Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Vacation Time? Its Also Jewelry Checkup Time!


Are you ready for a great July 4th vacation? Ready to make some wonderful family memories? As July 4th vacations loom just around the corner, let me suggest you take time to have your valued jewelry checked before leaving out!
Why should I have my jewelry checked & inspected? Simple....myself and most of my fellow jewelers notice a surge of jewelry repairs right after everyone returns from their summer vacations. Often times, many a vacation has been ruined because a prized ring came back with a diamond or gemstone missing which leads to a very expensive jewelry repair! Take a few minutes and stop by today to have your jewelry professionally cleaned and inspected for stone tightness. It doesn't cost anything and it might just save you an expensive repair bill down the line!
I also say that its a good idea to have your jewelry checked every 3 to 6 months just to make sure that a prong isn't broken or bent on your ring or that you've developed a weak area in your bracelet, necklace, earrings, rings, etc. Even if your item needs a minor repair, it surely is less expensive doing preventive maintenance than doing a major stone replacement or repair.
So go ahead, make plans for that wonderful family time you so richly deserve but remember, an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure in your jewelry's care!
Success,
Bill Warren, President/Registered Gemologist
The Gold Mine of Hudson, NC
Telephone: 828-726-1009

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Swimming Pools & Jewelry Don't Mix!

Yes, its true....regardless of what you may have been told in the past, its never a good idea to wear your gold jewelry into the swimming pool! But why you may ask? Its always so shiny when I get out of the pool!!! Ahhh yes, but what you may not realize is that the chlorine chemicals used in most swimming pools is very much like acid on the gold your jewelry is made of!

Prove it you may say! Ok, I will! Sometime ago, I took a piece of scrap 14k gold and submerged it into a jar of chlorox, much like you'd use in your washing machine and also much like the chlorine chemicals added to your pool. The results were staggering...in little over a week and a half...it was gone! Disappeared!

What had happened to it? The gold was attacked chemically by the chlorine in the bleach and ate it away, much like an acid! Now I must admit, my little experiment was probably to the extreme but needless to say, gold and chlorine/chlorox should never mix!

So go ahead, wear your white or yellow gold jewelry into the pool this summer...it may even look shiny when you get out...but you'll be coming in soon to see me to repair it when little holes & pits start appearing in your jewelry...and guess what? Many times a piece of jewelry that has been exposed to the chemicals in your pool cannot be repaired because they have been weakened so much by the exposure.

I hope you found this little known jewelry tip enlightening....take heed and take your jewelry off before entering the pool...it will save you money later!

Sincerely,

Bill Warren, Owner/Registered Gemologist
The Gold Mine of Hudson, NC
(828) 726-1009
Email: goldman86@bellsouth.net
Website: www.hudsongoldmine.com