Back in the 1960s, Christopher Lux converted a chicken coop in his parents’ backyard into a workshop, and started selling jewelry and giftware out of his station wagon to retail jewelers across the Northeast. During his time on the road, he discovered there was a niche for high-quality charms and charm bracelets.
Christopher grew interested in a Canadian charm and jewelry manufacturer, Rembrandt Canada, which was searching for an American distributor, recalls Christopher’s son Eric. After two years of selling the company’s charms, Christopher founded RQC Ltd., which stands for Rembrandt Quality Charms. Rembrandt Canada was acquired by Johnson Matthey, JMPLF, but shortly after the acquisition, the company closed its charm division. “RQC was booming in the U.S. market and Christopher seized the opportunity to build a manufacturing facility in Canada, hiring the skilled workers who were let go by Johnson Matthey.”
Today, Rembrandt Charms is a family-owned company that has been designing and manufacturing charms and charm bracelets for more than 50 years, with Christopher Lux serving as President and Eric Lux as Vice President. A consistent, top-selling jewelry brand serving more than 14,000 retail jewelers, Rembrandt Charms is headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y., in a 25,000-square-foot facility with 50 employees. The company also has a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Scarborough, Ontario, with 80 employees. Today, the company is recognized as the premier branded collectible in retail jewelry stores and offers charm collectors thousands of charm styles in silver and gold that meet all price points, ages and demographics.
Rembrant Vice President Eric Lux with his wife Amanda and son Wyatt.
“We are proud to have specialized in the traditional charm business for over 50 years,” Eric says. “By focusing on the retail jeweler and their charm collectors, we deliver a Business Building Charm Program that cultivates generations of new and repeat business for thousands of retail jewelry stores. With every charm bracelet sold, retail jewelers learn their customers’ interests and lives. Relationships develop that lead to repeat business.
“The beauty of a charm bracelet is that it is a timeless collectible that can be passed down for generations,” Eric adds, noting that charms are credited as the first form of jewelry, dating back to 560 B.C., and are classic collectibles that never go out of style. “Each charm bracelet tells a unique and personal story that can be sentimental or amusing, and each charm captures moments in time unlike any other jewelry.
“A charm bracelet is a sentimental journey that can relive precious memories and recall special occasions. Charm bracelets are often passed down as keepsakes for loved ones to cherish for generations. Today’s charms are tomorrow’s heirlooms.”
Rembrandt Charms enables retail jewelers to offer the perfect charm at the perfect price point to each customer, offering its collection in sterling silver, gold plate, 10-karat and 14-karat yellow gold, and 14-karat white gold. All Rembrandt Charms merchandise is manufactured in the United States or Canada, and is covered by the company’s Lifetime Warranty, reflecting the craftsmanship, dedication and commitment of its entire staff. The Rembrandt Charms collection is available exclusively through authorized retail jewelers.
Classic Mementos
While beads and bead bracelets have lost their popularity, traditional charms remain a consistent top-selling collectible brand, Eric says. “We are experiencing a resurgence in the number of retail jewelers that are using our Business Building Charm Program. Many have expanded their existing charm program presence to fill the collectible void left by the bead market. Of course, seeing traditional charm bracelets promoted all over the 2019 runways and top fashion magazines like Elle, Harpers Bazaar, WWD and more helps!
“Rembrandt’s Business Building Charm Program is the best in the industry, and enables retail jewelers to save valuable time, increase sales and easily develop new and repeat business. Customers return regularly to add to their charm bracelets, and to shop for their family and friends.”
Program benefits include Retail Locator listing, inventory-controlled displays with the best-selling charms by region, stock balancing, marketing support and much more. “Just like watches or diamonds,” Eric says, “you must show charms to sell them!”
Rembrandt Charms continues to strengthen its products and services. Over the past four years, Rembrandt has been updating charms to provide retail jewelers with the best quality. Improvements include:
• A new consumer and retailer friendly website with the finest high-resolution product images, selling directly to retail jewelers only. Consumers can share their wish list and place their order with retail jewelers listed on Rembrandt’s Retail Locator.
- Expanded product research, development and quality control programs.
- Expanded operations including a state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly Plating Facility.
- New manufacturing equipment that improves the level of detail offered in current models and new models, including an x-ray machine that checks every charm for quality.
- Stamping dies that have been artfully detailed and polished.
- New casting and stamping equipment.
- Additional laser engravers and easy link machines.
- Regular launches of new charms and redesigned upscale charms, targeting the $40 to $60 retail price range in sterling silver.
IndyCar Connection
Rembrandt Charms has joined Team DragonSpeed, as a launch sponsor of the globally accomplished sportscar team’s NTT IndyCar Series entry to be piloted by Ben Hanley in five 2019 rounds of America’s premier open-wheel series: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (March 10), Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (April 7), 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge (May 26), REV Group Grand Prix at Road America (June 23) and Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 28).
“Rembrandt Charms, like IndyCar, is growing significantly by responding to changing consumer interests,” Eric says. “Rembrandt Charms is consistently voted a top-selling, hot brand by retail jewelers. The IndyCar boost to our consumer advertising and promotional campaign will directly support the thousands of retail jewelers that carry our charm collection.”
Eric himself raced to victory with DragonSpeed team principal Elton Julian to win the 2011 IMSA LMPC Championship. In 2015, Eric raced with the team again, helping Mercedes-Benz secure its first American GT title. “I admire Elton’s boundless determination and attention to detail which have led his team to remarkable achievements,” Eric says. “Rembrandt Charms is proud to associate itself with Elton, Ben and the entire DragonSpeed team as they embark on their IndyCar quest.”
For more information about Rembrandt Charms call 800-828-7840, visit www.rembrandtcharms.com or e-mail rqc@rembrandtcharms.com.
