Knowledge is power when shopping for quality jewelry

Because we also repair jewelry, we see a smattering of what's being sold out there. In the last few weeks, especially, we have seen some manufactured jewelry that was poorly designed and/or made of inferior materials.

We also recently saw two Tiffany & Co. knock-off bracelets that were very convincing. One lady brought a bracelet in that was a gift which came in a blue Tiffany box but clearly was not an authentic Tiffany bracelet because it had turned coppery. It had been plated in silver, perhaps, or rhodium but it was pop metal underneath. The heart tag attached to it actually appeared to be silver. Someone went to great lengths to create something that looked quite authentic.

We have also seen tennis bracelets made of silver with gemstones or lab created stones. A delicate tennis bracelet of silver will not last. Silver is quite soft and all the joints will wear out very fast. Those joints could be repaired but it just isn't practical.

Hollow gold jewelry is another thing that has made a big come back. I understand, with gold at over 1,100 an ounce, retailers are looking for ways to still sell gold jewelry to the average consumer. Hollow chains and bracelets are a way of offering gold jewelry at a lower price point. However, those pieces, much like silver tennis bracelets, are just not practical. They wear out very fast and are difficult to repair.

We enjoy repairing and restoring people's precious baubles. And we guarantee our work. Sadly though, we'd rather not take payment for repair of a piece that we can't guarantee because it was poorly made or is hollow.

Somewhat in answer to this, we are putting all our (solid) gold chains and bracelets on sale. Gold is expensive, but buying something that won't last is like tossing your money out the window. Solid gold jewelry made by vendors we trust means we will never sell you something that will be worthless to you in a year.

It is important, wherever you shop, to ask questions like

• What kind of guarantee do you have on your jewelry?
• Is this gold item hollow?
• Is this 10K or 14K?
• Is this item solid sterling silver (look for a mark of 925 or 999)?
• Are these stones genuine, synthetic or lab created?

If the sales person cannot answer these questions, ask for a manager. This is basic information that any store should disclose to customers. The answers to these questions will tell you what quality of item you are looking at and if it is worth the asking price.

Come downtown for some local flavor on Friday, November 27. La Placita Village and Maynard's Market will be centers of activity for Buy Local Day. Perri Jewelers will have gold jewelry and watches on sale. Our neighbor, the lovely boutique Desert Bloom, will be open, too. You can park for two hours on us at the Pennington Street garage (big green solar garage, entrance on Scott Ave.).

Perri Jewelers
13 N Stone
624-4311
Open until 6 pm on Friday, November 27.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

It's sometimes hard to get in the mood for the holidays when it is still 70+ degrees. But, I'm not complaining. We have it really good here.

Thanksgiving is this week. (!) We have been busy preparing for a Thank You, Tucson/Buy Local Day sale event on Friday. After we stuff ourselves with tasty foods on Thursday, we'll roll ourselves out to sell some jewelry and share some good cheer with our wonderful customers.

We also have been looking ahead to all the December events that are around the corner.
On Saturday, December 12 we will be down the way at Hotel Congress for ornament making fun with kids of all ages. Along with Bohemia and Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's Toys, Perri Jewelers will have supplies and grown-up help for kids to make an ornament to put on the tree in the hotel plaza. The official lighting of the tree should be around sunset (5:50 pm). There will be tasty treats and a canned food and toy drive, too.

There also will be a client party at Madden Media that week. We are so glad to have Madden downtown. The renovation and occupancy of the MacArthur building is really a bright spot. We will have a gift for all the Madden staff and clients that day.

We at Perri Jewelers are grateful for all the blessings we are enjoying. This year has been a challenging one for us as well as many of our fellow Tucsonans. Sadly many business couldn't hold on for the better days to come. We have fared better than many and do not take that for granted. Thank you, Tucson, for supporting us and the many other fabulous locally-owned businesses in town.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On The Up Side

Got an email this morning from the Downtown Partnership on the opening of the buildings at 64 E Broadway. The facades on these sister buildings were refurbished under the Facade Improvement Program. The southwest corner of Scott and Broadway is looking great. With the complete razing of the Santa Rita Hotel and Ballroom on the east neighboring corner the view is really opened up. Walk over there and check it out.
The 64 E Broadway unveiling event will be November 12 at 5 pm.