“In recent years we had a woman come in to make a mother’s ring – a ring set with the birthstones of her children. What we didn’t know until the sales presentation got underway was that her two kids died in a water accident. Our sales staff could tell she was very distraught with the accident as only a few months had passed. During the sales presentation with our staff the customer was very forthcoming with an admission of very modest means. The memorial services and associated expenses with the sudden death of her children impacted her financially as well. The customer only had about $1,200 to $1,500 in her budget. My staff brought the custom job to my attention. Hearing her story, I instructed my staff to upgrade her custom ring with heavier grade precious metal, better quality gemstones and added bench work to that of a finer piece of jewelry. When the customer came in we explained what we did behind the scenes and gave it to her at no charge. Her response and gratitude were something to remember, especially for those of us with children. We know a better quality mother’s ring can’t bring back them back, but it can commemorate the memories and lives of her children.”
Mills Menser, owner
Buchroeders Jewelers
Columbia, MO
“A while back a guy wanted an extra design feature that would make an engagement ring special. During the course of our sales presentation the man mentioned that his then girlfriend was very close to her grandmother. Later in the conversation, he mentioned in passing, the grandmother’s health was failing and she would more than likely pass away soon. With the boyfriend’s help, I was able to get an impression of the grandmother’s fingerprint. We scanned the fingerprint and imported the scan into our CAD software. We then utilized the scan to do a hand engraving of a portion of the grandmother’s fingerprint on the inside of the engagement ring shank. Between the time of his first design consultation and presenting the completed ring, her grandmother died. After accepting his marriage proposal and the ring, the fiancée’s family came into the store to personally thank me for honoring the memory of their grandmother.”
Cullen Wulf, owner
Aaland Diamond Jewelers
Merrillville, IN
“I’m still somewhat new to the Huntsville area and I thought the best way to meet members of the community is to help out with some local non-profits. A local contact of mine told me about a project that the Junior Service League was working on to create a playground for special needs children. Because this means so much to me I asked what I could do to help. They told me that this is their biggest fundraiser of the year, but because of COVID thought that they would not do as well as previous years. This event was called the Mother of Pearl and I asked how much the annual Junior Service League silent auction and raffle typically brought in. When she said $2,000 to $3,000, my initial reaction was we can do better than that! I purchased a beautiful 14K rose gold pendant and chain from Imperial Pearl. It featured morganite set in a halo of diamonds with a 9mm Akoya pearl. It was a beautiful piece. The necklace was part of a raffle that brought in a total of $6,000. The silent auction brought in another $6,000 for a total of $12,000. This was four times the usual amount this annual event brings in. A very rewarding purchase indeed. I thought what a perfect way to introduce myself to the new community.”
Elliott Herzlich, owner
Elliott’s Jewelers
Huntsville, TX
“For the last two-plus decades, my hand engraving work has been added to everything from wedding rings and pendants to money clips and watches, and just about everything in between. The most rewarding [engraving] jobs are those with a history or a story behind it. Some favorites include a grandfather who gifted his grandson with a shotgun and asked me to engrave a thick-fur bear on the brass, along with a sentimental inscription. A retired couple purchased Honda touring trikes. To complement their 303 added lights I hand-engraved rearing mustangs on the Plexiglas windshield. Then of course there’s the untold number of engagement ring engravings. These are special works as there are words, symbols and phrases that are unique to the relationship. And, like the couple’s love, these ring engravings are only truly known and understood by them, making their bridal jewelry and the hand-engravings that much more special.”
Katie Spurlock, owner
H.L. Lang & Co. Jewelers
Staunton, VA
“Two recent examples come to mind. I’ve been in the jewelry business since I was a kid and I recently created a pendant for a customer set with the most amazing oval diamond. It was a 2.5-carat Sirius Star cut oval, F-color, VVS2 clarity. By far it was one of the prettiest oval diamonds I’ve ever seen; truly a gemstone that stands out in my many years of being a retail jeweler. We set the oval diamond in platinum, and then surrounded it with pink and white diamond in 18K rose gold. It was a stunning piece for a customer who really appreciates fine jewelry. Another customer wanted us to produce a wedding set using family-owned diamonds. These were diamonds of very high quality that the customer wanted set with custom-cut sapphires of a very light blue – like an aquamarine blue. It took us about eight months to complete.”
Art Gordon, owner
JewelSmiths
Oklahoma City, OK
