A little bit of me...

Not every possession in life tells a story, but some certainly do. One such item is a gold bangle which bears my name and which I designed and had made for me in rose, yellow, and white gold, almost twenty years ago.

I had just graduated from university and felt that life had perhaps begun to open doors previously closed to me. Old gold from single earrings where the other in the pair was lost, broken necklaces and other odds and ends were smelted down and within a few weeks my creation was born.

Designed so that it could be worn permanently, night and day, my bangle was there with me through thick and thin.  It was on my wrist when my ex-husband proposed, when we married and when our children were born.

Insentient, it did not see, it did not record, but like a beloved teddy, my heart assigned it emotions nonetheless. It witnessed my tears, the sad breakdown of my marriage and my eventual journey into the minefield of dating...and then perhaps echoing me a little bit, it broke.

It slipped from my wrist like a forlorn lover, parting from me with regret and sorrowful backward glances.

For so long it languished on my dressing table waiting to be fixed. And every time I glanced in its direction I promised myself that I would attend to it soon...and yet I did nothing.

Until today. Chastened and ashamed by the fact that daily I mourned its absence and yet did nothing to change the status quo, I  took a trip to the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham. A couple of years ago the catch that had originally closed the bracelet had broken and I had taken it to a wonderful repair shop called A and A.

There they had listened to the problem and designed an ingenious pin system to fix it. The repair was made and the charge was reasonable. So today I took it back there. I explained that the pin had unfortunately come loose and that I wanted the whole thing soldered shut.

A very nice man listened intently, disappeared with my bracelet and reappeared five minutes later with it repaired and sparkling clean.

So if you are looking for a repair to a beloved piece of jewellery, perhaps a piece that you hold dear to your heart and have been afraid up until now to let out of your sight, then I can say to you that I highly recommend A and A.

For caring and prompt service, for people who listen, for the skill to work and rework jewellery to the customer's satisfaction and for the sheer workmanship they bestow upon every job :-

A and A Jewellery Ltd  http://www.aajewellery.com/

What do you think of when you hear the words 'Pawn Broker'? What image comes to mind?

Is it of a cramped little shop, its walls lined with unpainted wooden shelves and festooned with cobwebbed and tarnished trinkets? Where the age-darkened oak lends itself to the gloom, festering a  suffocating essence of decay which permeates the air, tainting the atmosphere with a sense of desperation and dreams long-dead until it is too oppressive to bear; an opaque varnish laden with its own particular burden of hopelessness and doom?

And of the proprietor? What images come to mind there?

Is it a bent over, huddled figure, spectacles perched on the very tip of his nose like some sort of modern-day Ebeneezer Scrooge? In your imagination does he run a finger up the bridge of his nose, settling those glasses before offering a toothless grin to the unwary customer? Shining some bauble on his tattered coat, fingering it with grimy hands and offering a pittance as the owner of the item is forced reluctantly to part with it in exchange for just enough money to purchase a stale crust of bread?

Up until this weekend that had certainly been my perception of pawnbrokers and their trade. But just how wrong I was became apparent this weekend when I was invited to Suttons and Robertsons' exclusive pre-Christmas event at their Birmingham branch.

Suttons and Robertsons style themselves as 'Pawnbrokers of Distinction' and on stepping through their doorway I had to agree with them. The interior of the shop resembles a collector's private viewing room more than it does an actual shop. Here there are no crowded displays where gaudy rings jostle with garish bangles or where brassy necklaces drape ten to a pad over faux-leather cushions.

No indeed! Suttons and Robersons are the real deal! Here glittering diamond necklaces that might once have adorned the neck of a Russian Tsarina are afforded the space and presentation they deserve. Dazzling bracelets which shine brighter than a thousand stars are showcased in refined dignity and exquisitely crafted rings are displayed individually, affording the eye and brain just enough time to wonder at the beauty of each piece before moving ceaselessly on, each remarkable item more stunning than the one before.

Each and every article in their store is not just a piece of jewellery, it is a work of art, a thing of beauty to behold. And each has its own story to tell. Because this is no ordinary shop and these are no ordinary pawnbrokers.

Once you step across their threshold it is almost as if you have entered another world. Chic modern décor and minimalistic furnishings lead the eye to the few display cabinets on show and there is a real feeling of understated grandeur, as if the quality and value of the items speak for themselves and need no further ostentation. And yet every cabinet is a masterpiece in itself, glistening with sumptuous gems and intricate gold, fashioned into flattering and unique designs.  

But it is seldom just a place which makes such an impression, its the people who work there too, for these are the life-blood of any business. Suttons and Robertsons' staff are the best in their business,  knowledgeable and business-like with a warmth of attitude which shines through. They are nothing like the bespectacled aforementioned figment of my imagination but neither are they stiff and unapproachable. What they do have is an almost mystical quality in that they can gauge the finer points of every stone within its setting, its precise worth and its world-wide exclusivity.

Because that was the thing that struck me most about my visit - how exclusive everything was, from my invitation to attend, right down to the private viewing rooms where 'pledges' as anything taken in exchange for money is called, is valued and accepted.
Looking a little like a private banking room I could only imagine what gems have in time flitted across the counters there.

I was a little humbled by the natural beauty that was on show, diamonds that had been formed by nature over millennia and crafted by skilled hands...and to be completely honest I wondered why I had been extended the invitation. All was to become clear when I asked my next question - who uses such upmarket pawnbrokers?

The answer was as simple as it was profound. Anyone it seems can use the service if they have something suitable to serve as a pledge.
The item brought in to be pawned ALWAYS remains the property of the client! So even if they do not come back to claim it at the end of the term, it remains in effect theirs, so much so, that when the item is sold at auction, if it then makes a profit over the amount of the original loan and interest value, Suttons and Robertsons send a letter to the client, informing them of this and request that they come in to collect the surplus value.

Many clients are well known stars of stage and screen and/or household names. They are neither down at the heel nor shady, they are simply utilising their assets in a whole different way, sparing themselves the time which they would otherwise have to spend liquidising assets and redistributing them, to cover a short-term period. Because that's the true beauty of the pawnbroker I discovered - no credit checks, no expansive forms to be filled in triplicate, no need for collateral other than the item on offer. Less fuss, less hassle.

And then, when the term is over, or sooner if the client wishes as items can be returned at any time within the set term, the client merely repays the loan plus interest and their item is back in  their possession with no need to be switching funds from one Swiss bank account to the other.

So now that I have got to here you are wondering where I come into this picture aren't you. Well here it is - are you ready?

Suttons and Robertsons are planning a social event for their extensive client base and they have asked that I provide an author talk and book signing at the event! Of course I immediately said yes...now I'm wondering if I should have held out for a diamond tiara to wear during the evening ;)
And all that talk of Swiss bank accounts has made me think of a little holiday chateau in the French Alps for a week or two. If only I had the money...oh now there's a thought! Did anyone see where I put that old engagement ring of mine? ;)


Happy reading folks!


Suttons and Robertson also buy, mend and value jewellery. For more on their services  see
https://www.suttonsandrobertsons.com/Index.aspx