I was helping a friend who was looking for a gift for her mom.  Since she wanted the gift to be really special to show her appreciation to her mom, she decided to give an all expenses paid trip to her hometown in Italy.  We scoured the Internet for cheap vacation packages and coordinated with local travel agents.   She was able to find the perfect package for her mom but ran into some cash problems.  I suggested that she try to sell old gold jewelry which she rarely used. She gave in to the idea since she was not that fond of the pieces anyway.

I also referred her to the company that I contacted to sell diamonds when I too encountered some cash problems.  She contacted them that night and within the week, my friend was able to get the check and had it cashed right away.    Because of the fast service, she was able to get a good price for the vacation package that she was giving to her mom.  That gesture truly delighted her mom and they are both looking forward to the trip that would take her mom back to Italy again after so many years of not being able to visit it.