Ten Things Your Jeweler Won''t Tell You

[pricescope]

by Stephanie Williams and Noah Rothbaum.

This article won won AGS Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Award.


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[niceice]

Isn't this what most of us internet dealers have been saying for years? Somebody finally put it in print, now maybe they'll listen... We'd especially like people to pay attention the part about the in-store "warranty"...

 

[AGBF]

It was interesting, Leonid. (Not startling, mind you, but interesting.)

I have a strand of pearls given to me by my aunt on my 16th birthday. I never assumed they were cultured pearls, but they were very beautiful and I wore them to work constantly. Knowing *NOTHING* about pearls, I am sure I doused them regularly in cologne and got makeup and other things on them. They were never cleaned with a cloth.

When I suddenly realized than the may have been cultured (since I started reading the on-line diamond fora) I asked a few jewelers. I was told they were not or...if they were...that the coating (nacre) had worn off.

I am, now, pretty sure they were once beautiful cultured pearls and that I simply wore off the nacre in my ignorance. (It is also possible the nacre was thin, but I doubt they were cheap pearls.)

 

[AGBF]

One more thing: the article doesn't refer to them, but if one wants pearls that will not lose their nacre easily he should now consider freshwater pearls. They have come into their own and one can now buy perfectly round ones and even fairly large ones. Since they are all nacre, one need not worry about the nacre chipping off!