One Step Ahead (And Just In Time)

Dear San Francisco Jewelry Doctor:

My girlfriend prides herself on being different. She’s aware of the trends, all right, but she’s always on the lookout for something everybody else isn’t wearing. Any ideas for jewelry that says “Valentine’s Day,” but maybe puts a different spin on the usual themes?

 

Dennis, Stumped In New York

 

Dear DESTINY:

 

Welcome! You’ll find ideas galore in the recent stories here for Valentine’s Day, and here are even more fresh ideas for your sweetheart.

 

Try this Mozambique garnet-diamond pendant.  

https://www.stuller.com/products/87497/?groupId=206606&categoryId=28080&recommendationSource=CategoryBrowse

 

Or this updated heart on a chain.  

https://www.stuller.com/products/87439/?groupId=206157&categoryId=28080&recommendationSource=CategoryBrowse

 

How about a heart bracelet dotted with amethyst?  

https://www.stuller.com/products/brc746/?groupId=114968&recommendationSource=SiteSearch

 

This bracelet says, “Two hearts are better than one.”

https://www.stuller.com/products/652690/?groupId=196224&recommendationSource=SiteSearch

 

Here’s an eye-catching pendant featuring diamonds set in rose gold.  https://www.stuller.com/products/87473/?groupId=206338&categoryId=28080&recommendationSource=CategoryBrowse

 

With earrings to match, natch.

https://www.stuller.com/products/87472/?groupId=206336&categoryId=28080&recommendationSource=CategoryBrowse

 

And while we’ve all seen that charm bracelet with the heart toggle (not that there’s anything wrong with that), how about one with hearts top to bottom? 

https://www.stuller.com/products/ch839/?groupId=85230&recommendationSource=SiteSearch

 

Or one that fastens with a heart?

https://www.stuller.com/products/ch851/?groupId=85187&recommendationSource=SiteSearch

 

This bracelet holds a tiny key.  

https://www.stuller.com/products/brc799/?groupId=206642&categoryId=28080&recommendationSource=CategoryBrowse

 

And last, but not least, here’s an earring she won’t see coming and going—a hoop in the shape of a heart.  

https://www.stuller.com/products/87040/?groupId=202346&categoryId=28080&recommendationSource=CategoryBrowse

 

So many choices! And, if you call us circa immediately at 415/796-3969 (text 415/596-4244), just in the nick of time, too.

 

San Francisco Jewelry Doctor. Think of us as Cupid’s Concierge.

 

©2021 Laynie Tzena. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

 

  

A Winning Combination

K and I were wrapping up our initial meeting, after looking at a number of “patients” she had for the Jewelry Doctor. Suddenly something we had talked about gave her an idea.

“Is there anything you could do so I could wear this—” 

“—with this?

Now that was a tall order! Without a clasp, there was no way to feed the tassel onto the necklace, even if it had a bail (see one anywhere?).

Another time, a pendant enhancer would be a great solution. These are a special kind of bail that open and close over a necklace. You often see them with pearls. But when we looked at them here, we saw that to use one with a narrow necklace like this one wouldn’t work. The combination would look clunky.

“Let me see what I can do,” I said. 

First order of business: creating a necklace that opened and closed. After taking pictures I made a pattern from the original necklace, took it apart, and rebuilt it with new chain and a clasp. 

Next, I added a fluted sterling bail. Presto! The tassel was now a pendant. The bail we selected allowed K to wear her new tassel pendant on a sterling chain, if she chose to do that, and to wear the necklace on its own, too.

Since we had some garnet left over, I made a bracelet for K to wear with her new necklace.

Here’s hoping K receives lots of compliments on the ensemble. It’s been a big hit with our other customers, two of whom have ordered variations on the theme. Stay tuned.

©2019 Laynie Tzena. All Rights Reserved.

You Love Your Jewelry? We Understand.

Once upon a time the Jewelry Doctor heard someone say she had been told people should just toss their broken jewelry. Not worth fixing*, it was said. 

The Jewelry Doctor couldn’t believe her ears. Did the person who said that know how people feel about their jewelry?

One day someone arrived with a tale of woe.

“I love this chain, but it broke!” said Allison, referring to a beautiful 14 karat gold rope chain she held in her hand. “Anything we can do? It was already a little short.”

“Of course,” said the Jewelry Doctor.

Solution: A new chain for Allison (in the right length, this time**). 

“What happened to the broken chain?”

This.

Are there “patients for the Jewelry Doctor” on your mind? Call us at 415/796-3969, and you'll be wearing them in no time. 

*Now, there are times when something cannot be fixed, or the cost to do so exceeds the value of the jewelry to the customer. (See “Is This Worth Fixing?”) But this was not one of those times.

**Standard lengths are 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24 inches.  But people aren’t always offered all those options—the store may just carry 16 and 24, for example, so the customer buys a 16-inch and it’s too short, or a 24-inch that is too long.  Because we work with private customers and order finished jewelry, such as chain, according to the customer’s preference, we can provide more selection.