There isn’t a better time of year than now to get out of Dodge and head for the sandy beaches of a tropical island. Shed those heavy winter coats and boots, put your toes in the warm sand and watch the waves roll in! Enjoying family and friends and making memories is what it’s all about. So it’s fun to do a little shopping for some souvenirs to bring home and remind us of the good times had.
T-shirts are a perfect souvenir. They tend to be conversation-starters when you wear them, and those conversations take you right back to that sandy beach. Jewelry can do the same. So, why T-shirts and not jewelry?
I’ve been on a few tropical vacations myself. A few years ago, my husband and I took a Caribbean cruise. During a day at sea, we decided to stroll around the ship and look in the shops. In the jewelry boutique that day, they had a special showing of a “rare and newly discovered gem”. As a jewelry industry insider, I hadn’t heard about any recent gemstone discoveries. I was intrigued.
At the appointed time, I returned to the jewelry boutique where a sizable crowd had amassed. The sales representative began her presentation, telling a wild tale of the recent discovery of this once unknown gem, “Yellow Emerald”. Of course, everyone knows Emerald is rare and expensive, so this newly discovered “Yellow Emerald” must be even more so. The representative stated that the cruise line shop was the exclusive source. This is your only chance to purchase a gem so rare, only this jewelry boutique on this cruise ship made available! The crowd was enthralled with the story and began to mill around the shop looking at the selection of the “Yellow Emerald”.
I couldn’t believe my ears. I wanted to yell out to the crowd, “This is a tall tale!”
“Yellow Emeralds” are, in fact, Heliodor or Golden Beryl, a cousin of Emerald. Even though it’s not as well-known as Emerald, Heliodor is a relatively inexpensive gemstone discovered over 100 years ago. Hardly a new find. If you’re on a cruise ship or in a foreign country, remember you shop under their regulations, not U.S. regulations. The last thing anyone wants to do is spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a gemstone that turns out not to be as rare and valuable as was presented.
