Richard Alan is a designer/goldsmith and owner of the Harbor Goldsmith, Marco’s go-to jeweler since 1994. He welcomes your questions and comments about All That Glitters. www.harborgoldsmith.com.

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You are probably thinking I’m talking about those wedding vows you took a while back; it’s actually about gold. Someone asked me if it was a good investment to buy gold and I said yes most definitely if you bought it twenty-some odd years ago. I told him you were waiting at gate 26 at the airport when that boat left the dock at the harbor.

I’m no commodities expert but buying gold when it is once again at an all-time high seems a bit risky. Yeah, I’ve been hearing it for over twenty years now that gold will reach all-time highs to over $3,000 to even $5,000 per ounce. All the power to you if you buy now and that actually happens; the thing is you have to have invested big to see a windfall.

My only advice is to make sure you physically receive the heavy shiny metal; a piece of paper or an email that claims you own some in “their vault” for safe keeping? Don’t fall for that one…. get the coins, or bullion, bars whatever and you can use it as a doorstop, hide it or bury it in the backyard, just make sure you get the gold.

I have heard so many stories of folks getting ripped off when the bullion company goes bankrupt or it was just a big scam to begin with, and when it all hits the fan, all you have is a worthless document saying you own twenty ounces of nothing in an empty corporate vault.

Get The Gold! The same thing goes if you invest in silver too.

Having and holding is also important for those of you who possess really nice jewelry. In my past article I mentioned making sure your jewelry was secure while wearing it. Where you store it or keep it handy when you are not wearing it is equally important.

It’s not just about having the expensive stuff insured but also safe - a home safe is a better option than having your baubles all located in one spot on or in your dresser like in a jewelry box. That just makes it that much easier for the thief to avoid searching for it.

I don’t suggest this security system my grandparents used. My Sicilian grandmother was an expert at hiding her jewelry. Her lifelong profession was as a seamstress - maybe you can figure where this is going - she would add hidden zippered seams to her curtains, overcoats, who knows? My grandfather, a shoemaker who never trusted banks after the crash of October 28th 1929, was also a talented carpenter and he hid money and valuables in the wood moldings, hidden compartments and thresholds. When we had to move them from their house to assisted living in the 1980s, they mentioned where some of the “stuff” was hidden. My mom, sisters and I went on a glorified Easter egg hunt. We found jewelry, cash, gold and silver coins in places you would not believe. We searched for days, and to this day I’m not sure we found all of it!

Not the smartest or secure idea, was it? That was my grandparent’s idea of safekeeping; good heavens, what if the place burned down?

There are all kinds of home secure fireproof safes on the market. My friend Butch at Gulf Island Lock and Safe could most likely hook you up on the island. Many folks who have their jewelry in bank vaults tell me while things are very safe there, they barely wear the beautiful pieces they own because of the inconvenient process involved in retrieving and returning them. It all comes down to the simple phrase…Better to be safe than sorry.

Questions from cyberspace… Joyce asked, “Since I moved to the island my silver jewelry is tarnishing faster than ever, what is causing it and how do I keep it clean and shiny?”

First and foremost welcome to paradise! The second thing is you are now surrounded by salt water and salt air which is not a friend to silver jewelry, especially if your abode is on the water. I suggest a good liquid silver cleaner and a polishing cloth (something I carry in the shop). Clean your silver pieces after you wear them to remove body creams or sunscreen, even simply perspiring will stain silver. After cleaning there are these anti tarnishing strips you can add to a zip lock bag that can contain several pieces of your silver jewelry, the strip neutralizes the salt air and oxygen in the bag and prevents tarnishing. That should keep everything clean and shiny when you are not wearing it.

Richard Alan is a designer/goldsmith and a purveyor of fine diamonds and precious gemstones for over 50 years. He is the owner of the Harbor Goldsmith, Marco and Naples go-to jeweler since 1994. He welcomes your questions and comments about All That Glitters.  www.harborgoldsmith.com.

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