‘All That Glitters’ Archives
IS SILVER THE NEW GOLD?
ALL THAT GLITTERS Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net I received an e-mail from a long lost cousin whom I haven’t seen hide nor hair of in over twenty years. He was interested in investing some of his nest egg in gold bullion and asked my advice on where and how much gold he should buy? My advice? Where the heck has he been [...]
The April birthstone…Diamond
ALL THAT GLITTERS Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net March wound up being a busy month of making diamond purchases. Actually, it was amazing! Diamond sales have been sluggish to say the least in the past few years, yet all my diamond vendors are claiming demand is up and business has been improving steadily. The demand for my [...]
A kind and gentler jewelry
ALL THAT GLITTERS Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net Over the years, I have been commissioned to create jewelry for all walks of life, including certain individuals with tails, or let me rephrase that, customers’ pets. There are more than one of my four legged clients gracing our dog park who are sporting sterling silver or [...]
Why no becomes the only option
ALL THAT GLITTERS Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net It’s a sad day for me anytime I have to refuse service to certain clients. No, I’m not a bartender, although I am often asked what my opinion is about jewelry and certain subjects about life in general. The major way I make a living is with my hands busy at my work bench [...]
What’s love got to do with it?
Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net Another Valentines Day has come and gone, and most thoughtful gentlemen avoided the consequences of ignoring a romantic holiday that for most men is fatally easy to ignore. Yes, I said fatally. Ignore Valentines Day and endure the pain and silent misery that comes from that decision. It’s [...]
Prong-Less in Paradise
Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net Redundancy is a sure way to learn something and in my business it rings true when dealing with customers. My new shop has been a beehive of activity with both old and new faces appearing to mend broken jewelry or replace watch straps or dead batteries. The predominant repair problem of 2012 is [...]
Sea Life… as it is!
ALL THAT GLITTERS Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net I mentioned in my last article that going back to basics just wasn’t working in this economy. But here on Marco Island or Southwest Florida, for that matter, the love of basic sea life jewelry hasn’t wavered. (No pun intended.) The love of the ocean is why people flock [...]
Renaissance?
ALL THAT GLITTERS Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net The faint ray of light at the end of the dark tunnel, to my amazement, was actually a splinter of sunshine, instead of an oncoming train. Are things actually getting better? My conversations with customers who happen to be realtors, also tell me there has been more favorable [...]
Fine jewelry vs. gold scrap
All That Glitters Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net Buying gold from the public has become big business for many retail jewelry stores. I have to admit, it is a big part of mine. In the past three years I have easily bought tenfold the amount of gold that I have sold. It is true, with the exorbitant prices of precious metals, folks [...]
TIME OUT
Richard Alan harborgoldsmith@comcast.net In my last article I mentioned I took in a lot of diamonds in any given week, but that doesn’t compare to the amount of watches that land on my bench in a single day. I look at and work on a hundred or more timepieces a week. I replace dead batteries, shorten or enlarge metal watch bracelets, [...]
