Used jewelry made looking new again

You might find a piece of jewelry from Tiffany's at the Great Las Vegas Jewelry Exchange, but you won't find it with the Tiffany price tag.

The store, located at 3480 Spring Mountain Road, offers jewelry that is slightly used, but looks brand new. Every piece sold is first inspected and authenticated and brought up to specifications. Broken clasps are replaced, scratches polished out and missing stones replaced. Looking in the cases, the merchandise appears like it was never worn.

"You'd be comfortable giving your mother a piece from this store on Mother's Day," said David Lessnick, marketing director.

The busy industrial location can be distracting, but once patrons step inside, the noise of traffic disappears. The setting is pure vintage Las Vegas with oversized black and white graphics on the walls, tuck and roll padding around the counters and a graceful centerpiece -- a circular fountain with cascading water and cushioned seating. The store occupies 1,800 square feet.

Neck chains line the wall displays and meticulously refurbished jewelry pieces are on display in every case. One entire case is devoted to pieces that cost $49.99.

"But we're willing to negotiate," said Trudy Duggan, store manager. "Haggling over the price is part of the fun."

Speaking of fun, there is something for everyone in the store and part of the experience is just looking it all over. Need a wristwatch? It has them. Want a cameo brooch? Right this way. There are even Mickey Mouse, Snoopy and Flipper rings for the kids. Besides jewelry, the store offers watches and usually has a good supply of Rolexes for sale.

One of the more notable pieces is a huge gold ring shaped like a piano. The sales staff nicknamed it the "Liberace" ring and it has 175 diamonds studding its surface and sides. Five emeralds help designate the key board. Total weight is 7 carats. Duggan said the custom-made piece probably sold for $15,000 originally, but the store is asking $8,400.

The oldest item currently in the store is a $10 gold piece dated 1881. That one probably had dozens of owners since it was minted, but now it is set as a medallion. Its price tag reads $89.99.

The priciest items are solitaire diamonds. Depending on quality, they sell for more than $10,000. A separate viewing room allows for privacy and is another factor that adds to the classy feeling of vintage Las Vegas. The loose diamonds can be set at the store, as the Great Las Vegas Jewelry Exchange has semi-mount rings and a master jeweler on site. Patrons can watch the work as their piece is set.

The store receives new items about three times a week. Pieces come from around the country, purchased from individuals or at estate sales. A small portion of its inventory is bought from manufacturers but 95 percent is pre-owned. Wholesalers buy from the Great Las Vegas Jewelry Exchange, Lessnick said, paying the same price an individual would pay.

"So someone might go into another jewelry store and buy a piece that they could have gotten here (without the mark up)," he said.

The store offers a 90-day layaway plan, an exchange program and full guarantees. The staff of six has more than 120 years experience. "This is not for the Tiffany set, people who don't mind paying for the box," Lessnick said. "But, who knows, the ring someone buys here just may have come from Tiffany's originally."

The Great Las Vegas Jewelry Exchange is open daily and can be reached at 364-8529.