 1930’s, after the Victorian period, the watch slide became a very popular family heirloom. The 6-9 slides that were interchanged on a necklace were now being used to create a functional piece of jewelry; firstly as a time piece, but also as a fashionable bracelet. I am sure that most ladies never forgot to put on their watches, especially such exquisite pieces of wearable art. Very successful business men would reflect their affluence with the amount of jewelry that their wives wore and some ladies also wore slide bracelets on one arm and a watch slide on the other.

A slide bracelet is comprised of a double chain or cable bangle on to which a slide is placed. Slides have four drilled holes (two at both ends) so that the chain or cable can slide through. Many vintage slides had a small piece of cork placed within to hold it in place on the chain. Today, they are held in place with spacers such as beads that are placed between each slide.

Outsmarting a Potential Home Invading Jewelry Thief - Part 2

Thre are several things you can still do at home to outsmart a jewel thief .Other “home-remedy” solutions would be to place your jewelry in Ziploc bags and hide them under sheets, towels, decorative zippered pillows, rolled into your socks. You can also store your jewels in the bottom of a bin that holds seasonal clothes, Christmas decorations and craft supplies. Tennis anyone….by cutting a slit into a tennis ball and squeezing it open you can place small items in. Your children’s stuffed animals are another less conspicuous place—simply open a seam, slide your jewelry in and re-stitch.

Be sure to keep a list of where your jewelry is hidden and in what. In the worst case scenario, if a thief is clever enough to figure out a decoy’s spot, remember, time is not in his favor, so he would grab and run perhaps with only 1 piece of jewelry rather than your entire lifetime collection.

Many people invest in actual safes—keep in mind that a small safe that can hide in a closet is portable and can easily be carried away. A larger safe is very heavy, and while it can’t be carried away, they are harder to hide and take up a lot of space.

I personally favor safes that have a drilled space in a floor—a.k.a. floor safes. They are not portable, they are hidden and you can cover them. Ideally, they are located in basements because they can be drilled through concrete. These safes are smaller than your average wall or full standing safe, but they cannot be carried away, they are out of visual sight and therefore, concealed from a potential thief.

Many people have home alarm systems and while there are no guarantees that your home would not be burglarized, it could deter from a potential home invasion since signs are posted on windows or doors. However, if a burglar broke into a home, he would only have 2-3 minutes to find the valuables before the police would show up. If they would come across a safe, they wouldn’t have the time to open it, nor the time to ransack a home to find jewelry, if they are hidden out of sight.

With these suggestions in mind, I sincerely hope that your favorite and cherished jewels are safe for your enjoyment for many years to come.

www.artisanjewelshop.com
www.eternalfinejewels.rubylane.com

How to Outsmart A Potential Home-Invading Jewelry Thief - Part 1

How well is your jewelry hidden at home? Do you have hiding places? The most obvious place for a thief to find your jewelry in your home is your bedroom, namely in your jewelry box located on top of your dresser.

Try to hide your jewelry throughout your home in various locations. There are unique “props” also known as gimmick gadgets that are made to resemble actual famous brand name products. You can hide your jewelry in them. These containers are replicas of the actual product—i.e. cans of food, household cleansers—these can be kept in their obvious locations. A pop can safe can be kept in the fridge with your other pop drinks, or a cleanser product safe, under your sink with other cleansers. These locations are much less conspicuous.

Other clever prop safes are fruits, vegetables, hollow books, stacks of C.D.’s, rocks, planters. One of my favorites is the replica of an electrical outlet that can be screwed into any wall in any room.

These replicas are not expensive and displayed in the appropriate spots where they look natural do not arouse suspicion from a potential thief.

Next Week - Part 2

www.artisanjewelshop.com
www.eternalfinejewels.rubylane.com

Out of This World Gemstone Combinations

When you go into a jewelry store, some of the most common gemstone combinations you will see are diamonds set with pearls, rubies, emeralds and sapphires.

If you are planning to have a custom piece of jewelry made for yourself, think outside the box of what is tradition and consider some spectacular gemstone options.

There is an incredible variety of gemstones that can be combined to create a unique masterpiece. You will be amazed to discover the unbelievable combinations. Look at the colors in your wardrobe and see what combinations you wear that can inspire you.

Clear stones can be combined with opaque or translucent stones. Gemstones that have natural inclusions can be combined with clear stones.

Gemstones of similar colors can be set together to compliment or enhance each other's color, i.e. lime green peridot with emeralds, light blue aquamarine with sky blue topaz, pink tourmaline with rubies.

One of my favorite stones is moonstone. It can be combined with opals and sapphires for a truly magical combination. One of the intriguing features of moonstone is the stone's shimmer--the magical glow that glides across the surface of the stone (a.k.a adularescence) when combined with an opal with its brilliant flashes of color or the sparkle and blue of a sapphire--makes for a stunning and radiant piece of jewelry that will certainly command its fair share of compliments.

Be flamboyant, adventurous, free-spirited and have fun in exploring all the dimensions of gemstones' colors.

I would love to hear from you and what some of your favorite combinations are.

Baya,

www.artianjewelshop.com

www.eternalfinejewels.rubylane.com

Pairing Gold with Silver Equals Affordability

With the soaring price of gold and no indication that the prices will go down, prices have only escalated on jewelry. This translates into hesitation in purchasing gold jewelry since your buying power may be more limited.

An option that I would like to suggest and for you to consider, if you are looking to acquire a quality piece of jewelry with a limited budget, is to look at silver/gold combined jewelry.

Aesthetically it is a very attractive and a classy combination and also very practical since you can wear your existing gold and silver jewelry together with it. If you strictly wear white gold jewelry then this is a win-win combination since it will look like so natural beside your silver jewelry, as well, the accenting gold can also be white. You can choose which ever carat and color of gold you would like combined.

In our jewelry combinations, we use 9kt - 10kt gold because it keeps the price down. We also use pink gold since we find this color so attractive and alluring beside silver. The cool and sleek look of silver beside the warm and elegant glow of pink has such an appealing and elegant look together.

Most importantly, the AFFORDABILITY factor is the KEY reason for the co-blending of these two beautiful metals. The same gemstone gold ring can cost you hundreds more, say for example $450.00, while its alternative can cost you $150.00.

You see, purchasing a quality piece of jewelry can be quite affordable with a little ingenuity, leaving you with a nice chunk of change in your bank account :)

I welcome any inquiries or questions.

Stay in the positive,

Baya
http://www.eternalfinejewels.rubylane.com/
http://www.artisanjewelshop.com/