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Advice from the Experts...

Showroom Re-Opening Date!

5/28/2020

 
We anticipate a reopening of our show room for normal business hours on Friday, June 5th along with the Governor’s reopening of Lancaster County. Here are some things we are doing to ensure you have a safe shopping experience:
·      All customers and employees are required to wear a mask inside the store. 
·      The number of customers inside the store at one time will be limited. 
·      Jewelry and watches are disinfected after each showing. 
·      Store surfaces are sanitized regularly. 
·      Employees are required to wash hands after each customer interaction.
·      Hand sanitizer will be readily available. 
·      We offer contactless payment options (ApplePay, Chip Card Reader, PayPal) 
We will continue to offer daily curbside repair pickup and drop-off for your convenience.


Normal Hours Mon-Fri 10a-6p; Sat 10a-2p

​Curbside Jewelry & Watch Service starting Friday May 15th

5/15/2020

 
Starting Friday, May 15th, we will open for curbside business. This includes picking up purchases and dropping off jewelry repair items. 

Our showroom will remain closed. Please continue to browse our website, Instagram, and Facebook to see the beautiful pieces we have available, and don’t hesitate to make an in- person shopping appointment.  

 For jewelry and watch repair drop-off, we have created a detailed process below.  Our goal is to be able to serve you while keeping everyone safe. We’ll greet you wearing a mask for your protection, and kindly ask for you to wear one as well.  If you need to be sized, we will have sanitized metal ring sizers ready for you.  You can stay in your car the entire time. 

Steps for Jewelry Repair:

1)         Print and fill out the Repair Request Form to the best of your ability and sign the Agreement at the bottom of the form. 
2)         Drive up to the store and call us to let us know you’re here. We’ll be right out to collect your items and give you a claim check.  

For Watch Battery Replacement/Band Sizing: 

Drive up to the store and call us to let us know you’re here. We’ll be right out to collect your watch.  If you would like to wait, we ask that you park in the parking lot. Most battery and band replacements take 10-15minutes or can be dropped off and picked up later if you prefer. Contactless payment options are available.  

When We Will Contact You

If we have questions, we will contact you.  Otherwise, we will contact you when your item is ready to be picked up and will arrange a date and time to do so. The average turnaround time for jewelry repairs is typically 7-10 days.  

​We ask your patience, as this process is new to us! We thank you for your continued support and trust and, as always, will work hard to take care of all of your jewelry needs. 
 
repair_intake_form_curbside.pdf
File Size: 87 kb
File Type: pdf
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Is my ring appraisal from 25 years ago still valid?

2/24/2018

 

While the information provided on your older appraisal does not age, the overall value of the piece does. In the past 10 years, the prices of gold and diamonds have increased dramatically. This means that the piece you purchased 25 years ago would cost significantly more to replace at current prices. For example, the price of pure gold per ounce in January 2009 was around $750. Today, that same ounce of pure gold would cost around $1300.  It is important to have the appraisal values updated on pieces that you have insured every 5-10 years to keep with current values.  

Click Here For More Information about Appraisals

My pearl ring is looking dull, what can I use to polish it?

7/24/2017

 
If the metal part of your ring is looking dull, it is possible for us to buff away the scratches and give it a shiny new finish. If, however, the pearl itself is dull, the only way to return it to its original luster is to replace the pearl itself. Pearls are one of the softest stones used in jewelry. They are made of thin layers and layers of nacre (the substance secreted by the oyster which creates the pearl). Household chemicals, perfumes and makeups can all wear down these nacre layers, which causes the pearl to appear dull. It is also important to avoid, swimming, sports, and even household chores when wearing pearl jewelry as these activities can easily cause scratches and chips. The best way to clean and care for pearl jewelry is to be gentle with wear. Pearl jewelry should be the last thing you put on when getting ready and the first thing you take off when engaging in active pursuits. If you do need to clean your pearls, mild dish soap and a soft cloth are best, or bring your items to your jeweler and we would be happy to clean them. 
Picture
Pearl with damage

My new watch has a chronograph, what does that mean?

7/5/2017

 
Well-crafted timepieces often have extra features built in for the wearer. A chronograph is basically a minute stop-watch timer feature added for convenience. A watch with a chronograph will typically have a button above and below the crown. These buttons operate the timing feature. Press the top button to start the timer and the bottom to stop it; the top typically resets the chronograph back to zero. Usually, there will also be a smaller dial that shows the elapsed time. Take a look at the picture below: 
Picture

What's the difference between created and genuine stones?

6/22/2017

 
While it seems that the answer to this question is obvious, it's actually a little more complex. In any gemstone, the color comes from the mineral composition of the stone before it forms (ex. sapphire is the mineral corundum) under intense heat and pressure. Genuine stones are formed in the earth, which leaves the levels of heat and pressure to chance, and can result in inconsistent color saturations or imperfections. Created stones are the same mineral composition as genuine stones, but they are formed in a laboratory where heat and pressure are consistent. This results in more predictability of color and fewer inclusions. Although lab created stones may appear more consistent and at times have nicer color than their genuine counterparts, they are often far less expensive because they are not created in nature. In reality, both genuine stones and lab created stones are like twins--they share the same mineral composition but may appear slightly different. 
Picture

Why is platinum jewelry more expensive than gold?

6/14/2017

 
Platinum used for jewelry is considered a pure metal, as it quite hard and does not need an additional alloy metal to make it strong enough for wear. Gold is an extremely soft metal, so much so that you could easily bend pure gold with your fingers. Gold must be blended with small amounts of other stronger metals (i.e. copper, nickel) to make it sturdy enough for everyday wear. The higher karat weight (10k, 14k, 18k) of your jewelry piece the more gold it contains. This difference in the hardness of the metals translates to price when creating a jewelry piece.  For example, to create a jewelry piece in 14k gold the designer needs 57.5%  gold precious metal and 42.5% alloy; to create a jewelry piece in platinum you would need 100% in platinum precious metal. More precious metal translates to a more expensive piece of jewelry.  See the photo below for a side by side comparison of gold vs. platinum cost at today's metal market prices. 
Picture

I want to increase the size of my ring but I don't want the jeweler to thin the gold; is this possible?

6/16/2016

 
Absolutely! Proper ring up-sizing is performed by adding a piece of gold to the ring of the same width and thickness as the existing band. If the band is thin to begin with, the jeweler may recommend replacing the entire shank (band portion) of the ring in order to assure that the shank will not crack after sizing. The existing gold is not thinned out when increasing ring size; instead gold is added to the current ring to make it larger. The jeweler buffs, polishes, and cleans the ring in such a way that it would be almost impossible to tell that it was sized. 
Picture

Why does my silver jewelry tarnish?  Can I stop this from happening?

5/25/2016

 
When exposed to air, most metals begin to undergo an oxidation process, as the ions from the oxygen in the air attract the electrons in the metal. The tarnish you see on your sterling silver jewelry is evidence of this process. While all sterling silver will tarnish over time, there are ways to slow the oxidation process down between regular cleanings.  Start reducing tarnishing by storing your silver pieces in small Ziploc bags to keep them away from air. Wipe your pieces with a soft cloth after wearing to eliminate oils from your skin which also speed the oxidation process. If a piece is badly tarnished, bring it into the store and we can restore its natural luster with our professional cleaning solution designed for tough tarnish. 
Picture

Love jewelry? Looking for a Part Time Sales Associate! 

5/5/2016

 
 Seeking a part time sales associate (15-20hrs). The ability to work daytime hours and some Saturdays is necessary.
Do you:
-have a pleasant, enthusiastic personality?
-have experience in sales, and/or customer service?
-have a passion to serve and the ability to provide exceptional service to each customer?
-have a willingness to learn about the jewelry industry?
-have familiarity with point of sale computer systems and above-average typing skills?
-have 5 years of work experience?
-have a professional appearance?
-have exceptional communication skills?
 
If this sounds like you, please email us your cover letter and resume. (info@vincentandcomp.com) 
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