Today a woman came into the shop with a bracelet that looked just awful. The finish on the metal was dull, there was no patina in the recessed parts, the amethyst was frosty and abraded. She had recently inherited the bracelet from an aunt, and that aunt, alas, had gotten it into her head that the proper way to clean her jewelry was to mix some vinegar into hot water, and then boil the jewelry thoroughly.
We also had a client come in who had lost a small stone from her ring (she found it). She was in the habit of cleaning dirt out from behind the stones in her ring with a straight pin.
Please don’t do that.
People are always amazed at how much a quick, complimentary trip to “Maloy’s Spa” improves their jewelry, so we thought we would share the home version of our cleaning technique. This will work for platinum, white and yellow gold, and silver. Diamonds, sapphires, and most semi precious stones. This is NOT appropriate for jewelry with pearls, opals, emeralds, rhinestones, or any jewelry with glue involved.
Add about 2 tablespoons of Mr. Clean (or any ammonia/ soap based kitchen cleaner without bleach) to about a half cup of hot tap water. Drop your ring(s) in and let them soak till the water gets cool, 15 or 20 minutes. Then scrub the ring outside and especially inside with a soft clean toothbrush. You want to massage away the dirt gently with the bristles, paying special attention to the backs of the stones. Rinse well, and blot dry on a smooth cloth (not a towel, which can snag and pull prongs.
Thats all! No need to waste money on jars of “jewelry cleaner” or ineffective home ultrasonic machines. Of course, do be sure to come in from time to time for the full spa treatment here at the store, but the home version is great for in between times!
We put quite a few of our newest arrivals up on facebook before they make an appearance on this site… Friend us to see groups of bands, engagement rings,fun mystery items, and some of our quirky favorites before they are ready to be “officially” listed here. And please remember- items in the featured section (and on facebook) are just a FRACTION of our actual stock… nothing beats a real visit to the shop!
P. wanted a fun way to pop the question to his beloved, J. He had a great plan up his sleeve. A good friend, who happens to be a magician, agreed to teach P. one of his tricks. At a small gathering of friends, P. announced he would like to show off his new conjuring skills. After covering a drinking glass in his hand with a napkin, (and with a great number of dramatic flourishes and secret tricks we cannot reveal here), he clapped his hands together. The glass had vanished!
The hard part, of course, is re-conjuring the glass from thin air. After a few breathless moments of anticipation, he claimed the glass was, amazingly, back in his hand. He asked J. to remove the napkin… The big reveal? A beautiful Art Deco engagement ring.
And thus begins a magical life together…
One of our favorite clients, L.M. came in today with an interesting story. Her mother recently presented her with some family jewelry as a gift, a pair of unusually flashy cufflinks. Larger than a quarter, with big swirls of pave diamonds and yellow gold, centered with a sapphire, she couldn’t imagine who might wear them. It turns out they had interesting provenance- they had belonged to John Gotti. LM doubted the story, until her mother produced a photo of Mr. Gotti wearing them.
We did not get into precisely how they came to be in her mom’s possession, but they will certainly make, ahem, arresting earrings.
Working in an antique jewelry shop, sometimes you just know a ring is meant to to be with someone. Some weeks ago, a lovely young woman came into the shop. Since her fiance was away, she brought a “support team”, the groom’s parents and a sibling. We had a great time trying on lots of rings, and narrowing down the field. They really seemed to be enjoying the process of helping Sarah find the perfect ring. Then Sarah tried on “the one”. Really, it was quite obvious by the way her face lit up- everyone in the shop could see it. She asked me to snap a picture of the ring on her hand to send to her fiance.
For a few days it looked like it might not happen, but somehow that seemed just wrong- it was so clearly “Sarah’s Ring”.
Sure enough, within a few days, the fiance’s parents, still in Portland, came in on his instructions, to purchase the ring, so it could be on the finger it was destined for- Sarah’s.
Really, doesn’t this picture just say it all?
Readers of this blog know that we love to report interesting engagement stories. One of our brides-to-be was kind enough to write up her own story, so here it is, in her own words… Thank you Emily, for sharing your unusual and beautiful proposal tale.
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Here is our story.
I originally saw the ring in Maloy’s last summer when we stopped in to browse while waiting for my bicycle at The Bike Gallery. I had thought of it many times since and although we had looked at and even tried on other more traditional rings, I knew this ring was “the one”.
About three weeks ago I called Maloy’s and spoke to Nina. She sent me an email with a photo and you provided me with some historical details.
I found the ring in my jewelry dish I have at Aaron’s house early this afternoon. He put the ring in the dish last night thinking I would find it when I took my rings off before retiring for the evening. I did not. I was planning to leave his house early in the morning today as I had the day off and much to accomplish. I decided to linger however. As I was adding some personal items to my shelf, I saw a sparkling object in my dish, and it was my ring! I was very excited but not sure what to do since Aaron was not home.
I came up with a plan. I decided to go about my day but planned to be waiting for him when he arrived home. As he walked through the door, I greeted him with a huge smile stating that I found this ring and assumed it was for me so I went ahead and put it on. How lovely it looked. Aaron walked toward me, bent down on one knee (can’t remember which one), gently grasped my hands and asked me to be his wife forever. I replied a tearful “yes”!!
I had to call Nina and share the good news and thank her for her part in this.
Even though Aaron had not planned on me finding the ring while I was alone in his house, it was perfect. I look at it now as I write this story. I had a sense of its place within my life when I initially saw it; or shall I say when it caught my eye. I know now that it was meant to be with us.
Thank you so very much,
Sincerely,
Emily & Aaron
“Nicole,
Thank you for restoring my ring by adding gold to secure the stones again after 20 years of wear. The work you did was undetectable – it looks brand new! You worked magic!… The jeweler who sold it to me offered his solution: rebuild it from scratch (make a new ring), “it won’t look the same” – for $2400!! But I wanted it to look the same – and you did it for 5% of his proposed cost. Thank you so much!”
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Not all repair stories have such economical and happy endings, but we will do our best. Clearly our newest bench jeweler, Nicole, knocked it out of the park on this one!
We will be open Monday the 20th. Come visit, and spend your day off getting a little sparkle!
S.M. writes-
“I brought in a heavy gold bracelet that had belonged to my mom. My dad gave it to her when he returned from a six month tour to the Mediterranean during his 34 year Navy career. They both passed away a year ago. It was difficult to get on and off because the handmade (50 years ago in Greece) clasp stuck. One of your staff took time to exam it, determine the problem and use a tool to carefully file the opening and make it easy to open and close. Now I can wear this bracelet and think of my mom and dad when I wear it, and that means so much to me. I am touched because you took the time to do this simple thing for me and make a difference in my life. Thank you.”
Our clients really love the pieces they purchase from us. Sometimes they love them so much, that they hesitate to take them off, even when they are doing something they know is hard on the ring, like rock climbing!
Recently a couple came into the shop, and they were looking at engagement rings. In explaining that sometimes it is important not to make your ring endure something too rigorous, I used one of my favorite lines- “you love your grandmother too, but you don’t take her white water rafting”.
This particular couple immediately burst into laughter. Turns out they live in Alaska, and their primary business is as wilderness guides for the elderly. Yes, almost every day, they take grandmas white water rafting.
I apologize to all those grandmas I may have underestimated!
