More negative info about mailing in your gold

It has been our opinion that these mail-in gold services are a bad idea- jewelry vultures at a time when gold is high and people feel desperate to get cash. Turns out that thieves are using these mailing places for an easy way to get cash from YOUR STOLEN JEWELRY too!

Fla. Seeks To Stop Thieves From Mailing In Jewelry
JESSICA GRESKO, Associated Press Writer
POSTED: 6:25 pm EDT April 16, 2009
UPDATED: 6:28 pm EDT April 16, 2009


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The TV commercials make it sound easy: Gather your unwanted gold jewelry, mail it away and get cash in return. But police say thieves also see the ads and are exploiting mail-in jewelry businesses as an easy way to sell stolen goods.

Now Florida lawmakers are considering regulations that would require mail-in companies in the state to photograph all jewelry they buy and get ID information from customers who send in valuables.

"If I was a professional burglar, thief ... I'd just put this stuff in the mail and send it to Florida," said Bill Streator, a retired Florida detective who helped write the first-of-its-kind law that legislators are reviewing. "Basically, right now, there's no regulation."

Without the law, the mail-in jewelry business is at risk of becoming a "mainstream fencing operation," police detective Jack Gee said.

Florida pawn brokers are already required to get fingerprints and photo IDs from people selling jewelry. The new law would impose similar requirements on mail-in companies, which are harder to regulate because customers do not sell their items in person.

In most cases, customers get mailing packages from companies and send in their items for free. They are paid based on the jewelry's weight and material, such as whether the gold is 14- or 24-karat. Some companies melt down the jewelry while others sell the valuables to retailers or wholesalers. Most packages net a customer about $50.

One large Florida company, Cash4Gold, supports the proposed law, but the company and similar businesses insist thieves account for only a fraction of their business.

Cash4Gold says it has handled 800,000 transactions since it started in 2007. The company raised its profile this year with a Super Bowl ad featuring Ed McMahon and MC Hammer suggesting gold items customers could send in, such as Hammer's gold pants and records and McMahon's gold microphone and hip replacement.

The company already photographs the contents of the 15,000 to 20,000 packages it receives in the mail each week. It also gets about 25 law enforcement inquiries a week.

In one case, a suspect confessed to a burglary and told police in Ohio that he had sent the items to Cash4Gold. A detective notified the company, which found the items when the package arrived. Police departments from as far away as Arizona have called to ask for help locating potentially stolen valuables.

The company also has an internal system for flagging possible stolen jewelry. Suspicions are raised by multiple items of the same kind, customers using the service numerous times and highly unusual items.

In one instance, the company notified law enforcement officials when a 1995 Pittsburgh Steelers AFC championship ring turned up in a package. The ring, valued at $3,000, had been stolen almost a decade earlier and was returned to its owner, who won it as a rookie with the team.

The player, Brenden Stai, said someone was prosecuted for using the ring to pose as him and pick up women in 2001, but it was never found.

It turned up in Florida, with the onyx on the top and the diamonds on the side missing. The package came from an address in northern Florida, and Cash4Gold turned the person's information over to law enforcement, but no one was ever prosecuted.

Sellers to a mail-in company must provide an address to receive money for their items, theoretically providing a way for law enforcement to track them down. But mail-in companies do not generally have any way to know if an item is stolen, and items can change hands several times.

Michael Gusky, the founder and president of Weston-based Gold Fellow, says stolen goods account for no more than a fraction of a percent of his business. As a precaution, repeat sellers to Gold Fellow get additional scrutiny and may be asked for a Social Security number and additional forms.

Most of the time, the company is "buying grandmother's jewelry directly from granddaughter," said Gusky, whose company videotapes all gold coming in for security.

He says the proposed restrictions are the result of pressure from pawn dealers and secondhand shops that are angry about mail-order businesses cutting into their market. Gusky said additional requirements would slow down his operation and add a cost to what he does, diminishing what the customer gets.

The proposed law would require mail-in businesses to get sellers' driver's license numbers, as well as sworn statements that they own the items they are selling. Other protections would require items be held for 10 days.

The bill's prospects are uncertain. It has reached the floor of the Senate but is still being reviewed by committees in the House. Even if it is approved, the rules will not apply to businesses outside Florida.

Thieves Steal Diamond Ring Off Woman's Finger

As unemployment numbers increase, criminals become more and more bold. As I read this disturbing article, I sincerely hoped she had a recent appraisal so that she can at the very least receive the full amount of this jewelry asset's value. Of course, the sentimental value is priceless and irreplaceable.

Thieves Steal Diamond Ring Off Woman's Finger
Posted: 7:18 am EDT April 28, 2009

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Two men who posed as pest control workers stole a diamond ring right off the hand of a 93-year-old Orange County woman.
Police say the pair walked into Mary Starr's home on Friday. One of the men said he got pesticide on Starr's hand and would clean it off for her, but he slipped the ring off her finger instead.
After taking the ring the thieves ran out of the house and drove away. The two and one half carat diamond ring was worth approximately $20,000.
"I loved the ring. It had been in my family for a long time. And it had a lot of value to it," said Mary Starr.
Starr was not physically injured during the robbery.
Copyright 2009 by wftv.com.

Pampering Your Pearls

It’s important to care for your pearls in the manner that will keep them in shape to enjoy for many years to come.
Protect your pearls by storing them away from your other jewelry. No, not across the room! Just in a separate compartment in your jewelry box. This keeps other pieces from scratching the surface of your pearls. Prongs from rings, posts from earrings and even other pearls can mar their surface.
When traveling, again keep your pearls separate from your other jewelry. I have seen pearls ruined because ladies put all their jewelry for a trip in the same ziplock baggy.
Apply all hair care products and fragrances before you put on your strand of pearls. These can easily cause a film on your necklace and ruin the lustre of the pearls.
Don’t allow pearl rings or earrings to regularly come into contact with water. Generally these pieces are adhered on a post with a special epoxy that will break down over time and cause you to lose a pearl.
To clean your pearls, gently wipe with a soft cotton cloth.

Police Recommend Jewelry Inventory and Proof of Ownership

The article below, written March 10, 2009, shows how important having documentation is for your jewelry- in the last line they recommend a jewelry inventory and require "proof of ownership" to reclaim the stolen jewelry- something that the KeepSafe Jewelry Portfolio was specifically designed for: your peace-of-mind if a loss should occur. With your Portfolio, you have inventory and proof of ownership right at your fingertips!

Repairman Charged In Delaware Jewelry Thefts
NEW CASTLE, Del. (CBS 3) ―

A local HVAC technician is under arrest for allegedly stealing from people's homes and pawning off their valuables for cash.New Castle County Detectives arrested Matthew Hartnett, 24, and charged him with two counts of felony theft and two counts of felony sale of stolen property.

Investigators are encouraging folks who have had recent repairs/service from Mr. Hartnett to inventory their jewelry and contact Detective Eric Godwin for further questions at 302-395-8110. The property will be returned to victims who can
provide proof of ownership.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's Ring Rot!

Imagine this: It's just before your wedding day, a time when everyone asks to see your engagement ring, and you can't wear it because you've developed an uncomfortable rash on your ring finger! Well, that was me in the spring of 1998, and I had a case of "ring rot."

I'm sure dermatologists have a fancy Latin name for it, but in the jewelry business, ring rot is what we call a red, itchy sometimes blistered area that occurs on the finger directly under a ring. Although clients often think the ring itself is the cause, perhaps assuming the ring isn't "real gold," the true culprit is moisture.

Ring rot occurs much more often in wider bands and in people who wash their hands a lot. (Nowadays, that's most of us!) But sensitive skin might contract ring rot under even thin bands. Ring rot doesn't discriminate.The Treatment: I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on this blog, but I have had my experiences with ring rot. When you see the symptoms described above, first of all, stop wearing the ring!

No, no, not forever, but until the rash clears up. Do not put the ring back on until the ring rot has cleared up 100%. Not 95%. Not 99%. The area must be completely healed or the ring rot will come right back! Trust me on this.

Prevention: If you have experienced ring rot, then your skin is prone to it. One of the easiest way to prevent it is to take your rings off at night to let your skin breathe. Now yes, I know that some folks feel that after your wedding ring was slid onto your finger at the ceremony it is not to come off again, so that option may not work for you.

And obviously not washing your hands is not an option (unless you like having a perpetual cold!) Try this method that has worked well for me: Wash your hands, then when drying them, scoot your rings slightly toward your knuckle, dry under them, slide them back into place and dry the area near your knuckle.

Resist the urge to take your rings off completely before washing your hands! I have heard too many sad stories about rings accidentally left behind in a public restroom or knocked down the drain when sitting on the sink area at home.

It's been over ten years since that fateful pre-wedding bout of ring rot, so my methods have worked for me, and I'm sure they'll work for you too.If you are reading and thinking "Gee, that's a long article about a little skin rash'" then you, my friend, have never had ring rot!

No Diving, No Horseplay and No Gold in the Pool!

Did you know that your gold jewelry can be weakened or even broken by being in your chlorinated pool? Bleach and chlorine can turn your gold black, and even more importantly, the chemical reaction can actually break down your gold's strength. Depending on how highly chlorinated the pool is, the damage can happen over a long period of time or be nearly instantaneous!

If your gold has tarnished (turned a different color) we can clean it in our store, either by chemicals or by the jeweler using a buffing machine.

If the damage is severe, where the gold jewelry literally has fallen apart (yes, it CAN happen!), in some cases the piece is a total loss! That's serious!

Soooooo, no running around the pool deck, and NO gold in the pool! :)

Jewelry Cleaner Must Be Replaced Periodically

Hopefully, if you're reading this you already have a jar of Jewelry Cleaner from your local independent jeweler... but a little known fact is that over time any jewelry cleaner loses its effectiveness so you may be cleaning your jewelry BUT it's not getting as clean! Bummer!Replace your jewelry cleaner every year to keep your pieces looking their best. This is a simple and affordable way to maximize the beauty of your beloved pieces!

Stacey's dear friend Katie's engagement ring always looks like a million bucks, and that's because every time she takes a shower she cleans her ring! Now I wish I could be that fastidious myself, but it is a fact that more frequest cleaning keeps soap/lotion/dirt/meatloaf from caking up behind your gemstones and reducing their sparkle. (I'm not kidding about the meatloaf, but I wish I was!!)

Most of us, like myself, clean our rings only sporadically because of our hectic lives, so that's why it's so important to have fresh jewelry cleaner to do most of the "work" for us! Cleaner jewelry=more compliments and we all love those!

Do as I say, not as I do- because you do NOT want to see how dirty my diamonds are right now!!

How to Remove a Stuck Ring

We've all done it: Go to try on a friend's new ring and uh oh! It's a little too snug and you get that sort of panicky feeling in the pit of your tummy- is it stuck??

Over my many years in the jewelry business, I have fine-tuned a method for getting most "stuck" rings off.If it is a situation like the one mentioned above, spray the entire finger (front and back) liberally with Windex and slide the ring off. This works wonderfully and does not gunk up your ring like soap or lotion will!

In a more difficult case, say a ring being worn continuously for years that now no longer comes off (because your knuckle has grown, like most people's do!) or when a finger suddenly swells from a big bite on injury, you may want to try my proven method:1) Start in the morning, when your fingers are typically at their smallest.2) Have Windex handy. Fill a large bowl with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Submerge your hand into the water for as long as you can. (Folks with poor circulation or diabetes may want to check with their doctor.)3) Remove your hand from the bowl, quickly saturate the entire finger with Windex, then raise both hands above your head and wiggle the ring to get it off.

If my method doesn't work, in most areas you can go into your local fire station and they will cut it off for you (a relatively easy procedure that sounds scarier than it is!) It's good to be proactive if you can't get the ring off at home. Have it removed BEFORE an emergency makes it a more serious situation!

You would figure that the next logical stop is the jeweler, but I suggest waiting about 3 weeks before taking your ring in to be sized. If it has been on a long time, you most likely have a "ring dent" on your finger which needs to fill in a bit before we can get an accurate size on your finger.I have seen rings that were cut off right through the top (where the diamonds and gallery are!) when emergency personnel have not been able to just slip a ring off the patient's finger. In an emergency situation, they are not going to be worried about preserving the ring- they are trying to preserve your finger! So to avoid this, take care of getting your ring off and resized now, before you're forced to!

Storing Your Silver

Anyone who owns silver jewelry knows that keeping it tarnish free is quite the task. What you save in costs you make up for in cleaning time! Modern pieces often have an industry-approved rhodium plating applied, which prevents tarnishing for the most part. But, for pieces that do not have that coating (and that can be the majority of your collection!) , we recommend storing your sterling silver in ziplock baggies. This prevents air from freely interacting with your silver and decreases the opportunity for tarnish to occur. It also had the added benefit of keeping your pieces from scratching each other, which could cause damage to stones!

Why Did My Gold "Turn"?

Recentlt, a client in my store had a 14kt yellow gold bracelet with a blackened area on it, which reminded me about when gold supposedly "turns."

First of all, when we say that a piece of jewelry "turns", we are really referring to the plating on metal that is in the process of wearing off. Turning can include the visible peeling of the top layer of metal, pitting, different textures on the same area or a green color being present. Real gold, meaning karated gold, does not "turn."

Instead, real gold "tarnishes." Tarnish can (in almost all cases) be cleaned off via sudsy ammonia, Tarn-x or machine buffing by a jeweler.If the tarnish on your genuine gold is orangish in color, it could be a result of hard water in your home, some perfumes, lotions, colognes or hairspray. These are good reasons to always put your jewelry on last before leaving the house!

If the tarnish is blackish in color, it could be a result of contact with bleach or chlorine. Diabetics and highly acid people can also darken the color of real gold.The client I mentioned at the beginning of this post had been cleaning her bathroom with her jewelry on, and clearly bleach had come into contact with it. Just another reason to avoid housework at all costs! Our bench jeweler cleaned and buffed the bracelet back to gleaming like-new, and the lady was thrilled. I love a happy client!

Note: Although in most cases these examples hold true, if you have any question about a piece of jewelry, take it your local independent jeweler for an expert opinion. In most cases, they will gladly tell you free of charge. (If they act grumpy or annoyed, find another jeweler!)