Babes | Hidden Treasures Discovered By Local Gemologist Were Beneficial For Hospice ...

The organizers of Bubbles Baubles and Babes got a nice surprise when they were preparing for their event earlier this month.

The event, held on April 9 at Gallery 78, is a sale of a wide array of fun, fashionable and fine jewelry, with all proceeds going to support Hospice Fredericton.

When they brought in an expert to check out the donated jewelry beforehand, it was discovered they had some true hidden gems.

Colleen O'Donnell, the organizer of Bubbles Baubles and Babes, said having an expert available kept them from undervaluing some great pieces.

"We had talked to Stephen Cole at Spicer Smith and Cole and he had offered to partner with us," she said. "He came to the event last year and wanted to participate."

One of the ways he did that was to make the services of the store's gemologist, Rachel McNally, available for a full day prior to the event.

"Last year was our first event. We were overwhelmed because there were a couple of things that happened at the last minute last year," she said.

In some cases, rather than sell jewelry for far less than it was worth, they set pieces aside until they could be assessed. Still, she is sure people went home with some great deals.

"No one wants to donate their jewelry and see it thrown away, and that was never our intention," she said.

This year, the organizers wanted things to be different. That's where McNally came in.

"Rachel came to my house where we had prepared the jewelry all week long, had cleaned it and sorted it, and she began her process of taking a look at the value of what we had," said O'Donnell.

"Obviously we're not gemologists, so it was quite fun to see her make the first find."

Her first major "find" was a ring that the team thought was silver with a coloured stone. It turns out that it was an 18K white gold ring with an aquamarine stone with a retail value of $1,800.

Thanks to McNally, they were able to sell that ring at the event for $350, said O'Donnell, so both the charity and the buyer went home winners.

McNally had some other great finds as well, which made a big difference in how much they raised.

This year's event brought in approximately $3,300 for the Hospice Fredericton program.

This is good news, as its services are increasingly in demand.

"We have worked directly with over 40 clients and families since the services were made available in 2009," said O'Donnell. "So far in 2011, we've received 14 referrals. It's not just the person who is palliative, it's their whole family that gets help."

Hospice Fredericton also offers a grief support group.

"We have 20 trained volunteers and another training session is upcoming," she said, adding that there are 16 people who have already gone through a security screening and are waiting to take that training.

Organizers plan to have another Bubbles Baubles and Babes fundraiser in November, this time at the Spicer Smith and Cole store in the Regent Mall. Then, on April 21, 2012, the annual event will once again be held at Gallery 78.

"We expanded to the second floor of the gallery this year and what a fabulous setting amidst all the great artwork," said O'Donnell. "We serve champagne and orange juice and some of our committee members bake."

Donations of jewelry can be dropped off at any time to Gallery 78 and HSBC.