Jewelry

[PattyShell]

I have loved looking at jewelry ever since was given a pendant of the Risen Lord from my parents when I was 7 years old at my First Holy Communion.  My grandmother gave me a jewelry box that has a ballerina.  I still have both.

Most of the time, I just enjoy window shopping when I am shopping and also watching on television.

No matter where I purchase jewelry, I take the item to one of my 2 favorite local jewelers to give me their opinion.

[CatsyCline]

Check out the Intergem jewelry shows.   There are many vendors of  fine jewelry, loose gems, Gold, SS, supplies. I have seen booths that will do ring sizing and stone resetting while you wait.  The show I have attended has a separate tent just for the gem vendors, they sell  loose gems , stands of gem briolettes.  Some have booths that sell  shopping channel jewelry...

[depglass]

The beauty of buying from shopping channels is you have time to examine your purchases.  So I buy from them all.  I just can't imagine telling my local jewelers that I want to take this home for a month to make up my mind.  Another problem, the store that does my repairs does not have price tags on their jewelry.  What's up with that?  I feel the same as I do at a flea market, I'm being sized up to see what retail I will stand still for.  Since my gold comes mainly from auctions, they know I'm pretty cheap.  She calls me "thrifty."  I like this store because the whole place is staffed by women, including the repair people, a novelty in my experience. 

Then there are the prices.  I once inquired about a beautiful unset stone that I was hoping was Kyanite.  It was $700.00 and turned out to be quartz.