Thank You, Hamilton Jewelry!

Hamilton Jewelry is located at 113 Lapalco Blvd, Suite 105, Gretna, LA 70056

It is easy to be cynical when dealing with businesses.  It seems like they are all dishonest and eager to get over on their customers.  And while that is certainly true in some instances, there are also some really outstanding businesses and owners, managers, and workers out there who are honest and upright, who still see their work as craftsmanship.

A couple years ago, I had meant to blog about Hamilton Jewelry at the intersection of Lapalco and Belle Chasse Highway.  I'm sorry that I didn't at the time - better late than never!  This began because I have a pocket watch that is a gift from my dad (of more than 20 years ago), a quartz-driven Jules Jurgensen  that had developed a problem with the date display.  I braced myself for a very bad prognosis.  I figured it would cost me a hundred bucks (maybe more!) to get it fixed (parts from Europe, labor, etc.).  And given the sentimental value of the watch, I would have paid it.  What choice did I have?  I'm not going to throw it in the garbage.

So I brought it to Mr. Hamilton.

It turns out that the watch just needed a minor lubrication.  In fact, I think he did it for free and only charged me for a new battery that it needed.  I was absolutely blown away.  This says to me that this business is reputable and honest.  And when it comes to things like watches and jewelry, that's pretty important.  He could have easily ripped me off and I would not have known the difference.  Instead, he took the high road, and that has won my loyalty.  I ended up buying a watch chain from him.

So, fast forward to about three weeks ago.  I looked down at my hand, and was horrified to see that my wedding band had cracked completely through.  I have no idea how or why.  I had not banged it against anything.  I leave it on my finger all the time.  How do such things happen?  So, once again I was thinking I was in for a really expensive repair job - even if it were possible.  I mean, how do you fix a broken wedding ring, especially one that has intricate scrollwork on it?

Ouch!

Well, given my last experience, I knew exactly where to go.

And once again, it was Mr. Hamilton and his wonderful staff to the rescue!  It was also time for a new battery in the pocket watch.  Both repair jobs were done in a week for $50 out the door.  Even upon close examination of the ring, I can't even find evidence of the former break.  Mr. Hamilton is a true craftsman.  He soldered the ring with gold.  He even gave it a good cleaning.  How he made the repair "invisible" I don't know.  That's why he is a master at fixing jewelry and I can only look upon his work with wonder.

After Mr. Hamilton's expertise

As a funny side note, I just had to wear something on my left hand during the interim.  After 19 years, my wedding-ring finger felt downright indecent being publicly unclad.  So I brought out my old class ring from Walsh Jesuit High School and placed it on my wedding finger.  This turned into a display of the divine sense of humor.  While I was saying Mass at the altar with my hands held up in the "orans" (praying) position, I saw, out of the corner of my eye to the left, the coat of arms of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) on my left hand.  In my right periphery, I espied the statue of Bl. Martin Luther, the leader of the Evangelical Catholic reform movement (the Lutherans) on my Concordia Theological Seminary class ring on the other hand.

This called to mind the old joke:

A Roman Catholic boy asked his pastor the difference between the Dominicans and the Jesuits.  The priest replied: "The Dominicans were founded to get rid of the Albigensians.  The Jesuits were founded to get rid of the Lutherans."  The boy asked: "Which order is better?"  "Well," retorted the priest with a sly grin, "how many Albigensians have you met?"

Ignatius of Loyola

Martin Luther

At any rate, "Thank you" to Hamilton Jewelry!  If any FH readers are looking to buy jewelry or have something repaired (or even designed from scratch!), I think their honesty and integrity speaks volumes!  There are indeed more quality jewelers with integrity and top-notch customer service in the Gretna area than there are Albigensians.

19 years and still going strong!