Stung, stung, and stung again.

[theoldwolf]

As I traveled the world over a period of 20 years, I would always bring back little souvenirs to my then-wife. When that relationship ended, some of these trinkets found their way back to me.

I sold a number of them on eBay, and in the process discovered that a number of items that had been represented to me as being solid 14 karat gold or better, were something else altogether.



Each of these pieces were purchased at "reputable" jewelry stores, not street-vendors. I did what was necessary to make the eBay transactions right, but it makes me wonder how much else that is sold in these stores is just plain jiggery-pokery.

It has made me look at jewelry stores in an entirely different light, and I will certainly be much more careful in future, particularly in other parts of the world.

Comments

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

As innocent as the buyers' intentions may be, expensive trinkets are often a symbol of avarice. Therefore, I eye the vendors with suspicion that their god is Mammon, and Mammon has no qualms about ripoffs.

[ccdesan.livejournal.com]

Very good thought...

[dhlawrence.livejournal.com]

Join the club. You may remember my putting up pictures of a bronze or brass inkwell my mother bought a while back; I went to the same store yesterday and they were selling another one. We made money, though; my mother paid forty-five and they're selling it for sixty.