Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaningIt’s the time of year for spring cleaning, and your jewelry collection is no exception. Getting your jewelry cleaned and inspected routinely is the best way to prevent a loss due to physical wear and tear. I recommend getting your jewelry refinished once a year, which includes a thorough examination for any structural damage, tightening any loose stones, and polishing and replating the metals as necessary.

Spring cleaning is also about getting out the old stuff to see what is still worth keeping. If you have a drawer full of jewelry you haven’t worn in years, and have no intention of wearing anytime soon – if ever again – you might consider trading that silver, gold and platinum in with me.

Anything broken or strained beyond economic repair will do you a lot more good as a check. Or you can take an extra 10% on top of that amount to use as in-store credit and get that piece in my case you’ve been staring at and trying on for months, or even years. Or you could put the money towards your very own custom jewelry design.

Gold ScrapI’m sure there’s stuff in that drawer that’s in good shape, which you want to keep. For those pieces, updating appraisals is very important. I usually say that any appraisals more than two years old are grossly out of date and don’t offer you enough coverage in the event of a loss.

There is a unique circumstance to consider, though. If your most recent appraisals are from 2011 when gold was at its all-time highest, you may actually be paying too much on your insurance premiums for especially heavy gold pieces.

Basically, if you have any questions about the accuracy or currency of any appraisals, call and make an appointment with my appraiser, Tracy, to come in with your jewelry and have her look it over. She may suggest you’re just fine, or she may suggest certain pieces should be updated for whatever reason. She’s excellent at what she does, and I trust her judgment on these kinds of things entirely.

Posted in: Jewelry Cleaning

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