Old Rings, New Tricks

Rings are one of the most personal pieces of jewellery that anyone can own.  But how many times do old rings languish in drawers, unworn and unloved?  Precisely because they are such personal items, it’s very difficult to buy a ring for someone else or to inherit a ring from someone and find it to be exactly your taste.  Not to mention, of course, that people often find that their rings either become too big or too small over time!   

But this jewellery story doesn’t have to have a sad ending: a local independent jeweller can bring a ring back to life by creating a whole new piece tailored to your taste. Old rings really can perform new tricks! 

Special memories 

Rings are one of the most popular items of jewellery to be passed down from generation to generation, most likely due to the fact that they hold such sentimental value.  But often what suits one generation doesn’t suit the next, as fashions and styles move on.  It can be difficult to let go of a dearly departed loved one’s special pieces, but equally, jewellery shouldn’t be left unworn.   

By taking the piece to a local jeweller, it can be remodelled into something the new owner will cherish without losing the memories.  Similarly, when dividing up an estate, if there are an unequal number of rings to be divided up between beneficiaries, or if the rings’ stones are of differing values, these rings can be remodelled into new rings of equal value for the recipients.

New beginnings

You never want to think that your potential fiancé or husband doesn’t know you well enough to pick the perfect ring to propose with, but let’s face it, sometimes it just doesn’t happen. Many men have the best of intentions, and will look to satisfy criteria such as clarity or colour, but might not realise that you might find a less perfect stone in a different cut or style more beautiful.  

If you’re unlucky fiancé-to-be doesn’t pick the perfect ring for you, fear not: your local independent jeweller can recreate something more to your taste.  Why not work together with your fiancé to pick a style you both like?  Your local jeweller will be able to add stones and change the look of the overall ring until you find something that suits.

Pooling resources 

A new trend in wedding jewellery design is for friends and relatives to chip in with the cost of the wedding rings.  This doesn’t mean contributing financially – or at least not in the conventional monetary sense – but rather by asking friends and family to pool any unwanted gold jewellery, be it unworn jewellery, broken pieces or even solitary earring halves, to be melted down to form the new wedding rings; a bridal shower is a great time to collate the pieces together, and this trend also means that your family’s special memories are incorporated as you start you on the right track to married life.

If this is something that interests you, why not check with your local jewellery shop if they can melt the gold down and make new wedding rings for you? So you see, old rings don’t have to have an unhappy ending: your local independent jeweller can help your rings to live happily ever after.

Helpful Jewellery Storage Tips from your Local Essex Jewellers

Once you’ve treated yourself to those special jewellery pieces, it’s important that you look after them correctly, and storage is an integral part of the upkeep of jewellery.  Your local independent jeweller will stock various jewellery storage solutions as part of their giftware range, so there’s no excuse for poor storage.  Here are some tips on how to keep your pieces looking their best: 

Jewellery storage tip 1: sturdy but soft 

The best type of jewellery storage is that which is a sturdy jewellery box with a soft interior, to protect your pieces from external damage, whilst preventing scratches and snags through the soft lining. 

This type of traditional jewellery box will be available in a range of formats in your local jewellery shop, and also makes for an ideal gift, as there’s usually a style to suit all tastes.  You may also want to think about investing in a jewellery box with different drawers to store necklaces, rings, charms and brooches, and bracelets separately, with an additional compartment for earrings. 

Jewellery storage tip 2: perfect pouches 

If you don’t have the room for a large jewellery box, ask your local jeweller whether they have any soft pouches or jewellery rolls as part of their storage range.  Pouches are also a great choice when travelling with a limited amount of space in your luggage.  You can also purchase multi-storage cases or pouches to keep different chains, necklaces and bracelets separately.

Jewellery storage tip 3: specialist storage 

There are also a variety of specialist storage solutions available for different types of jewellery, which your local independent jeweller can advise you on.  Certain types of jewellery and precious stones and metals can often benefit from specialist storage.  

For example, to retain the original shine of sterling silver jewellery, you can purchase plastic zip-lock bags, which have an anti-tarnish strip incorporated, to not only store jewellery protectively, but also delay tarnishing.  

Pearls are soft precious stones, which can scratch if stored with other pieces; a dust free bag is therefore the best way of storing pearls to prevent damage to them.  Other precious gemstones can be susceptible to scratching and cracking too, so it’s a good idea to keep pieces which include gemstones in separate pouches.   

If you’re at all unsure how your special pieces of jewellery should be stored, or whether they require specialist storage, the best place for advice is your local jewellery shop, where friendly help and tips will be on hand, together with a comprehensive storage range as part of the shop’s giftware collection.

Burglars Targeting Gold jewellery – are your Special Pieces Safely Insured?

In recent months there has been a rise in targeted burglaries specifically aimed at the theft of gold jewellery.  With gold values being at a record high, gold jewellery has never been more attractive to thieves; there are even reports of burglars using metal detectors to target family heirlooms.  With this worry looming over every jewellery owner, it’s time to ensure that your precious pieces are properly insured.  Ask your local independent jeweller to carry out a full valuation of your items and make sure your insurance covers them correctly. 

Who is being targeted and what for? 

Jewellery thieves are targeting anyone whom they believe to have collections of superior gold jewellery. Unfortunately, Asian families are particularly vulnerable at the moment, as, according to the Metropolitan Police, they are disproportionately being targeted for their high quality gold. Asian households account for 24 per cent of all burglaries whereby jewellery was taken, and for 16 per cent of all repeat burglaries.  

It is not unusual for Asian families to have large quantities of Indian gold which may have been handed down through the generations, and thieves are aware of its quality and value.  Police are warning families to be particularly vigilant during Asian festivities and family celebrations, when some communities bring large collections of family jewellery together to celebrate. It’s important therefore to make sure that your jewellery is properly protected, and a valuation at a local jewellery shop is often the first step towards keeping your pieces safe. 

How can you keep your jewellery safe? 

Police are advising jewellery owners that one of the easiest measures to keep your jewellery safe – or at least reunite it with you, should the worst happen – is to use a specialist property marking solution on your pieces.   

A number of companies produce unique identifying markers which are then registered to the piece’s owner. The solution is invisible to the naked eye, only being visible under UV light, so it does not affect a piece’s appearance or value.  

It’s also important to have your pieces adequately insured; household insurance doesn’t always cover the full value of pieces, and you may need to either expressly declare certain high-value items on your household insurance, or take out specific jewellery insurance.  Either way, you are likely to need a valuation, which can be carried out by a local jeweller.  

What do you need to do to satisfy your insurance criteria? 

When insuring your pieces, you’ll often find that you need to satisfy certain criteria.  This may include having your jewellery valued, which can be undertaken by your local independent jeweller.  This will ensure that you are insuring your piece for the correct value, should the worst happen; of course, it’s awful losing a treasured piece of jewellery due to the sentimentality attached to it, but it would be worse to have the double blow of not being insured to the full value.   

Your pieces should also be documented photographically so that pieces can be recreated if necessary; Asian jewellery in particular is often highly individual and has usually been passed down from generation to generation, so it’s important that the piece can be recreated if necessary.  It’s also important to check any special terms of your insurance policy – for example, do you need to keep your pieces in a safe or bank when they’re not being worn?  With jewellery thieves being so specific in targeting gold pieces, it’s important that your special items are adequately insured, and your local independent jeweller can help you protect your property.

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Source: Metropolitan Police: http://content.met.police.uk/News/MPS-launch-operation-to-target-gold-crime-across-the-capital/1400019851427/1257246741786 , last viewed 06/10/2013.

Simple Jewellery Care Tips from Your Local Independent Jeweller

Jewellery should most definitely be worn to be seen. But obviously some precious pieces are more delicate than others, and all jewellery may be susceptible to wear and tear over time.  To protect your jewellery from everyday weathering that may occur, there are some simple tips that are easy to carry out.  Here, your local independent jeweller gives you their best jewellery care advice:

The importance of good storage

When you’re not wearing your jewellery, you should make sure that it is correctly stored.  Make sure that you have jewellery storage solutions which include individual soft lined boxes, padded compartments and separate pouches so that you can prevent scratching, entanglement and possible chipping of stones.  Plastic zip lock bags can be purchased with an anti-tarnish strip, which not only ensure that chains do not become tangled with other chains, but also help to slow down the tarnishing process.  As part of their giftware range, your local jewellery shop will stock a variety of storage options, and it’s worth investing in a jewellery box which includes a variety of storage solutions to enable you to store your different pieces correctly.

                        

Avoid contact with household chemicals and cosmetics

It may sound like a simple piece of advice, but many people don’t realise the impact that household cleaners and the likes of perfume and hairspray have on their jewellery.  Such substances can permanently damage and discolour precious metals, and if your jewellery includes porous gemstones, the stones can absorb these chemicals, potentially causing both corrosion and discolouration of the stones.  When applying cosmetics, you should always ensure that they are completely dry before putting your jewellery on.  Should your pieces come into contact with substances they shouldn’t, remember that your local independent jeweller will offer a cleaning service and will professionally clean your jewellery in a manner which will not harm it further.

Have your jewellery checked regularly

It’s important to have your jewellery checked over by a local jeweller on a regular basis.  This could mean having the settings checked for loose stones, ensuring that clasps are still strong and do not pose a risk of loss, and getting pearls or gemstone necklaces restrung if necessary.  Jewellery can be professionally polished, and in the case of white gold pieces, you may need to have the rhodium plating replaced to bring back its original shine and silver-white appearance.  All of the above services will be offered by your local independent jeweller, so there really is no excuse for poor jewellery care.

Jewellery Trends for Autumn: Hot Off the Catwalk and Available at Your Local Jewellery Shop

As the long summer days start to draw to a close, there is a plethora of new jewellery trends on the horizon to keep the winter blues at bay.  Autumn / Winter 2013 – 2014 is all about making a splash, with statement jewellery being seen on the catwalks in abundance. Gone are the dainty days of spring and the boho-chic of summer, bold is the new beautiful this autumn, and your local independent jeweller has everything you need to bring that boldness to life!

The grunge bracelet

Designed to be worn with a trendy leather jacket and biker boots, the charm bracelet has gone grunge. OK, so maybe not a charm bracelet in the traditional sense, but grunge bracelets are all about dangling chains with motifs such as tiny skulls and intricate crosses on the end.  The charms should be multiple and clustered, and nothing too pretty or dainty; they should be gritty and tough.  That’s not to say, however, that the bracelet itself can’t have a touch of the girly about it; the base bracelet could be a string of pearls, for example, with utilitarian chains in between each pearl.  It’s quite a specific look, and therefore it might be an idea to ask your local jeweller to custom make a bracelet for you; that way, you can include any charms your grungy heart may desire!

The chain necklace

The theme of chains was everywhere on this year’s catwalk.  From huge, chunky chains that wouldn’t look out of place on an industrial padlock through to chain-link handbag shoulder straps wound round wrists, reminiscent of the 1980s.  When it comes to Autumn / Winter 2013 – 2014, bigger is always best, and chains should be practical rather than pretty.  Watch this space for chain jewellery, coming soon to your local jewellery shop.

The statement necklace

So we’ve all heard of the statement necklace before, but this season’s statement necklace is different: it’s actually about making a written statement, with a huge word strung around your neck.  From the more traditional ‘cool’, ‘love’ and ‘hope’ through to the slightly more statement-making ‘help’, anything goes.  If you’ve got a message you’d like to shout to the world, ask your local independent jeweller to custom make a piece for you.

The chandelier earring

Chandelier earrings are back with a vengeance this autumn.  Huge sparkly rocks will be dangling from our ears by Christmas time, and will be combined with another trend for autumn, the byzantine cross: we’ll all be wearing these regal crosses encrusted with gemstones as earrings shortly.  There are plenty of talking points this season, and they’re all available from your local independent jeweller.

Thanks to Durova at Wikimedia Commons for the photo.

Is Your Jewellery Safely Insured?

Our jewellery is one of the most sentimental items we own. Often given to us on special occasions, it is normally steeped in memories and love. 

So why do so many of us take risks with our jewellery protection?  In truth, many of us don’t realise that we wouldn’t be protected for loss or theft should the worst happen.  Don’t let your precious jewellery slip away: follow these simple insurance tips from your local independent jeweller.

Do you have adequate insurance?

The first and most obvious step towards protecting your jewellery is to ensure that you have adequate insurance in place.  Many people assume that their precious pieces are covered by their household contents policy, but this is often incorrect; depending on the value of the piece, you may need to get a specific jewellery insurance policy, or specify individual items as part of your contents policy.  If you’re not sure of the value of your jewellery, schedule a valuation with your local independent jeweller.

Have you satisfied your insurer’s requirements?

Given the rising cost of precious metals, an up-to-date valuation is crucial.  Not only is it important that you know the value of your jewellery so that you can put adequate cover in place for the current replacement cost, many insurers’ terms insist that you have a valuation at least once every three years.  As part of a valuation carried out at a local jewellery shop, your local jeweller will take photographs, which are often required by your insurer to put the cover in place in the first instance, and which may also be needed in order to recreate a piece should you need them to.  It’s important to speak to your insurers to see if they impose any special requirements when it comes to jewellery and watches.  For example, do you need to keep valuable pieces in a specific safe place when you’re not wearing them?  Should you have the claws and settings of pieces checked by a local independent jeweller on a regular basis?  Your insurer will tell you what is expected of you.

What should you do if the worst does happen?

If you are unfortunate enough to lose one of your precious pieces or suffer a theft, report it to the police as soon as possible.  If you are abroad, report it to the resort you are staying in and the local police, and obtain a crime reference number.  If you use a broker to arrange your insurance, they should be your first port of call; they will help you to present your claim and smooth the process between you and your insurer.  Finally, you’ll need your photos of the piece and the valuation from your local jeweller to be able to settle the claim.  Your replacement piece may not have exactly the same sentimental value as your original piece, but at least an up-to-date valuation will mean that you won’t have lost out financially.

Spiritual Sparkle: The Qualities of Precious Stones

A lot of credence is put into natural remedies nowadays, and jewellery is no exception.  Many precious stones are said to have healing powers and may therefore aid certain ailments.  If you find the healing properties of precious stones comforting, then wearing healing jewellery is an easy way to carry a precious stone with you all the time.  If you’d like to pick a piece of jewellery which could help you to feel at your best and lend you a little bit of spiritual sparkle, ask your local independent jeweller about custom designing a piece of jewellery with a particular type of healing stone set within it.  Here are the stones you should be looking out for, and how to wear them:

Stones and their qualities

Precious stones are often said to have different qualities.  For example, amber, carnelian and amethyst are said to be good all-round stones for helping the body self-heal, the likes of blue lace agate and rose quartz are calming stones, and lapis lazuli is a stress-buster.  Other stones have more specific values, such as helping you to study and aiding memory – these include sodalite and citrine – or reportedly may offer a quality such as protection, as the likes of turquoise does.  Whatever quality you’re looking for, you can use a precious stone within your jewellery to aid with your quest, and your local jewellery shop may either stock standard pieces which will be ready for you to purchase there and then, or will offer a custom made service.

How to wear healing stone jewellery

Although certain stones are said to aid certain body parts, you can actually wear precious stones of any size, and they do not need to be worn near to the body part in question, regardless of what it is being used for; it is said that the body’s energies will direct the stone’s qualities to the relevant area as needed.  This means that you can ask your local independent jeweller to make almost any type of jewellery you desire – from pendants to bracelets, rings to earrings.

Can more than one stone be worn at any given time?

As a general rule, healing stones shouldn’t be worn together, as one stone’s qualities often cancel out the other’s virtues.  Normally, healing stones should only be worn in multiples if it is the same stone worn in different types of jewellery.  Having said that, some stones are said to work well together; clear stones such as quartz or diamond reportedly amplify the healing effects of the other stone, and stones can also be worn in conjunction with each other if their qualities harmonise or have similar properties.  The best piece of advice for anyone looking to wear healing stones is to do your research, look at the different stones’ qualities, and then ask your local jeweller to construct a custom piece for you; this way you can choose stones to suit your spiritual sparkle needs.