Jewellery has an
incredible sentimental and monetary value, and it’s important therefore that
when buying new jewellery, and entrusting someone with our current jewellery,
we pick a jeweller we can trust. A local independent jeweller is an excellent choice when
it comes to choosing a jeweller, and here are five questions you should ask
your jeweller to make sure your jewellery is in safe hands:
Do I trust them with my
jewellery repairs?
If
you have a special piece of jewellery which is in need of some tender loving
care, you don’t want to hand it over to just anybody. Before putting a
sentimental jewellery piece in for repairs, ask your jeweller about their
skills, and how much experience they have.
A local independent jeweller will usually repair jewellery on site, whereas
some high street chains send jewellery away to be restored – risking it being
lost in transit - so double check where your jewellery will be repaired before
handing it over. If stones or links are
missing, check that your chosen jeweller can match the stones and metal type
when restoring the piece.
Are they willing to repair
my jewellery?
A
trick employed by some jewellers is to say that jewellery can’t be repaired –
and then proceed to try to sell you a new piece. Of course, there are times when jewellery is beyond repair, but a good jeweller
will always try to find a way of restoring a piece if possible. A local jeweller will recognise
that jewellery, and the memories associated with it, are precious, and will
always try to help to bring a special piece back to life.
Is the jeweller
knowledgeable?
Do
you feel confident in the knowledge that your chosen jeweller is
providing? Can they talk knowledgeably
about precious metals and stones? And
about the various settings and properties of different gems? If you feel comfortable that your jeweller
has a wide range of knowledge, you’ll feel comfortable buying from them, and
putting jewellery in for repairs with them.
A local jewellery shop will have staff with many years of experience and
training, so you’ll feel confident that you’re in safe hands.
Can the jeweller create
custom pieces?
If
you’re looking for a special, one-off piece, a bespoke piece of jewellery is
the way forward – a service which will be offered by your local independent jeweller. When choosing a jeweller to create a custom
piece for you, ask yourself whether the jeweller would be able to create a
piece for you from a sketch drawn on the back of a napkin – it may sound silly,
but if the answer is yes, you know you’ve found a jeweller you’ll feel
comfortable commissioning a bespoke piece with.
Do I like the jeweller?
It
may sound obvious, but gut instinct counts for a lot! One final question to ask yourself is: “Do I
like this jeweller?”. Are they
personable, and do you enjoy interacting with them? If they don’t have what you want, are they
willing to go the extra mile to obtain it?
All of these things add up to create a great jeweller: and your
friendly, local independent jeweller is the
first place you should look for excellent customer service.
