What to Look For in a Good Jeweler; Knowledge, Skills, and Likeability

How do you really know if Cindy, manning the store jewelry counter in the mall, is worth her salt? Does she really know what’s best for your twenty-five year old wedding ring?

How Do You Find a Good Jeweler?

Can Cindy speak intelligently on the strengths and weaknesses of particular engagement rings? How experienced is she? Should you trust her? Should you work with the girl?

Starting with gemstones, I’m going to help you in the evaluation process.

Their Gemstone Knowledge Should Include…

Loupe

Using a Loupe Properly Shows You What the Jeweler Sees in Your Diamond

A good jeweler should know about different kinds of gemstones. They should be able to speak to their colors, hardness’s, and different qualities.

Although they may not have a certificate from the GIA, (Gemological Institute of America), a good jeweler should be well versed in the 4C’s of diamonds and be able to speak about the pros and cons and prices of different grades of diamonds.

A good jeweler should know the difference between carats and karats and be able to procure and replace gemstones.

Finally, a good jeweler should always have a loupe. A jeweler without a loupe is like a chef without a knife.

Their Grasp of Your Ring Needs Ought to Encompass….

Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Ring

The Color and Clarity of These Baguette Diamonds Makes a Difference

A good jeweler should be very knowledgeable about wedding and engagement ring design.

They should know what features you’re going to need to consider, both aesthetically and durability-wise. Properly sizing a ring should be second nature to a good jeweler.

They should also be able to offer solutions to rings that spin and rings that are hard to get on and off.

Jewelry Repair Should be a Focus Not an Afterthought

A good jeweler should be able to look at your jewelry and be able to tell you specific areas that need fixing.

Six Things Your Jeweler Should Look for in Your Ring Upon Inspection:

  1. worn prongs
  2. cracks in gems
  3. weakness in shanks
  4. chips in your channels
  5. broken or compromised clasps in bracelets and necklaces
  6. any areas that look thin or worn that look like they might break in the near future

A good jeweler should be able to have your jewelry fixed. A good jeweler should also be able to offer solutions on what to do with old, inherited jewelry and jewelry you no longer wear.

Six Things Your Jeweler Should Know About Earrings

Drop Earrings, drooping off ear lobe

Thin Ear Lobes and Long Wire Posts Don’t Mix

A good jeweler should be able to address problems with ears and earrings. Problems like:

  1. earrings that hang wrong or point toward the pavement
  2. choosing earring wearing solutions if you have enlarged ear holes
  3. what to do if you have the wrong kind of earring backings
  4. how to handle broken earring posts
  5. what to do with clips that are too tight or too loose
  6. what earring choices you have, wire backs, french clip backs, posts and lever backs

These are just some of the issues a good jeweler should be able to deal with.

Miscellaneous Things Your Good Jeweler Should Know About

Heart Pink Sapphire Ring with Special Finishes, Calla Gold Jewelry

This Fabulous Multi-Sapphire Ring Shows Off Matte, Hammering and Antiqued Finishes

A good jeweler should know about the different kinds of finishes on jewelry, including: matte, shiny, antiquing and hammered finishes.

A good jeweler should be able to replace broken clasps and suggest replacements for inappropriate  or uncomfortable ones.

A good jeweler should be able to address restringing pearl and beaded necklaces. They should know about knotting versus no knotting, and French wire finishes.

Bonus Section! The Exceptional Jeweler

Two Women Talking about a Ring. How to find a good jeweler

Calla Explaining to Lisa the Jewelry Fixing Technique for Her Grandmother’s Ring

An exceptional jeweler has superior fashion sense and knows what looks good on you.

A really good jeweler has an informative and easy to navigate website.

I’m not sure this is really a “bonus” and not a requirement, but a really good jeweler should be likable and easy to communicate with. Who wants to work with someone they can’t along with and don’t like?

Finally, it doesn’t hurt if your jeweler has a bit of a romantic streak in them. Because you love your jewelry and a lot of jewelry is given with love.

May you find a good jeweler!

To Help You Find a Good Jeweler, Here Are Two Helpful Posts:

Twelve Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing a Jeweler

How to Choose a  Jeweler

Calla Gold

 

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About Calla Gold

Calla Gold is a Personal Jeweler and Author who takes pride in working with clients one-on-one to integrate their personal sense of style and taste into custom designed jewelry and repaired jewelry pieces.   Unlike typical Santa Barbara jewelry businesses, Calla Gold has no brick-and-mortar location. Calla Gold comes to you, bringing you the jewelry collection you want to see and collaborating with you to create unique custom jewelry. Calla also works with at-a-distance clients.

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Tracey M.
Tracey M.
10 years ago

I really like the points a good jeweler needs to know about inspecting your jewelry, repairing your jewelry and that they need to have fashion sense to do custom designing.
I gotta say I’ve seen some pretty hideous and dated ‘new’ custom designs recently and now I know how to characterize those designing jewelers – NOT good jewelers.
This is really good advice.

Sue
Sue
10 years ago

I like Calla Gold Jewelry and Calla Gold is a superior jeweler. If you read about what to look for in a jeweler, she has the attributes you want.
She has helped me select the jewelry I reach for.
Calla has fixed my jewelry for years and redesigned a couple of inherited pieces. Needless to say I wasn’t wearing them and I am now.
I recommend Calla Gold and Calla Gold Jewelry.
Sue M. in Santa Barbara, 25 year client of Calla Gold Jewelry!

Jade Brunet
Jade Brunet
7 years ago

A friend of mine will soon be getting engaged and he is looking to find a good jeweler to select his sweetheart’s engagement ring. Thank you for informing me that the ring should be fully inspected before leaving the shop. I will inform my friend. Another thing to think about is if the person really cares about what you are looking for in a ring.

steele honda
steele honda
4 years ago

Thanks for pointing out that a good jeweler should be very knowledgeable about wedding and engagement ring design. My fiance and I are trying to find the right jewelry store to go to to pick out our wedding rings. I think that it would be nice to have someone who knew what they were talking about to help because I honestly don’t know that much about jewelry. Thanks for the tips on how to choose a good jeweler.

Stefan Bradley
Stefan Bradley
4 years ago

It’s good to know to look for a jeweler that knows a lot about finishes such as antiquing and matte. I am trying to have a necklace repaired so that it can maintain its value and need to find a jeweler that knows a lot about this particular type of necklace. I hope that I can have the necklace repaired by someone who knows what they are doing and can offer me excellent service.

Randy Chorvack
Randy Chorvack
4 years ago

I had no idea that there even was a difference between carats and karats. I’m planning to propose to my girlfriend and I want to choose the best ring for her, but I have very limited knowledge of gemstones and jewelry in general. I’m glad that there are people who can help me through the process of choosing a good ring.

glenn
glenn
4 years ago

My wife’s wedding ring might need to be restored because it is losing its luster, and I would want to find a reliable jeweler to help us out. I appreciate that you mentioned that you should look for a jeweler who has a good amount of experience. If we decide to get the ring restored, I will be sure to look for an experienced jeweler.

David Johnson
David Johnson
4 years ago

I hadn’t thought about jewelry repair in terms of specifics but I like how you point out that a good jeweler will be able to identify parts that need work. I’ve wanted to repair my wife’s favorite necklace as a birthday present in a few weeks. Thanks for these tips on finding a good jeweler.

Ron Booker
Ron Booker
4 years ago

I like that you said that a professional jeweler can help you decide which jewelry fits your style. My sister is getting married and she said she was worried about the marriage rings. I’m going to let her know that some jewelers can advise her on what rings to buy.

Eileen Benson
Eileen Benson
4 years ago

It made sense when you said that jewelers should be knowledgeable about different types of gemstones. I need to have my jewelry repaired soon. Thanks for teaching me how to identify a good jeweler for the job!