We've touched on some of the ins and outs of getting your jewelry repaired....how about some info on repair charges. We'll jump right in...on average to get a ring size smaller expect to pay around $25.00 give or take a couple of bucks. Platinum will be about 3 times this amount...so think before you dive into a platinum wedding set or heavy band.
Chain repair can vary also depending on the type of chain, ie. hollow, solid, heavy, etc. Expect to pay around $15 to 20 for a chain solder. Of course if you need other parts like a new lobster claw clasp, those can get you for between $20 to 100 installed, depending on the size. The little loops or 'dog ears' on the ends of chains will set you back $18 to 35 or so, dictated by the width of your chain.
If you need prongs on a diamond re tipped most places charge $15 to 25 for the first tip and a little less for each additional. Sometimes it's better to just get the entire head or crown or setting, whatever you want to call it, replaced so that you are starting out with all new 4 or 6 prongs....here again, the size of the stone dictates what a new setting will run you. Let's say you have a 1/4 (.25) carat diamond and you want to replace the head, four or six prong. Ball park charges will probably be around $75 to 95. All these charges can be and are affected by geographical locale and individual companies. Remember, if you have one or more pieces you are taking in at the same time, try to wheel and deal on the charges to get your best price...schmooze them up a bit with,"well, I'd like to keep coming here for my repairs and jewelry." or "That sounds kind of high, is that the best you can do, I have more pieces to bring in and I'd like to see if the work on this piece goes satisfactorily". No need to be mean or rude, it's business, just get the best deal you can.
Onward, what if you are in the market for a new solitaire mounting, just a simple four or six prong one stone ring. Most stores pay between $40 and 50 for a new one nowadays unless they make their own. So they will mark it up to around $120 to 150 or more....this can be negotiated as well....why not!! If you are buying a loose diamond from a store, try to get them to toss in the solitaire at no charge....some do this without asking, others will discount it...you never know.
Getting screw posts put onto a pair of pierced earrings can run around $75 dollars. If they are not diamond, sapphire or ruby the stones might have to be removed and that adds to the charges. Personally, I recommend a nice post with a heavier friction back or the more expensive "Poussette" setup. These are a double notched post with a clutch type back that locks on more securely. WHEW ! Break time.......
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Dare to Repair!? Part I of ?
Shall we delve into the somewhat confusing area of getting your jewelry repaired in an expert fashion and at a reasonable price. Can these two things be had together? Well sure, but you have to educate yourself a bit and possibly shop around to compare services and prices. OR possibly you have a friend who has already done all the work and you absolutely trust their judgement and will accept their recommendation of a good repair shop.
First some generalities I suppose. >Good expert jewelry repair is not cheap unless you have a friend like me in the business who can do it dirt cheap, sometimes free. >One fairly good thing about a corporate or chain store is that the prices should be fairly uniform, ie. if you use them in St. Louis for a repair, the charges should be about the same if you use them in Cleveland. >I would recommend using a store with an 'in store' jeweler, this way your valuables shouldn't leave the store and should get locked in their vault at night. >It's your property so ask about the jeweler doing the work....how long have they been a jeweler?....how long have they been with the company ?....do they do all the work on the premises?.....Don't leave it if the jeweler takes it home (not too likely they would tell you this anyway). >If the store has an affiliation with AGS or GIA this is good because they must meet certain standards to qualify for these affiliations; however, there are many very good stores with repair shops that do fine work without these relationships. >Read the fine print on the repair envelope before you sign....will the store be responsible if they damage a diamond or precious stone?....Make sure you put a correct value for your piece on the repair slip....this helps protect you if they lose your item or damage it beyond repair and have to replace it. >If your item has a large diamond in it make sure the person checking it in does what they call "mapping the stone"....they look at it under magnification and make notations of every little identifying characteristic....this way when it comes back from repair, you can check it again to verify it is indeed the same stone.
On to part II very soon. Thanks for visiting.
First some generalities I suppose. >Good expert jewelry repair is not cheap unless you have a friend like me in the business who can do it dirt cheap, sometimes free. >One fairly good thing about a corporate or chain store is that the prices should be fairly uniform, ie. if you use them in St. Louis for a repair, the charges should be about the same if you use them in Cleveland. >I would recommend using a store with an 'in store' jeweler, this way your valuables shouldn't leave the store and should get locked in their vault at night. >It's your property so ask about the jeweler doing the work....how long have they been a jeweler?....how long have they been with the company ?....do they do all the work on the premises?.....Don't leave it if the jeweler takes it home (not too likely they would tell you this anyway). >If the store has an affiliation with AGS or GIA this is good because they must meet certain standards to qualify for these affiliations; however, there are many very good stores with repair shops that do fine work without these relationships. >Read the fine print on the repair envelope before you sign....will the store be responsible if they damage a diamond or precious stone?....Make sure you put a correct value for your piece on the repair slip....this helps protect you if they lose your item or damage it beyond repair and have to replace it. >If your item has a large diamond in it make sure the person checking it in does what they call "mapping the stone"....they look at it under magnification and make notations of every little identifying characteristic....this way when it comes back from repair, you can check it again to verify it is indeed the same stone.
On to part II very soon. Thanks for visiting.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Metals, schmetals!! What's in Jewelry?
Today there are such a variety of metals to choose from for your jewelry, let's get some facts and some recommendations.
I'm one who believes in sticking with the basics and with what works, but let's check out most of it anyway.
Most jewelry is made of either gold or platinum...that is MOST jewelry. There are many variations we can delve into later. If you're looking to buy wedding rings and you want them to be gold you have several choices. Jewelry sold in the U.S. has to be at least 10K to be legal. Jewelry stores have been selling more 10K over the past few years because of the price. 10K gold is only about 42% gold, this is why I don't like it. If you're on a budget then this might be the way to go, it looks the same but since it has more copper and other metals in it you may be prone to more tarnish or coloration on your finger. Yes, gold can get a little tarnished...not pure gold.
Gold that is 14K is a little more than 58% gold, so your money gets you more gold and less 'other' metals. This is the karat that is the most popular for jewelery making in this country. It is very durable, looks good and repairs easily.
18K gold is 75% gold and is much more yellow and somewhat softer than 10 or 14. You'll find more 18K in more European, Asian and middle eastern jewelry. Also more expensive items use 18K more extensively.
It is possible to find items made of 22K but they are very expensive and not as durable. When you see a 22K piece the color almost makes it seem fake since we in this country aren't used to seeing gold jewelry made of almost pure gold.
OK, what about white gold? I dislike it almost as much as 10K. First, there is no such thing as naturally occuring white gold. It is merely gold with so much nickel and other metals added that it gives the appearance of being white. Second, so called white gold must be rhodium plated to give it the white color you see in jewelry stores. Some people are allergic to nickel and you should take this into account before you buy. The Europeans seem to be ahead of us in this area by passing stricter regulation governing the amount of nickel, to protect the general white gold buying public. White gold comes in 10, 14 and 18K and is harder to work with and must be maintained with the rhodium plating if you want to maintain the whitest finish.
We'll take a breather...and I'll bombard you with more info and opinions next time.
I'm one who believes in sticking with the basics and with what works, but let's check out most of it anyway.
Most jewelry is made of either gold or platinum...that is MOST jewelry. There are many variations we can delve into later. If you're looking to buy wedding rings and you want them to be gold you have several choices. Jewelry sold in the U.S. has to be at least 10K to be legal. Jewelry stores have been selling more 10K over the past few years because of the price. 10K gold is only about 42% gold, this is why I don't like it. If you're on a budget then this might be the way to go, it looks the same but since it has more copper and other metals in it you may be prone to more tarnish or coloration on your finger. Yes, gold can get a little tarnished...not pure gold.
Gold that is 14K is a little more than 58% gold, so your money gets you more gold and less 'other' metals. This is the karat that is the most popular for jewelery making in this country. It is very durable, looks good and repairs easily.
18K gold is 75% gold and is much more yellow and somewhat softer than 10 or 14. You'll find more 18K in more European, Asian and middle eastern jewelry. Also more expensive items use 18K more extensively.
It is possible to find items made of 22K but they are very expensive and not as durable. When you see a 22K piece the color almost makes it seem fake since we in this country aren't used to seeing gold jewelry made of almost pure gold.
OK, what about white gold? I dislike it almost as much as 10K. First, there is no such thing as naturally occuring white gold. It is merely gold with so much nickel and other metals added that it gives the appearance of being white. Second, so called white gold must be rhodium plated to give it the white color you see in jewelry stores. Some people are allergic to nickel and you should take this into account before you buy. The Europeans seem to be ahead of us in this area by passing stricter regulation governing the amount of nickel, to protect the general white gold buying public. White gold comes in 10, 14 and 18K and is harder to work with and must be maintained with the rhodium plating if you want to maintain the whitest finish.
We'll take a breather...and I'll bombard you with more info and opinions next time.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Quick Facts Before Christmas
With Christmas so close, at least retail wise, let's cut to the chase for those jewelry shoppers out there.
Right now and in the next few weeks the jewelry companies really want and need your business. You can grab your best deals close to the end of this month and in the last week before Christmas. There is going to be all kinds of sales going on now through December.
Try to make a decision on what you want to look for and pick a couple of jewelers to check out.
You can usually deal with the chain stores or mom and pop stores easier than the jewelry departments in department stores.
When you find a piece you like and they say they'll give you 20% off, there's your starting point. Fact is if you press them you can get another 5-10% off. If you're not talking to the manager, ask to do so and tell him you know he can do better than 20%. If he doesn't want to go there ask him if he would call his boss, usually the district manager, and get the approval for the additional discount. If you get it, great and at that point pull out any coupons or special promotional discounts to help out your deal even more. If he won't budge and won't call for an additional approval, walk away. At the end of the month they would rather lose a finger than miss a sale and they don't want to lose anyone to the competition. You're playing hardball and you'll probably get the deal.
Here's one of the reasons why: Most jewelry is marked up 3 to 4 times the cost!!
So it's not going to kill their profit margin to give you 25 to 30% off to make a sale, you'll find this especially true on large ticket items. Go for it!! And good hunting.
Right now and in the next few weeks the jewelry companies really want and need your business. You can grab your best deals close to the end of this month and in the last week before Christmas. There is going to be all kinds of sales going on now through December.
Try to make a decision on what you want to look for and pick a couple of jewelers to check out.
You can usually deal with the chain stores or mom and pop stores easier than the jewelry departments in department stores.
When you find a piece you like and they say they'll give you 20% off, there's your starting point. Fact is if you press them you can get another 5-10% off. If you're not talking to the manager, ask to do so and tell him you know he can do better than 20%. If he doesn't want to go there ask him if he would call his boss, usually the district manager, and get the approval for the additional discount. If you get it, great and at that point pull out any coupons or special promotional discounts to help out your deal even more. If he won't budge and won't call for an additional approval, walk away. At the end of the month they would rather lose a finger than miss a sale and they don't want to lose anyone to the competition. You're playing hardball and you'll probably get the deal.
Here's one of the reasons why: Most jewelry is marked up 3 to 4 times the cost!!
So it's not going to kill their profit margin to give you 25 to 30% off to make a sale, you'll find this especially true on large ticket items. Go for it!! And good hunting.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Why a Jewelry Information Blog??
Why a jewelry info blog? Because everyday I go to work and I am amazed at the lack of knowledge most customers have when venturing out to buy, what can turn out to be, something that is quite expensive. People put a lot more effort into researching a new car or a toaster than they do jewelry.
Which brings up another important point. Most customers rely on salespeople to educate them on buying jewelry. In some cases this is ok, provided the salesperson is better informed than the customer.
So, I'm basically saying, walk into that jewelry store armed with enough knowledge to defend yourself! Which brings us back to the reason I thought this blog was a good idea.
Honest information you as a potential jewelry customer can actually use.
******************
Finding an honest reliable jeweler isn't all that difficult. Look at some of the ads in the yellow pages and you'll see all kinds of possibilities. From mom and pop stores to all the major chains. Street side shops to large chain stores in all the malls.
I've worked in about every category of jewelry store and what it comes down to is the integrity, honesty and attitudes that prevail in a store or company.
Personally when I walk through the door of a jewelry store I don't want any pressure...I want to be greeted in the first few seconds, that way my presence has been acknowledged, OK I'm good with that. Next they'll either say,"Welcome to (fill in the blank)" or ask you what you might be looking for, about like any other type of store.
I look around, is the place clean and organized. Is the glass all clean and the cases look good...this is a sign the manager keeps the staff busy and he cares about his store. Does the staff seem happy and eager to help people or are they all talking on the phone or to each other....you don't have to be a genius to figure out the negative indicators here.
Let's continue tomorrow..................................
Which brings up another important point. Most customers rely on salespeople to educate them on buying jewelry. In some cases this is ok, provided the salesperson is better informed than the customer.
So, I'm basically saying, walk into that jewelry store armed with enough knowledge to defend yourself! Which brings us back to the reason I thought this blog was a good idea.
Honest information you as a potential jewelry customer can actually use.
******************
Finding an honest reliable jeweler isn't all that difficult. Look at some of the ads in the yellow pages and you'll see all kinds of possibilities. From mom and pop stores to all the major chains. Street side shops to large chain stores in all the malls.
I've worked in about every category of jewelry store and what it comes down to is the integrity, honesty and attitudes that prevail in a store or company.
Personally when I walk through the door of a jewelry store I don't want any pressure...I want to be greeted in the first few seconds, that way my presence has been acknowledged, OK I'm good with that. Next they'll either say,"Welcome to (fill in the blank)" or ask you what you might be looking for, about like any other type of store.
I look around, is the place clean and organized. Is the glass all clean and the cases look good...this is a sign the manager keeps the staff busy and he cares about his store. Does the staff seem happy and eager to help people or are they all talking on the phone or to each other....you don't have to be a genius to figure out the negative indicators here.
Let's continue tomorrow..................................
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