The Main Street family business have decades of knowledge, stories, and experience
By Andrew Harris
Unless you are in the very small minority of the population who doesn’t wear any jewelry or wristwatch, our new series “Ask a Jeweler,” will be very valuable reading.
The family team at Hart’s Jewelry have forty years of professional wisdom, some golden tales to tell, and a level of service you can’t find anywhere in the Southern Tier. For the first installment of this new series, they have three interesting topics to share: Pearls, unique art, and keeping your wristwatch or clock running “on time.”
June is the Month of the Pearl!
Most people may know that pearls come from oysters but this timeless sign of elegance is a speciality of Hart’s Jewelry. Here is some history and background from Hart’s partners at Imperial Pearl
The Natural Pearl
Historically, the world’s best pearls came from the Persian Gulf, especially around what is now Bahrain. The pearls of the Persian Gulf were natural created and collected by breath-hold divers. The secret to the special luster of Gulf pearls probably derived from the unique mixture of sweet and salt water around the island. Unfortunately, The natural pearl industry of the Persian Gulf ended abruptly in the early 1930’s with the discovery of large deposits of oil. Those who once dove for pearls sought prosperity in the economic boom ushered in by the oil industry. The water pollution resulting from spilled oil and indiscriminate over-fishing of oysters essentially ruined the once pristine pearl producing waters of the Gulf.
The Art Of Culturing Pearls
Today, pearl diving is practiced only as a hobby. The largest stock of natural pearls probably resides in India. Ironically, much of India’s stock of natural pearls came originally from Bahrain. Unlike Bahrain, which has essentially lost its pearl resource, traditional pearl fishing is still practiced on a small scale in India.
The art of culturing pearls was invented in Japan in 1893 by a man named Kokichi Mikimoto. He discovered that by introducing a tiny bead of mother-of-pearl (the white substance on the inside of a mussel’s shell) into an oyster, that oyster would began to cover the irritant with nacre (the secreted substance that makes up a pearl).
A sweet idea for wedding bands
A customer came to Hart’s with her late-husband’s wedding band and wanted a creative way to keep his memory and the jewelry alive. The customer worked with the jeweler’s at Hart’s to create a truly unique new work of art.
“We took both their wedding bands and created this piece for her.”
This concept has many possibilities and is just an example of how Hart’s can memorialize or give new life to your most important pieces.
Hart’s can fix time!! Wristwatches or clocks, antiques or contemporary
While the Iwatch might be all the rage, many people still value and like to show off classic wristwatches. Not long ago the wristwatch was a symbol of status and an important business tool. The tradition of handing down a Rolex or other valuable wristwatch is alive and well. The same can be said for family heirloom clocks, some call them “Little Ben” clocks that let our melodic chimes and make for great show pieces.
Very few professionals have the knowledge to repair these very intricate pieces. Hart’s is proud to offer both wristwatch and clock repair, backed by years of experience. In addition to repair, having these pieces professionally cleaned is very important. Yes, Hart’s has the tools and experts to clean all your time pieces and all kinds of jewelry.
Find out more about repair services at HartsJewelry.com
See the pearls they have in the case by stopping by North Main Street Wellsville
Call or email with any questions you might have about these or the many other services Hart’s Jewelry has to offer.
