Question :

I read recently that you can acquire jewlery at a really good bargain in other countries. My husband and I will be going to Cancun this Summer on vacation and I’m considering on updating my wedding band. I’m nervous, however, about quality. Is it really possible to find authentic stones at bargain prices?
- Kristin L., Hyde Park

Answer :

On more than one occasion I have been asked to do an appraisal for a purchase made while a client was on vacation. I have seen many different styles of jewelry and many different price ranges purchased on a cruise or in a resort area. Some have been beautiful and well made pieces but the vast majority were misrepresented. The hardest part of my profession is telling someone that a piece that they have purchased, been given or inherited is not what they believed.

Many years ago, prior to the internet and the ever expanding global economy, it was possible to find truly good prices on many fine jewelry items including fine watches. But times have changed. Manufacturers now balance the pricing of the products they manufacture and you will find that one item in Europe, for example, costs the same at home. Moreover, the jewelry stores that have sprouted up in resort areas are there for a reason. They have a captive audience on holiday with money to burn and people are usually celebrating an event that they would like to commemorate with a beautiful piece of jewelry. The temptation is GREAT, I know, I have been there myself. I was actually offered the management position for several stores in Alaska that opened when the cruise ships arrived. I simply could not take the position. It not only required me to be away from my family for 6 months at a time but the pricing policies and types of merchandise I was required to carry I deemed below my standards.

Please remember one simple rule when purchasing ANY piece of fine jewelry. It is always a good idea to purchase from someone you can get your hands on. This is not to say that if you find a modest piece that you like, it will remind you of your trip and it is something you will wear for a while and enjoy you shouldn’t purchase it. But be smart about a major purchase. The idea of spending over $300-$400 in another country from someone you do not know and will never see again should cause you to think twice.

Remember!!!! You should know your Jeweler as well as you do your doctor, lawyer and accountant.

Thank you to our experts at Austin Diamond District Matt O’Desky and Sheldon Millsap, 512-458-4367 www.austindiamonddistrict.com