The Mystery of Mom's Lost Jewelry

What happens when your mom or dad thinks their jewels have been stolen?

It’s frightening when one of your parents believes that a wedding ring, piece of jewelry, or something precious was stolen.   Unfortunately, some of our loved ones, with fading memories, will sometimes accidentally toss away or accidentally lose a family heirloom or keepsake.  Hands and fingers can shrink with age, or swell with l arthritis, weight gain, or water retention, making wearing precious things uncomfortable. 

Yet their fears can easily spread to us. Were they really robbed?  Whom do I trust?  What else is missing?  How can I find the lost items?  Do we call the police? 

To prevent worrying about what might happen, consider having replicas made of important personal jewelry.   If losing such items is not something you can bear, and you can afford something a bit less expensive, consider duplicates that your parents can hold onto. Many rings, earrings, bracelets, or other family pieces can be replicated in low-cost materials, such as cubic zirconia, or plated metals. Getting this done can be quite reasonable, and you’d be surprised how real they look.

We did this for my mom with her wedding and engagement rings.  The resulting replicas were better than I could have imagined. More of that story is laid out in this episode. 

If you go this route, make sure you’re working with a reputable jeweler as you’ll want to show them the items you want to be duplicated.  This may mean handing over pieces for a few days or weeks.  If that’s the case, and mom or dad asks “where are my rings” simply share that they’re being repaired.

Here’s a link to Sonya Taheri and Wilton Campus Jewelers, the shop that helped me create beautiful replicas of mom’s wedding rings.  Sonia helped me on many occasions with repairs, appraisals for insurance, and more. I recommend her 110%.  I’ve also noted two other places you might want to investigate for creating family jewelry replicas.  I’m not personally familiar with their work, however.

Wilton Campus Jewelers on FaceBook

Serendipity Diamonds: replica rings for travel and other needs.

Cubic Zirconia: Make your own designs

Host:  Nancy May, Author of How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies, Step-by-Step Before, During, After!  is an acknowledged expert in managing the path of step-by-step caring for aging parents, even from over 1200 miles away. For a free, fillable File-of-Life go to www.howtosurvive911.com. Nancy is also the Co-Founder of CareManity LLC, and the private FaceBook group, Eldercare Success.

Disclaimer: The views, perspectives, and opinions expressed in this show are those of the show...