My neighbor Rob and his wife Gloria sure know what girls like; with 4 daughters ranging in age from 16-32 Gloria explains, that “we sure don’t wait for Thanksgiving or Christmas – we head to the gem shows and get the best deals and the biggest selection…I choose and Rob seals the deals.” With that sage advice in mind, Edison based BestrentNJ.com tenants at Edison Woods, Edison Woods Senior 55+, Edison Village, Blueberry Village, & Rivendell Heights, should head out to their very own New Jersey Convention Center for the 2024 NJ FALL MINERAL, FOSSIL, JEWELRY & GEM SHOW running from October 9 thru October 13. 

Heres some advice that Gloria suggests we follow to maximize our chances to find what we are looking for, get the best deals and learn what we can in the process. 

  • BRING CASH: Nowadays most vendors take credit cards, PayPal or Venmo but some (especially those from overseas or out of town) sell for cash. Another advantage of having cash is getting the final price even if the vendor accepts other forms of payment. “Rob waits until I ask all the questions, make my selection and gets the vendors price. Then he’ll negotiate and once he’s gotten what the vendor suggest is the best price, he might offer cash in exchange for an even better deal and sometimes – it works!”
  • RESEARCH YOUR SHOPPING LIST:  Bring your list of things you want to buy and do your research before you get to the show and check up on prices. 
  • BRING THESE TOOLS: Ideally, before you go to the show you should have with you a 10x magnifier jewelers loupe, a small but powerful MAGLITE type flashlight, a notepad a pen and a calculator (or a smartphone that incorporates these 3 features). If you don’t have these tools handy, you may find them being sold at the show so check the vendor list to see who sells JEWELRY SUPPLIES and start your show visit there. 
  • WEAR YOUR STORAGE: A waist or fanny pack is also a good idea so that you can carry your purchases in one area, along with your tools and cash. Rummaging through your pocketbook, knapsack or pockets will sometimes lead to losing something you bought or brought with you; nothing beats the proximity of a secure zippered pouch on your person for convenient hassle-free safekeeping. 
  • ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ITEMS ORIGIN AND TREATMENTS: Providing that you’ve done your research for the item(s) on your shopping list, you’ll have to be savvy in making sure you understand the origin and treatment of the item(s) you seek out. This is especially important for precious and semi-precious gems. Clearly the most coveted gem items are natural without treatment. Then come gems whose treatments are the most stable and accepted by the industry while gems whose treatments are less stable and less accepted fall down a level in desirability. Finally, there are the synthetics that are manufactured in labs. 

Enjoy your gem show adventure 😉 

Operating and maintaining beautiful communities across the Garden State has long been a tradition here and we invite you to visit our Apartment Locator page on BestrentNJ.com when seeking your next home.