Kesslers
Grand Rapids, MI

An airy storefront with three walls of windows attracted the Kesslers Diamonds’ team to the space for their newest, and eighth, store, which now has a lounge, bar and booth seating. Founder Richard Kessler taught his team to treat the business as if it were their own, advice they took to heart, because when Kessler retired in 2019, the business became 100% employee-owned.

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Shaftel Diamonds
Houston, TX

Keith Shaftel launched his business supplying loose
diamonds to wholesalers and local jewelers, later adding a retail showroom. With son, Danny, and daughter, Gaby on board, the family recently reinvented their store. Designer Jesse Balaity’s concept was based on Houston being a big city that doesn’t take itself too seriously, prioritizing fun and engaging over formal and controlled.

L. Priori Jewelry
Washington, D.C.

GIA graduate gemologist Lauren Priori left Philadelphia’s Jeweler’s Row in 2016 to start the kind of jewelry company she’d always wanted to work for. With an appointment-only business focused on custom engagement rings, the company has grown tenfold over six years. In 2021, Priori opened her third location in Georgetown.

Springer’s Jewelers
Portsmouth, NH

Owners Lily Beaulieu Mullen, who designed Springer’s newest store, and her sister, Zoe Beaulieu, represent the millennial fourth generation of family-owned Springers Jewelers, founded in 1870. Their Portsmouth store is at the gateway of the historic downtown on the ground floor of 100 Market, a high-end building that’s home to New England’s premier private club.

Occasions Fine Jewelry
Midland, TX

In 2021, collaborating with interior designer Leslie McGwire, second-generation owner Michael Fleck remodeled his store with a motif and palette he describes as desert luxury. “We wanted Occasions to be a luxurious celebration of everything that’s best about Midland, Texas, and its prairie landscape,” Fleck says.

SMALL COOL

William Travis Jewelry
Chapel Hill, NC

Wiliam Travis Kukovich, a fifth-generation metalsmith, designed his shop with Feng Shui principles in mind to harmonize the guest experience. Everything moves in a circular pattern, avoiding any entrapment of energy. As for marketing, video is essential, he says, because it captures the natural movement of the wearer and the play of light and form as the jewelry is worn.

Powell Jewelry
Wichita, KS

Dan and Lynn Hernandez own Powell Jewelry, which has grown over 90 years from a small store to a multiple brand retailer. Their newest store, designed by Leslie McGwire & Associates, represents a cutting edge, elegant, and classy design that stands out in Wichita with its Italian marble floors and museum cases accented in black, white and brushed gold.

John Thomas Jewelers
Albuquerque, NM

John Thomas Jewelers, owned by John Thomas Mead, occupies 1,500 square feet on the third floor of an office building with almost all alloy samples in bridal. The entire store is client facing with 5-foot wide pullout double level drawers that display more than 2,000 rings. With 3D software and 3D wax printers, a magnetic try-on station, and all of the accessible jewelry, it truly is a hands-on experience.

Dutille’s Jewelry Design Studio
Lebanon, NH

Second-generation jeweler Jude Dutille and son Beau began a major renovation of their full-service store with the help of Retailworks in late 2019. They relocated their workshop from the basement to the main floor, where customers can now observe the repair, design, and creation of jewelry on-site.

Water Street Jewelers
Guilford, CT

At Daniela Balzano’s store, customers have meaningful jewelry transformed into wearable art. Balzano has a commitment to ethical sourcing, independent designers, and sustainable packaging. The store, awash in natural light, is designed with a calming palette of turquoise, white and cream. Plants, natural wood and hand-built cases contribute to an artisanal feel.

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OWNERS: Mark Tapper, Leora Tapper, Marla Tapper Young; URL: tappers.com; FOUNDED: 1977; OPENED FEATURED LOCATION: 2023; AREA: 10,000 square feet; ARCHITECT AND DESIGN: JGA, Sachse, Gi els Webster; TOP BRANDS: Rolex, Tudor, David Yurman, Cartier, Breitling, Bulgari, Omega, Panerai, IWC, Grand Seiko, Tag Heuer, Lagos, Mikimoto, Roberto Coin, Marco Bicego, John Hardy, Gucci, Pomellato, Shinola, Casio G-Shock, Charles Krypell, Bellarri, Eriness, Julez Bryant, Maria Tash, Pasquale Bruni, Spinelli Kilcollin, Suzanne Kalan, Tateossian, Temple St. Clair, Walters Faith, Zoe Chicco; EMPLOYEES: 111 full-time; 43 part-time; ONLINE PRESENCE: 4.4 Stars on Facebook; 17,300 Instagram followers

Mark Tapper, Leora Tapper, Marla Tapper Young

Tapper’s new store has a remarkable floor plan — one that you won’t find on the original blueprint.

When Tapper’s president, Mark Tapper, began planning for the family business’s first freestanding store, it was supposed to be a spacious, one-story structure, divided into two halves, which during the planning stage seemed huge.

But when Tapper’s watch and jewelry brand partners became excited about the project, brand requirements and expectations began to soar, making that sprawling space suddenly seem cramped.

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“Unlike being in a mall where there’s infinite space to take over another area, we’re landlocked,” he says.

Since they couldn’t make the first level larger, Tapper and the project’s architects began to look up. That idea led to a second-floor space known as the Diamond Loft, an all-encompassing environment for diamonds and bridal. What started out as a necessity became an exceptional space.

It’s private, quiet and intimate with two salons and an ample lounge.

“It takes away a lot of the pressure, the hustle and bustle of people being around or looking at other categories, and has created an environment of intimacy,” Tapper says.

Throughout the store there are multiple private shopping lounges, a bar and a snack area that includes TVs.

Although a freestanding store had not been a goal, per se, the new store turned out to be a good opportunity. “This area in our city has been neglected in terms of independent retailers and freestanding stores, and we thought the area deserved something of this nature and stature,” Tapper says.

It was also a way to take more control of the environment. “We saw the opportunity to curate our own luxury campus from the second the customer drives onto the property.”

There is a downside to a standalone store, though, Tapper says. “Managing your own building takes a different skill set and sense of patience.

I’ve had conversations I’ve never had to be engaged in, about landscaping, locks and snow removal. I thought it would be more glamorous!”

Since it opened, the store has exceeded expectations on all levels. Traffic is up 30% over projections, and conversion up 50%.

The goal of the design of Tapper’s 2018 America’s Coolest Store, in Troy, MI, was to create more intimacy. That’s a theme on which the Novi location expanded. Six customer lounges in this store create more of a boutique shopping experience while the overall space still allows a wealth of inventory.

“Everything is about access and ease to the customer, so they want to be at the store and have repeat visits,” Tapper says. “That’s really what the whole experience is about for us. Create a comfortable and inviting environment for our guests that allows sales associates to do what they do best.”

Being out of the mall also means that the Novi store is their first that has natural light, with about 35 feet of glass in the front. They made sure the lighting component throughout the store didn’t fight with the natural light and that UV filtration was in place.

“We like having organic and natural materials and elements in the store. For us, it’s about knowing our market, knowing how to create a luxurious environment that is not ostentatious. Having that balance can be somewhat of a challenge.”

Tapper’s has a Guest Experience lead present at all times to ensure visitors are receiving an exceptional experience.

That exceptional experience includes treating guests with “surprise and delight gifts” just because, or to celebrate special occasions through a program called Treated by Tapper’s. The team has access to giveaway items such as champagne flutes, beer mugs, portable chargers, themed baby onesies, a child’s first necklace and more. “We use these items to create an experience that a guest will remember forever,” Tapper says.

The children’s jewelry, stainless steel bracelets and necklaces in a Tapper’s box, is designed to win customers for life. The gift goes a long way with the parents as well.

Store designers also took advantage of the store’s placement near an expressway to make sure it would stand out as a landmark. In a pop-out structure at the top of the building, a special lighting feature can be animated and curated for any occasion: Red for Valentine’s Day; green and white for Michigan State and blue and yellow for University of Michigan, for example. If there’s a special event planned with a watch brand, the brand’s colors can be illuminated.

“It brings attention to the building and makes sure the building is refreshing itself in different ways,” Tapper says.

The debut of the new store coincided with a move from a campaign-based marketing approach to an always-on-approach to continue to grow brand awareness. “We realized that the best way to continue to build our brand was to keep Tapper’s top of mind,” Tapper says.

“We also realize that the omnichannel guest experience is important, as the first place many guests interact with us is our website. We put a huge emphasis on bringing our brand to life in the digital space so that it aligns with the in-store experience.”

Traditional marketing is also effective for Tapper’s, particularly the radio campaign that runs 365 days a year with a focus on brand-building through origin stories of the business as well as through interactions between Mark Tapper and a fictitious character, Sir Richard Poshingham.

The store’s grand opening was the largest event in Tapper’s 45-year history as well as the most financially successful. Music, food, signature cocktails, 360-degree cameras and a valet all made it especially memorable.

“People like a nice party and they were curious to see the store,” Tapper says.

Even the most far-flung Tapper’s stores are just 20 minutes apart, so the family has built a loyal client base in a relatively compact area over 45 years. “So everyone came to see the new building, support our family and sales team and see what was different,” he says.

Giveaways include not only branded swag, but also a variety of gifts, which are part of a program called Treated by Tapper’s.

Five Cool Things About Tapper’s Jewelry

1. RISKING IT ALL. Newly married, baby on the way, company founder Howard Tapper borrowed money from his family and sold his car to raise the funds to open his first jewelry store. He sketched the floor plan on a scrap piece of paper. And then he bought his first inventory on credit as well. On the first day of business, he managed to sell $1,025, enough to pay that first month’s rent.

2. DEAD ZONE STRATEGY. Tapper’s uses heat mapping to identify high traffic areas and dead zones in the store. Instead of installing lower-priced merchandise in dead zones, they’ve added destination merchandise like religious jewelry or studs, making what would be a dead zone into a profit center.

3. COMPANY CULTURE. In 2022, Tapper’s was one of only two retailers in the region named one of the best places to work by the Detroit Free Press after being nominated by the team. Once a quarter, the stores close to plan a social activity outside of work, to encourage camaraderie. They’ve rented out a bowling alley, hosted an event at Top Golf and thrown a company picnic for employees and their families with food trucks and clowns. “The emphasis we put into building culture and fostering a team environment has paid off in terms of our associates,” Tapper says.

4. COAT DRIVE. Tapper’s biggest community initiative is the Coat Drive. The team works throughout the year to gather monetary and coat donations. The money is used to buy new coats for families in need. Each Tapper’s store has a collection box, and they partner with other local businesses to collect as well. The coats are distributed to 20-plus local charities.

5. THE TAPPER’S WAY. Tapper’s launched a weekly fundamentals program called “The Tapper’s Way,” actions and behaviors designed to reinforce the company’s core values. Each week, a fundamental is introduced and discussed during every team meeting. One team member is also asked to highlight the fundamental through a video that is shared company-wide. Some examples are: Deliver Legendary Service, Make it Happen, Celebrate Success, Get Better Every Single Day, Let Your Kindness Shine, Assume Positive Intent, Go the Extra Mile, Be a Great Teammate, Keep Things Fun.

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“It’s life-giving, a connection to nature,” she says.

When it comes to retail, day-lighting, as it’s called, keeps a store feeling real and not artificial, sets customers at ease and boosts everyone’s mood. “It’s healthier to have natural light illuminating our built environments as much as possible,” she says.

Although natural light changes color and intensity throughout the day, and extreme sun coming in from east, south, and west windows can be challenging, that’s an issue that can be solved with adjustable window treatments.

“Northern light is best,” says Jay Colombo, a partner at Michael Hsu Office of Architecture in Houston, who designed the Zadok store. “It’s never direct, and there’s a lot of consistency and evenness to it.”

To balance natural and artificial light, Falk suggests multiple levels and types of lights that are similar in color temperature. Natural light would be combined with fixtures that provide ambient light, as well as accent lights and decorative lights.

“My go-to-temperature for retail is 3500K, with 3000K as a second option if 3500 isn’t available,” Falk says. “And all jewelers (should) know the importance of showcase lighting that makes jewels/diamonds sparkle, and that’s a 4100-5000K lamp.

“Of course, if the jeweler is in an enclosed shopping mall, they often don’t have access to natural light, in which case, artificial light has to do the heavy lifting, and then color temp is extremely important to get right.”

Warmth of Home
Zadok, Houston, TX

At Zadok’s 28,000 square foot location in Houston, facades on three sides of the building let natural light wash into the showroom. “You don’t feel like you’re in a fluorescent box,” says Jay Colombo, partner at Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, which designed the project. A two-story window wall faces north and illuminates the grand staircase with consistent, even northern light. Windows line the branded boutiques, too, as well as the offices, a feature appreciated by 40 back-office staffers. Glazing and screens on the building enhance energy efficiency and security.

Atrium Ambience
John Atencio, Lone Tree, CO

In general, mall stores are not known for natural light, let alone an abundance of it, but John Atencio’s location in a Lone Tree, CO, mall near Denver, takes advantage of its space under an atrium with sky lights. Light shines through a 14-foot ceiling designed with natural wood in a grid pattern. The jewelry designer’s newest location also features a sheer glass facade that wraps the storefront from floor to ceiling. “When it was complete, I stood back and said, ‘Wow,’” says Atencio, who opened the renovated store in 2018.

Light as Air
Bere, Pensacola, FL

Bere, which opened in 2017, is across the street from the airport, offering owners Barry and Laura Cole a view of the runway from their conference room. Pensacola is home to naval aviation and the Blue Angels, local themes Cole wanted to tie into the store with plentiful views of the sky. An entire wall anchors a bar, lounge and Breitling watch zone, where panel walls with rivets mimicking old airplane and antique propellers pay homage to the local military and aviation history.

See-Through Site
The Diamond Center, Janesville, WI

After 30 years in a huge but windowless space in a mall, the Yeko family moved their operation into a freestanding store with 270-degree views. Designed by Leslie McGwire in 2015, The Diamond Center has more than 2,000 square feet of glass curtain walls, with more than half of that glass tilted out to span a height of 24 feet, floor to ceiling. “When customers come in, the first thing they do is look up at the ceiling,” Steve Yeko Jr. notes. “There are lots of ‘wows.’” The store’s LEDs are all calibrated to simulate natural daylight, too, so daylight is not competing with a different color of light.

Bright and Sunny
Amanda Deer, Austinm, TX

Amanda Deer’s downtown Austin store is the epitome of what’s described as light and airy interior design. Live plants thrive in the natural light and add to the natural, organic feel, which is reinforced by wood floors and bowls filled with black sand that are used as unique display elements. It occupies a historical building in downtown Austin that was built in the late 1800s as a flour warehouse. Owned by Amanda Eddy, the store opened in 2017.

Sunlight Squared
Julz by Alan Rodriguez, Canton, OH

For his newest retail location, Alan Rodriguez purchased a former bank building that was built in 1950 and hadn’t been remodeled in over 40 years. Inspired by the design of an Apple store with a touch of Crate and Barrel, he gutted the structure and built out a two-story glass cube that’s the focal point of the store. This large window structure fills the store with natural light during the day and shows the changing weather background.

Sea Inside
Hamilton Butler, Hermosa Beach, CA

Hamilton Butler brings the outdoors in with its peacock motif and the light flooding in two large windows in the front of the store. Owned by Joni Hamilton and Shelia Butler, the store is an inviting, sun-splashed hangout for the beach community that they opened together in 2016. Sea grass carpeting, pale turquoise walls and a view of palm trees reinforces the vibe. “Even when you’re in the store, you feel like you’re outside at the same time,” Butler says.

Revolution Jewelry Works
Colorado Springs, CO

Revolution Jewelry Works, owned by Jennifer Farnes, has a spectacular corner view of the mountains in its recently expanded space.

Jewelry Set in Stone
Chelsea, MI

In 2022, the Jewelry Set in Stone team moved into the Clocktower building in downtown Chelsea, a historic structure that was once a stove factory. The second floor suite is blessed with light, tall ceilings and much more space than their previous location, a perfect setting for a custom-design business, says owner Stephen Kolokithas.

JustDesi
Beverly Hills, CA

JustDesi, owned by siblings Desi Kraiem and Justin Kraiem, stands out from its neighbors with its expansive windows, brilliant lighting and chic design.

King’s Fine Jewellery
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada

After 38 years in a popular mall, King’s Fine Jewellery faced the decision of closing or relocating during a major mall renovation. Owners Brian and Nancy Nelson decided they weren’t ready to retire and purchased and built out a freestanding store in a new shopping center. In the new space they have two walls of glass windows, providing an abundance of natural light. They aren’t the only ones benefiting from natural light. A large school of cardinals, four varieties of angel fish and a collection of catfish thrive in a naturally planted, 7-foot-long aquarium.

Kesslers Diamonds
Grand Rapids, MI

Kessler’s location, its eight store, was chosen for its three walls of windows that provide an abundance of natural light. Kesslers Diamonds is employee owned.

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Joseph Gregory Dumouchelle, 61, owner of Joseph Dumouchelle Fine and Estate Jewelry Buyers, Sellers, Appraisers, and Auctioneers, pleaded guilty to “devising and executing a scheme to defraud a client out of $12 million,” according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith.

More from the release:

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Roy Donta Larry is accused of first-degree murder and felony firearm, the Detroit Free Press reports. Bond was denied for Larry, 44.

Hutchinson, 47, was killed early Wednesday afternoon while in an SUV less than a mile from his store. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

The suspect was captured shortly after the shooting, according to the Free Press.

Police say Hutchinson’s wife was in the SUV at the time of the shooting but was not hurt, WJBK-TV reports. The news station reported that more than a dozen shots were fired into the vehicle.

“This was not a random event; it was targeted,” Oak Park Police Lt. Marlon Benson told WJBK. “As far as reasons, we don’t know why he was targeted but we don’t think this was an isolated event.”

The Free Press reports that Hutchinson “had an extensive list of celebrity clients.”

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Dan Hutchinson, owner of Hutch’s Jewelry, was killed early Wednesday afternoon while in an SUV, ClickOnDetroit reports. He was 47. Scroll down to watch a news video from WXYZ-TV about the crime.

Hutchinson suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was found less than a mile from the store, the Detroit News reports. The crime occurred shortly after he left the business.

The newspaper reports that a suspect has been taken into custody.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Hutchinson “had an extensive list of celebrity clients.”

Watch the video:

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“Don’t underestimate the power of a really great logo that ties your brand together,” writes Tracy Matthews, jewelry designer and author of The Desired Brand Effect: Stand Out In A Saturated Market With A Timeless Jewelry Brand.

Matthews recommends hiring a professional graphic artist to create your logo. “You’ll save yourself a lot of pain,” she says.

Beyond the design, consider the colors carefully. Colors evoke emotions, mood and feelings. Are you going for a luxurious look? A playful vibe? Or a natural and sustainable feel? The colors you choose will help create that brand experience, which will be visible everywhere from your packaging to your signage, social media, website, marketing emails and advertising.

According to Tailorbrands.com, effective logos foster brand loyalty, grab attention, make a strong first impression, and separate your business from the competition. Paperstreet.com reports that simple logos are the most memorable. They also need to be scalable, meaning they can be scaled up or down and still look good.

Here are examples of logos that express the foundation of their companies’ brand identities in memorable ways.

The Revolution

When Jennifer Farnes launched her business, Revolution Jewelry Works, in Colorado Springs, CO, she wanted to revolutionize how clients perceived jewelry stores. She hadn’t grown up in the business, and she perceived jewelry stores and the people who worked there to be stuffy, overdressed and snooty. She wanted a place that would appeal to her: laid-back, open and casual, with a knowledgeable team focused on custom design. She came up with a sit-down environment that invites clients to get comfortable and a profit-sharing approach that encourages team selling. The logo, designed by a friend who is a graphic designer, expresses her revolutionary fervor perfectly.

Rings Ahead!

The Kessler experience begins with a literal touchpoint: custom created logo door handles, the design of which speak to the brand’s focus on wedding and engagement rings. Employee-owned Kesslers Diamonds in Grand Rapids, MI, stocks nearly 2,000 loose diamonds in their stores. They carry an expansive collection of engagement and wedding ring settings, and if a client doesn’t find something they love, Kesslers will design it for them.

A Three-Pronged Approach

The logo for the Jewelers Guild in Milwaukee is integral, says owner Robert Peter, to expressing the company’s approach to success. “The green symbolizes our classroom and is highlighted in promotions for new classes. The blue represents our workshop. The purple represents the retail store. People key into the facet that appeals to them.”

Along the Path

WEND Jewelry’s logo illustrates the meandering path that founder Wendy Woldenberg has taken in her career as well as the journey her clients take. “WEND” is related to the verb “wind,” which means, among other things, to follow a series of curves and turns. “People from different paths, some that wander off the beaten track, have finally found what they’ve been searching for at WEND Jewelry,” says Woldenberg, whose career path motivated her to develop responsible practices for jewelry design.

An Antique Look

“When my grandmother purchased our current building in the early 1980s, my dad decided it was time for an official logo,” says Julie Walton Garland, who owns Walton’s Jewelry in Franklin, TN, with her father, Michael Walton. “He wanted an old English inspired logo that gave an ‘antique’ vibe. Two years ago, we did update the font ever so slightly to be more translatable, but this change is hardly noticeable. It simply gave it a refresh and allows us to use it in a variety of ways and platforms in today’s modern age.”

A Beachy, Artistic Vibe

Les Olson Jeweler’s logo, happily displayed on the store’s sign out front, signals both the store’s laid-back, beachy vibe in historic, downtown Palm Harbor, FL, and the fact that the custom-focused jewelry business has an artistic soul. “Over the years, the logo has been seeded in much of the marketing, as it speaks to the creativity of our family and making this business ours,” says Pam Shinsky, who bought Les Olson Jewelers with her husband, Bob Shinsky, in 1988 and opened their freestanding location in 2020. Bob and Pam are designers and bench jewelers, who have been joined in the business by their son, Rob. “We wanted our signage to reflect the feel of the inside of our studio, which is fun and bright, cheerful and artistic,” says Pam, who sketched the logo and asked her graphic artist niece, Melissa Slocum Evanko, to bring the playful design to life. The sign is rendered in Key West colors and it sparkles at night, adding to the sense of fun.

A Distinctive Diamond

Ronnie Malka of Malka Diamonds in Portland, OR, says it’s not easy to design a diamond-themed logo without having it looking like everyone else’s, or like Superman’s logo. “We wanted a diamond, but we also wanted the “M.” OffenseUnlimited.com created the logo, and we were and still are thrilled!”

An Award Winner

The logo for Cut Fine Jewelers in Baton Rouge, LA, won a gold award from the American Advertising Federation for its graphic design, which lends a modern, contemporary feel to the store. The name gives owner Matthew Patton the opportunity to educate customers about the importance of cut when assessing a diamond’s quality. “The most common question we get from almost everyone we have the opportunity to meet is, ‘Why is it called CUT?!’ The answer is amazingly simple: ‘Cut’ is the most important aspect of a diamond when it comes to picking the perfect one.” He also likes the simple and concise nature of the name, “CUT.” “We didn’t need another Family Name Fine Jewelers,” he says.

On the Lake

When Jeff Guntzviller designed a new location for Miner’s North Jewelers in Traverse City, MI, in 2021, he wanted people to walk in and get the sense that it’s a diamond store. The logo reflects both the artistic vibe of the store design and the store’s location directly across the street from Lake Michigan. “The diamond logos around the store and the pattern were done by a local design and signage company we used,” Guntzviller says. The design was a collaboration between Guntzviller, the sign company and the store designer.

DIY

Like everything else at Raintree, the distinctive tree logo was designed in house and appears in different iterations on the door of the store in Burlington, VT, as well as on social media and Raintree’s website. Husband and wife owners Michael Tope and Shannon Mahoney also designed and made all of their cases, fixtures and the storefront, as well as their jewelry, and they do their own photography. They carry their design aesthetic through every element of their gallery.

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“Hmm, not sure.”

“You young’uns don’t know, but today is D-Day!”

“I see.” (Me with a puzzled look).

We completed the transaction and she left. My employee (he is younger than I am) says to me, “That is funny that she calls us young’uns and says we don’t know … because December 7th is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.” — Stephen Kolokithas, Jewelry Set In Stone, Chelsea, MI

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