Well, retail isn’t quite that bad. But it is on average eight hours on your feet, with little respite. Working in a jewelry store, however, has its caveats. There is the 50% discount on most things, with 70% off gold, and 35% off solitaires (including studs and pendants). There are already a few things I have my eye on, including a tungsten wedding band for G. There is the liberal “running out to get food” policy, which includes not clocking out and eating right on the floor behind the counter. Unheard of. Then there are the sit-down cases; these are the ones with the most expensive stuff in them, bridal sets and solitaires, with stools for both salesperson and client. There is also the commission, which is 1%, unless the store makes its monthly goal, in which case you add 0.5% to everything you’ve sold for the month. There is the five bucks per three-year Jewelry Service Plan you sell (50c per two-year).
I am selling “mall diamonds” (NOT pictured at right), however, and there aren’t many I would consider buying for myself or a loved one. For myself, I’m eyeing two rings; one is a little 14k white gold wedding band with alternating bezel-set baguettes and rounds (I showed it to G and he said that he would get it for my birthday. Squee!), and the other is a braided 14k white gold diamond and natural pink sapphire band. No lab-created stones for me, please. I understand the attraction; they’re vibrant, big, and clear, but to me they shout “Look at me! Fakery here! Not real!” DO NOT WANT. They’re also very inexpensive, and a good portion of them are set in 10k gold. Ew. I’m a snob; I like my diamonds clear and colorless, unless of course, it’s a canary or chocolate diamond. I like my colored stones to be natural and untreated by heat (although unheated stones are harder and harder to find). I like my gold to be white and at the very least 14k, but preferring platinum. Yes, I know it’s twice as expensive, and yes, I know it scratches more easily, but it is much more sturdy, and that’s what I need. You just have to keep it up. My “Freedom Ring” (see above photo) is platinum; I wouldn’t have designed it any other way. I clean it and steam it every day that I work, keep it looking beautiful. I take off my rings when I put conditioner in my hair, or lotion on my body. It’s astonishing to me how many people assume you don’t have to clean your jewelry, that diamonds will just always sparkle. Um, soap scum, people, body oils? You hopefully wash everything else, why not your jewelry? We have an ultrasonic cleaner and a steamer right out on the floor, so that clients don’t get antsy about letting go of their rings. The store I worked at in Virginia had the apparatus in the back room, and people were often hesitant about letting their pieces out of sight. I understand the mentality, but when you’re a kindergarten teacher and have your hands in paste on a regular basis, you have to take care of things, or let someone else do it for you. Things that should NEVER go in an ultrasonic cleaner: tanzanite, emeralds, opals, pearls. Pearls are a special case, they should be the last thing you put on, and the first thing you take off. They should only ever be cleaned with a damp cloth, never soap, Windex, or ammonia. Take them off when you sleep, shower, exercise, before applying perfume. Have them inspected and restrung periodically. You can use jewelry cleaner and a soft toothbrush on tanzanite, emeralds, and opals, but they can disintegrate in an ultrasonic cleaner.
