I Got Free Jewelry From a Store That's Closing After 31 Years. Here's What Actually Showed Up.
A note from a reader about the closing jewelry store that has, by her own count, replaced almost everything in her jewelry box.
If you saw what I shared about Lucia & James, you already know the backstory. A woman at Bible study, beautiful jewelry, turns out the founders are retiring after 31 years and giving their entire collection away free. I ordered three pieces expecting nothing.
This is about what actually showed up.
What Arrived
The box came four days later. Matte black, "Lucia & James Jewelry" in gold on the lid.
I was not expecting that. Not for free jewelry.
I have ordered from department stores and brands that charge well over a hundred dollars. None of them have ever sent me packaging like this.
Inside, each piece was tucked into its own velvet pouch. Blush pink and cream. Tissue paper folded neatly around everything. And sitting right on top, the first thing you see when you open the lid, was a note from the founders on thick cream cardstock.
What I Was Not Prepared For
I have been ordering jewelry online for years. I know what shows up. A padded envelope. A thin little box. Maybe some bubble wrap if you are lucky. You open it, try it on, and half the time it looks nothing like the photo.
This was not that.
I sat at my kitchen table and opened every pouch one by one. Laid them out in front of me and just looked at them.
The necklace had real weight to it. Not heavy, but present. The kind of weight that tells you it is not costume jewelry pretending to be something it is not. The chain did not feel like it would snap if I looked at it wrong. The pendant sat flat against my chest exactly where it should.
The earrings caught the afternoon light coming through my kitchen window. Small enough to wear every day. Pretty enough that you notice them.
The bracelet I had ordered for my daughter was so delicate I was almost afraid to touch it. I held it up and just watched it catch the light for a moment before I put it back in the pouch.
These were free. I still have trouble saying that out loud.
I put the necklace on that evening before my husband got home.
What My Husband Said
He walked in, looked at me, and said, "That's new."
I told him it was free.
He did not believe me. I showed him the receipt. Delivery charge only. He still did not believe me. I showed him the letter.
He read it, set it down, and said, "Order more before they run out."
In 34 years of marriage he has never once told me to order more of anything.
See the Free CollectionWhat Happened Next
I was only going to order three.
Then my sister called on Sunday and I told her. She asked me to order for her too. Then my neighbor Linda came by for coffee and saw the necklace. Then two women from church texted me that same evening asking if it was real.
In two weeks I have ordered nine pieces from Lucia & James. Three for myself, one for my daughter, and the rest for my sister, my neighbor Linda, and two friends from church who would not stop asking about my necklace.
"Barbara, I thought you were exaggerating about the packaging." That was my sister. Linda said the earrings were nicer than the pair she bought at Nordstrom last Christmas.
Two of them have already gone back and ordered more.
Over 4,000 women have ordered from Lucia & James since they announced the closing. I am just one of them. But I might be the loudest.
The Bracelet I Gave My Daughter
My daughter is 38. She has two small kids, a full life, and she never spends money on herself. I gave her the bracelet without telling her what it cost. She opened the pouch, went quiet, put it on, and said, "Mom, this is beautiful."
She has not taken it off since.
Sometimes the right gift is one someone would never give themselves. And when the jewelry is free, there is no reason not to.
What "Free" Actually Means
I know how it sounds. I thought the same thing. So let me be plain about it.
Every piece in their collection is free. You pay the delivery charge shown at checkout so they can ship it to you. That is it.
No auto-enrollment. No credit card surprises. No hidden anything.
Lucia and James are retiring after 31 years of doing what they love. This is how they chose to say goodbye. And if you ask me, it is the most generous goodbye I have ever seen from any company.
$0 jewelry.
- Choose one piece or several
- Final inventory. No restock.
- Total shown before payment
- No surprises. No hidden fees.
If You Are Still Reading
Do not order just because it is free. Order because something caught your eye and you want to see it in person. On your wrist, around your neck, in a velvet pouch on your dresser.
Order for the woman in your life who would never buy it for herself. Your daughter, your sister, your neighbor, the friend who always shows up for everyone else.
When I last checked, a few styles I ordered were already showing limited stock. They are not making more. When the last piece ships, 31 years are done.
If something is telling you to look, trust that feeling. I did. And I am sitting here wearing the proof.
-- Barbara
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