Vacation and jewelry, gemstones, and watches.

It is getting to be that time of year when people head out to warm places to escape single digit temperatures and snow.


Julie and I would like to pass along some travel advice as it pertains to wearing and caring for your jewelry while you are on vacation.

We also have some advice when it comes to purchasing jewelry on vacation;especially gold, diamonds, and gemstones.

We want to give you a heads up when it comes to wearing your watches in the water as you swim, snorkel, and/or scuba dive.

If you are going on vacation - have a great time. If you think this advice will help someone you know, please pass it on.

Wearing & Caring for Your Jewelry on Vacation.

1.Be careful of the chemicals in pools, spas, and hot tubs. These chemicals are hard on jewelry and can blacken sterling silver in an instant! (Don't worry, we can clean it when you get back if we need to.)

2.Sand = sandpaper! Wearing your fine jewelry on the beach can be fun, but be careful. Sand can act just like sandpaper - it can abrade your settings and work its way into clasps and cause trouble.

Buying gold, diamonds, and gemstones.

While it is true that you can find great deals and beautiful treasures while on vacation, it is equally true that you can throw your money away on fakes and copies. We see examples every year.

Gold and diamonds are traded GLOBALLY. Gold is at $1,378.00 as I write this and that is the global value of one ounce of pure gold - if the deal on a piece of gold jewelry looks too good to be true, then it is either a fake or stolen. The same is true of diamonds - they are traded worldwide and you should beware of outrageous deals on diamonds.

IF YOU DO DECIDE TO SPEND MONEY ON FINE JEWELRY, then by all means pay for it using your credit card and have it looked at when you return home. That way if the "diamonds" in the ring turn out to be cubic zirconia or the "gold" bracelet is plated silver, then you have recourse through your credit card company.

Watches in the Water

Almost every year we get people coming in with water in their watches. Check your watch before you swim, snorkel or dive with it on to see how it is rated. Here are what the symbols REALLY mean (from Seiko's website):

•Water resistant: DO NOT wear while showering, bathing, swimming, or diving.

•50 Meters: OKAY to shower, bathe, or swim in shallow water. DO NOT wear snorkeling or diving.

•100 Meters: OKAY to snorkel and swim, but do not dive.

•150 or 200 Meters: these watches usually have a screw down crown and/or watch back. They are suitable for scuba diving as well as all water sports.

If you have a dive watch, then make sure the crown and back are screwed down and secure before you take it swimming or diving. IF YOU DO notice moisture or water in your watch, then try to get the back off IMMEDIATELY to allow it to dry. You can use a hair dryer on low to help speed the process.

If you can't get the back off, then bring it in to Cliff when you return home and he will try to dry it out before your watch corrodes.

Have a great time on your vacation and be careful of your jewelry on the beach, in the hot tub, and in the water.