Advising many military customers and living in a city with a military base (Fort Bliss) has given me the experience necessary to warn soldiers of the dollar-seekers outside the U.S. who would like to take their hard earned American dollars in exchange for items of little value. I have seen watches come into my store purchased by soldiers who thought they were buying the “real thing” overseas. Ninety-nine percent of the watches I see brought in from overseas are imitations, fakes or counterfeit. Many of the rubies, sapphires, and emeralds brought in for appraisals are either treated, imitations or synthetics and need an expert to tell the difference. Unless you get some kind of certification or guarantee of what you are buying overseas, you may be in for a lot of disappointment when you get back to the U.S.
Since 1980, I have consistently imposed upon myself a demanding continuing education program, ongoing involvement in various significant professional organizations, as well as, on a regular basis, personally preparing appraisals of fine jewelry, watches, coins, and art. From the beginning, I knew if I were to achieve the level of excellence and reputation in my profession which I sought, it would not exclusively be because of the many books I would read or seminars I would attend. By far the greatest lessons I have learned are a result of experiences with clients who would settle for nothing less than the best.
To be sure you are buying what you think you are, I have established this website and written a brochure to help you in your overseas buying decisions. This brochure was written to thank you for the service you give to our country and to ensure that your hard earned dollars are well spent. Use this information to help you be a better jewelry consumer!
