The things you see ...

... when you're not carrying a jewelry repair kit. So, yesterday, I pop into a dollar store to grab a few quick items. (Note to those who sell jewelry - some of my best display items have come from the dollar store!)

In the line up for the cashier - while we all waited for the woman at the front of the line to sort through her platinum cards (snort!) - I noticed the gentleman in front of me was wearing a necklace. I always look closely at men's jewelry - at the jewelry they chose to wear that is - as I am completely stumped when it comes to designing it. Anyway, this was a stone bead in the center, sort of arrowhead/claw shaped, a few stone beads on either side, and black seedbeads filling in all the way to the back. As I looked closely at the back - which was the part I could see the best - I saw it was strung on wire - piano wire maybe - with a loop - and a "catch" of a piece of brass wire twisted over into a hook. And there were gaps in the seedbeads. Argh!

I tell you, it was all I could do to not grab him by it and drag him away to restring it and put a proper clasp on it. It made me crazy!!!!

You know you're too involved in jewelry when . . . you contemplate mugging a stranger to fix their jewelry. ;-)