Jewelry

[golding76]

I agree that we learn a lot from one another on this board, and that is why we should respect it and one another. You never know when someone's particular expertise will help you understand something better. There are many individuals gathered here, and for all you know, there are bona fide experts reading your problem and offering information.

Thank you to kath, Tique, Vegas and mother for your comments, too.

Also, we can learn from those who have just lived longer and have become wise along the way. It isn't only "formal" expert advice that is available on this forum. Also available to us is some great advice offered by those who have thought about life and other matters, mulled things over and generously give their well-thought view on a matter. Many "old souls" have also jumped in with sage advice.

[DonnaE]

Goldie76, so well said!!!

[esmeraldagooch]

Goldie. Anyone can appraise. Please make sure yours is a GIA graduate. Prices do vary so call around before deciding who will do the job. You may only decide to do your most expensive pieces.

[golding76]

Thank you, Donna, for your kind remark.

Thanks again to esmeralda for her advice. I've had two bracelets appraised in my time and never thought about appraising other items until now, fearing that VERY valuable pieces might be given away or "sold for a song." Generally speaking, men don't seem to have patience with female "things," and I have sons. Just wanted to give them a heads-up, but now it appears that some items were overrated by me.

Bailey, Banks & Biddle did the one appraisal years ago, and that was for a gold piece. By the way, they were NOT the group from whom my parents bought the emerald ring. I just want to make sure that venerable establishment (are they still around?) doesn't get bad publicity. The other piece has gems, and I had the appraisal done by a local, one-shop jewelry store. I paid them, of course, but now I wonder if they are certified. It's always something...

[esmeraldagooch]

Your home owners insurance company may be of some help. Many of their clients have items on their riders and have to have accurate appraisals for that purpose. More than likely the same names come up over and over so they could tell you who that is.

The reason you need a GIA gemologist to do the job? They have to have the equipment to test your gems to prove they are genuine and to grade your gems. Next they look for like gems of the same weight, color, clarity and cut on the open market to compare apples to apples to give you a current market price for the gems.

[chrystaltree]

It means the jeweler was dishonest and it means that he was like many, many jewelers of his time. Consumer protection laws were not what they are today; customers were more trusting because jewelers tended to "family jewelers"; customers knew very little about gem stones. Many of parents and grandparents were misled or lied to. My own grandmother had a double strand of pearls that she treasured, when she passed away, my mother inherited the pearls. She never wore them because they needed to be restrung and the gold clasp was not in good condition. They were to be my "something old" when I got married. So I took them to a very, very exclusive jeweler in the city. The type of place that is by appointment only and when you arrive for your appointment, they give you the once over through a locked glass door and the security guard buzzes you in. You see, they were expensive natural Japanese pearls and my mother didn't want some mall jeweler working on them. They were worth a fortune. Well, to make a long story short. Those treasure pearls.....were glass.....heavy glass beads that were coated many times over with mother of pearl. The gold clasp was genuine. The jeweler explained to me that the necklace was gorgeous and that's how they made faux pearls before the 1940's. They were European made, not Japanese and not really costume pearls. But they weren't real pearls. That was over 30 years ago and he appraised them for $1000. My mother was deeply disappointed because those pearls were legend in my family....and she thought they were worth a small fortune. She never wore them. My sister inherited them when my mom passed away. She had them restrung and she had a silver and chrystal clasp put on them.

[golding76]

chrystal, your interpretation of what happened to me with my very prized "emerald" ring might be spot on, considering the times and your family's similar experience.

Still, I liked that family who owned the business, and they like us. So much for "like." You are right. We were in a very small town (at that time), and people knew one another. Business was personal, to a large degree. Also, people like my family were uneducated in gems, etc.

Thank your for taking the time to share your family's story.