Creativity abounds!

Did you know that over half the work we do is creating jewelry that is one of a kind?

The photos below show some pieces we’ve created.

If you want something unique, if you have stones lying around that you'd like to use, if you have a piece you've inherited that you would like to tweek, or if you simply want something new that totally reflects YOUR personality - give us a chance to quote your piece.

We have many ways to keep it very affordable. We also have ways to help you see what your piece will be before you have to buy it. Customer service and satisfaction is our GREATEST STRENGTH. We put your happiness first and we are NOT the average jeweler!

**POTENTIAL OVERSHARE** Ever wonder why certain things are on "SALE"? Now you'll know!

When I bought the jewelry store a little over three years ago, the previous owners jewelry was displayed in my cases almost exclusively. For the most part, things had been on display in this store for a VERY long time, but nothing was on “sale”. There was a Refurbished Jewelry case that had a lower mark up, but wasn’t offered at a discount either.

I asked them why this was, and - long story short - they felt like the jewelry was beautiful and they didn’t mind sitting on it until the right person came along to buy the piece meant for them. This is certainly a viable school of thought - but it did leave many pieces in the case, that were anywhere between 5 and 15+ years old. (YIKES!)

Earlier this year, all of the jewelry that was owned by the previous owner - moved on to greener pastures - and now our cases are filled with all new pieces. Yet - what do I do with items that are already starting to “collect dust” (so to speak)?

Here is our “SALE” policy in a nut shell:

If an item has spent over 300 days in a case AND it has gone through one Christmas season - it is discounted from the tag price to 40% off. If it’s over 500 days old, it’s 50% off, if it’s over 750 days old - it’s either 60% (white/rose gold or sterling silver) or 70% off (yellow gold). End of story. If it’s been here that long, it’s time to get my money back out of it and reinvest it in something else.

What does that mean for you?

Well, you should come in every month and see what has been put on sale! You should also ask us to look up the age of a piece to make sure that your FAVORITE piece didn’t slip through the cracks and miss being discounted. It also means that there are pieces being sold UNDER my cost.

Truth be told, early on I asked my accountant to crunch the numbers - and he gave the minimum amount I need to mark-up a piece in order to pay my employees, my overhead, and in general - STAY IN BUSINESS. This is where our tagged price starts.

The tag never changes - the discounts get added, and you and I help each other. You get a great deal and I get my money back for reinvestment! It’s a win-win. We have fine jewelry that is as low as $22.00!

If you have any questions on how this works, come on in and I will be happy to explain it more in detail!

~Hali

https://www.classiquejewelry.com/closeouts/14kt-rose-gold-7x5mm-morganite-w-diamond-halo-ring

https://www.classiquejewelry.com/closeouts/14kt-white-gold-92ctw-emerald-cut-sapphire-and-65ctw-diamond-ring

***Public service announcement for anyone is having a GARAGE SALE***

Several times last summer, I had someone come into the store to sell jewelry. …..

As it turned out, they had bought that jewelry at a garage sale. They would come in to have me look at it, and tell them if it was worth anything. Then, they would get very excited - and tell me that they paid $0.50 for the item - and (in this case) I ended up paying them $45.00 for that same piece.

This happened because the owner of the piece did NOT know what they had.

So please, as the original owner of all of your jewelry... Please bring it into the store to see if what you have is real, before you put it in your garage sale. I would much rather pay the original owner for their jewelry, than pay someone $100 - when they only paid YOU $1.50.

This is a FREE service. 
However, if you want to bring it in - please call to make an appointment.

That way we can set aside time to look at it. 
If you have a lot of jewelry, we may ask you to leave it, as it might take some time for us to go through.

Thanks for reading and happy garage sale-ing!

~Hali

Ethics and the Jewelry industry

Yesterday I had a customer come into the store to have her ring repaired. The ring had cracked under where the center-stone sits - alongside the hole that the peg for the crown sits. (Feel free to ask questions if you are not sure what this means!) - in other words, it cracked between the center stone and the side stones, all the way through to where your finger is….

Anyway, at my store this is a $44.00 repair. My jeweler spent time reinforcing the area, cleaning the break, smoothing the edges, tightening the gap so it would take the solder, and soldering the opening closed. He went on to check the prongs, tighten any loose stones and polish it to make it shine like a brand new ring!

Unfortunately, this ring had sat in this customers drawer for YEARS, because another jeweler told her it would cost $300 to repair. (YIKES!) She had finally decided (after all of these years) to try again, except this time - that same jeweler told her that the ring WAS NOT WORTH REPAIRING, that she should remove the stones and mount them into a brand new ring. That is RIDICULOUS!!! She does NOT need a brand new ring.

I think what I find most bothersome is the idea that a jeweler would tell a customer that their engagement & wedding ring needs to be discarded. To me, this is the most important ring to repair!! This is the ring that was there when he got down on one knee to propose, the ring that was there when she walked down the aisle and said “I DO”. This is the outward symbol of that commitment - it went through pregnancy, childbirth, and most importantly the ups and downs of MARRIAGE. This ring should be the one that is most highly prized and the one that you fight to keep on your finger.

If find this sort of advice UNETHICAL!!!

So please, I beg you - bring your jewelry in here for a FREE QUOTE before or after you take it anywhere else. Above all, do not allow anyone to make you think that your jewelry cannot be saved.

Thanks for reading!

~Hali

Another jeweler told this client that her ring WAS NOT WORTH REPAIRING, that she should remove the stones & put them into a brand new ring.

This could not be further from the truth!! This ring was a great candidate for a seamless repair!

Selling your jewelry? What you need to know.....

We have many people come into the store looking to sell their jewelry, only to be disappointed in the amount of money that is offered. Here is what you need to know if you want to maximize the return on your investment, or if you just want quick cash!

First, you should think about the reason you are selling your fine jewelry. Are you looking for quick and easy cash - or are you looking for the most money you can get for your piece? Now, I can’t speak for other jewelers (and I have been told I do things a little differently than most) but I fully believe in TRANSPARENCY, so I’ll explain how it works for me…

Here is the truth of why you don’t won’t get much of your initial investment back out of your jewelry.

If you buy a piece from a retail jewelry store for $100 - the jeweler has to buy it from a manufacturer (whether complete or in components) and that piece has a cost. That cost will be less than the retail price - obviously as the store needs to make a profit to cover overhead and expenses. Let’ say that the cost of the piece is $60.00. So, if you come in with your $100 piece looking to sell it - the jeweler isn’t going to buy that piece from you for $100 - especially since they can order a brand new one for $60. Given this info, you are going to be offered some amount between 0 and $60.

Unfortunately, this isn’t all that there is for the jeweler to consider. The fact that the piece is “used” complicates things - there is no way to know if it has had a good life or an abused life…. Has it been in chlorine every summer? Has it been in bleach cleaning products regularly? Has it spent it’s life in the jewelry box being taken out for special occasions? As an experienced jeweler, I can tell by inspecting the piece what it’s history is. Has it been sized?

All of these things tell me what percentage of the cost I am going to be able to offer. Honestly, there are very few pieces that come in off the street that we turn around and sell in the store. Those pieces do received larger offers than others, but it is the EXCEPTION, not the rule.

Typically what happens is - we weigh the piece and price it based on weight and whether or not it has diamonds that are over 1/4ct. Gold can be monetized by a jeweler very easily, but diamonds are harder for us to find an equitable arrangement for return with a supplier. Small diamonds are worth pennies once they have been set and removed. Colored stones are not something we can sell when they are not new. There are a few exceptions for Sapphires, Emeralds and Rubies, but for the most part once they have been worn and have chips or abrasions - the amount of money it takes to re-cut them makes them not worthwhile to buy off the street.

Truth be told, the best way to maximize your return on investment is to sell it on Facebook Market Place. First step would be to come into my store (or any jewelry store or pawnshop) to find out what you have AND what will be offered. This is the LOWEST amount you should take for your piece. Next step, is to look online for a similar piece and see what they are selling for at retail. After that, price it at about 1/3rd to 1/2 of the retail price on Facebook/Ebay/Craigslist. If you don’t sell it quickly or you don’t want the hassle, then go in the store and sell it for what was offered.

I’m happy to answer any questions on this topic, just stop in the store. I’ll make you a cup of coffee and we will chat!

~Hali

TOP 3 REASONS YOUR JEWELRY HAS BROKEN ....hint....it's usually not the jewelry's fault.

Folks, we're serving up some tough love today. We saw over a dozen pieces of jewelry come in last week whose damage could have easily been avoided. Since some of our customers acted surprised when we told them how, we thought we'd share some tips on how to get the longest life out of your jewelry.

1. Sleeping in it. Yep, seems harmless, you're just resting for hours, right? But prongs can snag in sheets and hair gets tangled around chains overnight EVERY night and can cause them to break.

2. Wearing it to the gym (or golfing, or mowing the lawn, or tennis, etc). Any activity where you are lifting or pushing a heavy object is going to damage the back of a ring (see Photo). These activities are the perfect time to pop on a silicon band to protect your finger AND your fine jewelry rings.

3. Dirt. The #1 thing we hear is "I wear it all the time." And that's ok, but you need to clean your jewelry, and not just so it LOOKS pretty. Dust from the air (or dirt from your garden, sand from the beach) and oils from your skin (lotions, sunscreens, bugspray) can combine to act like a sandpaper and wear away at the metal links in your bracelets and necklaces, and between rings to wear them thin.

Listen, there's no law against wearing your jewelry 24/7. And we certainly don't suggest you put your jewelry away and not wear it; you should enjoy it! Just set the correct expectations if you do. The more you wear it, and the rougher you wear it, the more you will need to maintain it. Remember, we always do cleaning and checking at no charge, so don't hesitate to come by. And as a reward for those who read this whole thing, the first 6 people who come in the store and can name these 3 reasons will get a free gift! Remember diamonds are forever, but the metal holding them needs care and maintenance!