Have you seen our BLING?

The Jewelry Department at Pick of the Litter Thrift and Gift

 This is #2 in a new series of articles that provide a look inside the various processing departments at Pick of the Litter Thrift and Gift.  In it, I hope to give you a good idea of the merchandise handled by the department and some examples of treasures recently processed and put up for sale. 

Susan is in charge of the jewelry department.   This area handles jewelry of all types - contemporary, vintage, and antique pieces.  Standard donations include:

Pins                        Necklaces               Cuff Links               Charms

Watches                 Bracelets                Tie Tacks                Chains

Rings                      Key Chains             Shirt Studs              Ear Rings

Belt Buckles            Watch Chains         Money Clips

Susan’s responsibilities as the "Jewelry Lady" include the sorting, cleaning, and pricing of all jewelry that is donated to POL.  Items that are deemed "expensive" and beyond her expertise to price are taken to Olde Towne Jewelers who have volunteered "free of charge" to appraise them for us.  

In addition to regular jewelry items, from time to time, real treasures are donated.   Do you like 14-karat gold jewelry?  Susan has processed and put up for sale a 14K gold charm bracelet with many gold charms, a diamond engagement ring, a 14K gold pendant with jade and small diamonds as well as many 14K gold rings and chains.  She keeps track of the current price of gold and silver via the internet each time she works on the jewelry.  All gold and silver items are weighed and priced based on current values.  She also has minerals by which she can test items for gold and silver content.  Even the broken pieces of gold and silver are sold for scrap, which has been significant with the rise of gold and silver prices.

In addition to gold and silver jewelry, she gets a lot of costume jewelry.  She has had famous name designers such as Eisenberg, Weiss, Hobe, Trifari, and Los Castillo.  In addition to Olde Towne Jewelers, she uses the internet to gauge the pricing of some of the better pieces of jewelry.

As usual, no donations go to waste at Pick of the Litter.  Some of the most popular things in the jewelry department are the bags of broken jewelry.  People use these in the making of craft and other pieces of jewelry.   Also, it’s fun to let children sort through the bags.  If you need a presentation box for your new bling, she also sells the gift boxes and bags that come in with the jewelry.   Battery operated watches that are not working when they are donated receive new batteries from the husband of a co-worker of Susan’s.  This way they can be sold as functional time pieces.

You may not always find 14-karat gold charm bracelets or signed costume jewelry pieces up for sale in the jewelry department, but you will find a nice selection of pretty and pleasing items that will meet your every accessory requirement.  Please come by soon and take a look around.  Newly processed jewelry items go out every Friday morning.  The next unique treasure may just be waiting there for you.  You never know what you may find in the jewelry department at Pick of the Litter Thrift and Gift!

Small Sample of Jewelry at Pick of the Litter

Meow for now,
Jennifer