You are turning down a cabin. On the nightstand there is a pair of earrings, a ring, a hair clip and something that might be a bracelet or might be a piece of a bracelet. On the chair is a handbag with a crocodile-skin flap. In three minutes you will make a decision about every one of these objects, so it pays to know what they are.
Precious metals
Gold is alloyed for hardness and colour, and the karat mark tells you how much gold is in the mix: 24k is pure and very soft, 18k is 75% gold, 14k is 58.5%, 9k is 37.5%. White gold is usually rhodium plated, and that plating wears and can be stripped by chemicals. Platinum is denser, heavier in the hand and more chemically stable, but still scratches. Silver tarnishes — a normal chemical reaction with sulphur in the air, accelerated at sea, and not a sign anyone did anything wrong.
Stones and pearls
| Item | What it is | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond | The hardest gem material there is | It will scratch every other stone and every metal in the box |
| Ruby / sapphire | Corundum; hard and fairly robust | Tough, but settings still loosen |
| Emerald | Beryl; brittle, usually fracture-filled with oil or resin | Chemicals, heat and ultrasonic cleaning ruin it |
| Opal | Contains water; crazes and cracks | Heat, dry air and solvents are fatal |
| Pearl | Organic; layers of nacre over a soft core | Perfume, hairspray, sweat, acids and dryness all attack it |
| Costume / vintage | Glued stones, plated metal, unknown history | Often the most fragile thing on the tray — and sometimes the most sentimental |
Do not assume that expensive means robust, or that costume means disposable. A grandmother's paste brooch can generate more grief than a diamond.
Bags, leather and everything else
Designer handbags run from calf and lambskin through suede (which marks if you look at it) to exotic skins — crocodile, alligator, python, lizard, ostrich. Exotics are more sensitive to water, heat and handling than any calfskin, and they carry a CITES paperwork issue when they cross borders. Add to the list: sunglasses (coated lenses, easily scratched), fountain pens, luggage, cameras, laptops, headphones and the small personal electronics that vanish most often.
The honest summary
Almost nothing in this inventory is repairable by you, and much of it is destroyed by things that look harmless: a splash of water, a squirt of perfume, a cloth that was used on something else first.
Onboard Notes
- Karat marks tell you the gold content, not the value or the fragility.
- Diamonds scratch everything else — separate storage is not fussiness.
- Pearls, opals and emeralds are the fragile three. Learn those names.
- Exotic skins are both delicate and a customs matter. Flag them, do not judge them.