Spring is finally here, and that means many of us are elbows-deep in our annual spring cleaning frenzies.  It’s that time of year when we also look at freshening up our spring-summer wardrobes, and that should include your jewelry collection.  Whether it’s a simple cleaning of your jewelry itself, or a “deep clean” of your whole jewelry box, sorting through and, perhaps, parting with a few items to justify something new, it’s time to bring that sparkle back, and even make the old new again by repurposing unused jewelry pieces into a fresh, new custom design.

Keep Your Jewelry Looking Like New!

Spring Jewelry Cleaning and Inspection

Did you know that it’s recommended to have your jewelry cleaned and inspected at least once a year?  And twice a year is better.  While “home cleaning” of your jewelry is fine to keep it looking good in between professional cleanings, a professional jewelry cleaning is necessary to really get into all those tiny niches as well as to bring out the true shine and sparkle of diamonds and gemstones.  In addition, your jeweler will thoroughly inspect the piece to ensure there are no weak spots or other concerns that may need repair to prevent further wear or loss of a stone.

Making the Old New again

We all have at least a few pieces of jewelry in our collection that simply aren’t worn very often, or ever.  So, what’s the point of keeping them, hidden away from the world in a jewelry box?  Instead, turn that old jewelry into cash or – even better – a brand new custom designed piece crafted from the repurposed materials of your old or unworn jewelry.

If your goal is simply to clear out some clutter, then you might just sell it.  You can bring your old or unworn jewelry into just about any jeweler, who will appraise the piece’s value and often offer cash for jewelry on the spot.

If, on the other hand, the jewelry in question has any particular sentimental value, or if you just want to get creative and add a truly unique piece of jewelry to your collection, then you might consider repurposing that old, unworn jewelry into a brand new, custom designed piece.  The piece itself might simply be reworked to incorporate new stones, etc., or you might choose to have the precious metals melted down and create a new design from scratch.  Your jeweler can guide you through the custom jewelry design process to repurpose that neglected jewelry into something fresh and spectacular that you’ll want to wear every day.

Yard Sale Treasures

Keeping costume jewelry separate from the good stuff this summer.

Are you headed out to peruse thru your neighbors unwanted items, or considering setting your own out?  Here are tips to keep you from tossing the best items, or help you spot a great find as you explore.

• Be prepared, get your tools ready. Your basic toolkit, a small 10x magnifying glass and your smartphone.
• If you’re shopping avoid using a large magnifying glass, if the seller gets an idea their item has extra value they may pull it from the sale.
• That’s right; your smartphone will let you quickly look up an item in question.  It should be at a yard sale for approximately ¼ of a similar online listing like eBay.
• Broken items can still be valuable.
• Evan if it can’t be repaired, gold and silver items can easily be sold to Amidon for their value as scrap precious metal.
• Take the time to look thru old jewelry boxes and collections of ‘junk’, one gold chain twisted in with a ball of fakes makes the whole $5 box worthwhile.
• Never believe “It’s all costume!” check it out for yourself, often sellers don’t know the value of each item they have.
• Look for markings, and know what they mean;

• Pick up everything that looks like gold or silver.  Both are very dense metals and produce a dull thump when placed on the table.  Salt shakers that produce a brassy ring are going to be plated. It’s a quick test to use before scrutinizing every piece. Also keep in mind that plated items do not dent easy and often have the inner yellow metal showing on wear surfaces like the backs of spoons and bottom of tableware.
• Have an idea what the weight is if shopping for scrap precious metal.  A stack of six nickels weighs just over an ounce.  At Amidon, with the gold spot value on 7-1, that’s worth about $11 for sterling, and $475 for 14 karat gold.

Stone fall out? No problem.

Do you have a box of broken jewelry in your drawer? Has restringing your pearls or getting a broken clasp fixed been on your to-do list for months? Or even years? If it’s been decades, don’t tell us. That’s just too sad.

Anyway, now is the time to repair!

With the holidays coming up, surely you want to have your best jewelry to wear for seasonal celebrations. Whether you need it fixed for an office party or midnight mass,  a sleigh ride or menorah lighting, Amidon can usually fix up your jewelry within one week. Here are a few services we offer:

Ring Sizing

Did you lose weight? Don’t lose your ring! Bring it in to Amidon for resizing. We can also size up if you finger needs a little more room.

Remounting Stones

Did a stone fall out of your ring or earrings? No problem. We can securely reattach it in a jiffy. Soon that gem will be flashing again on your finger as you carve the holiday turkey or tofurkey.

Let us restring those pearly beauties for you.

Restringing

Loose pearls rattling around in your drawer? Bring them here. We’ll have them back around your neck where they belong.

Stone Setting

Maybe you bought some gorgeous stones at a gem show or on your travels. Well, it does no good to hide them in a dark and lonely box, unmounted. We have lots of settings to choose from.

Custom Work

Want something really special for yourself or as a gift? Talk to one of our experts and we’ll make custom piece just for you. Nothing beats having a unique piece of jewelry. And we’re happy to help.

Soldering

Broken jewelry? We’re experts at soldering here at Amidon. Some people accidentally maim their jewelry with home soldering jobs. Bring it to us and we’ll get it looking like new.

At Amidon, we have very sensitive ears when it comes to jewelry. We can hear your broken gems crying in your drawers. They want to be made whole again. They don’t want to miss the party. Bring them to us and we’ll fix them right up.

“Fix us! We want to come to the party!”