I really like this question. I feel that there are many things in life that are free and have great value. Love, friendship, a handshake, a hug, and even laying on the cool grass during a hot summer day. I can do any of these things for free and all of them have value to me.
For the financial value of an item, let’s consider a piece of jewelry. Ultimately, the value of anything is what someone is willing to pay for that item at a given point in time. For example, people will often show me a ring or a pendant or a Rolex watch and ask me “what is it worth”? The value of a 14K gold ring depends on why the valuation is needed and its intended purpose. If the person is selling the ring because they need the cash for other expenses, that amount is based on what we call “scrap value”. If a person is wanting to have a formal appraisal done for insurance or replacement of that item, that value is much different and usually much higher than the scrap value and is known as the items “appraised value”. Value, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder or in the details for the circumstances.
We have many customers who will come into Pineforest Jewelry just to say hello. They’re not here to buy something this time or for us to repair their jewelry, they just stopped by to have a cool drink and chat for a while. They feel comfortable here, they feel welcomed here, the feel appreciated here, they feel valued here. Our friendship and the cool drinks are all free. Now that’s a real value, that’s priceless!
We Love our customers and it shows every day of the week. Thank you for reading the “Ask Diamond Jim” column.
