Recently the editors of instore started noticing a pretty cool trend — stores that incorporate diamond replicas or gemo-logical shapes right into their archi-tecture. As architect Dave Erdmann, chief designer at Erdmann Street Architecture and Planning of Springfield, MO, explains it, "If you're going to have a jewelry store, you ought to look like one." (Whatever happened to the simple clock in the town square?) Erdmann says that with a little planning and some creative ingenuity, such innovative designs can be incorporated into a store's construction without too much difficulty. And once completed, the creations can enhance a building's presence in the community. Check out the following ideas for creating your own architectural gems.  — Fred Michmershuizen

SHOW THEM WHO YOU ARE. Is your store the place to go for diamonds? Do you sell a lot of watches? Whatever is your "thing," Erdmann says, you can show people who you are by incorporating that element into your store's construction.

IF YOU DO IT, DO IT RIGHT. Store planner Jim Schultz, president of Akron, OH-based Retail Space Planning, cautions that creating a design element like a large diamond mounting in the front of your store can be a real challenge to pull off in a sophisticated manner. So if you do attempt such a thing, be sure to do it the right way.

BE CREATIVE WITH MATERIALS. A number of stores use stainless steel to mimic the appearance of faceted diamonds. "Stainless steel is great for diamonds, because it holds a shine, it's durable and you don't have to do anything to it," Erdmann says.

MAKE IT SHINE AT NIGHT. Remember that people will see your store at all hours, so whatever your innovative design element is, be sure to illuminate it. Your goal is to be seen and recognized.

CLOCKS ARE CLASSIC. Giant diamonds just won't work for every store and in every community. And so, there is nothing that beats the simple elegance of a clock. But if you do have a clock, why not try to make it special in some way? Make it really big, or really cool. The idea is to turn your timepiece into a local landmark. (And it should go without saying that your clock always needs to be set to the correct time.)

 

CASE STUDY

 

 

Jewelry Design Center
Spokane, WA
You can’t tell by looking at the picture, but the giant diamond set in the center of this sculpture spins! That’s right! And at night it is lit up, too! Brian Toone, who owns Jewelry Design Center with his father, Doug, says the rocks that form the setting are basalt, which is indigenous to the Pacific Northwest. He’s also proud of the fact that the diamond replica, which was hand-welded by Dan Toone (Brian’s uncle, Doug’s brother) features ideal proportions and a seamless construction, right down to the lifelike girdle. The monument causes many customers to say “Wow!”

 

 

 

Bell Jewelers
Murfreesboro, TN
The giant Rolex on the side of Bell Jewelers is a landmark in Murfreesboro. Since the store is located on one of the busiest streets in the state, everyone drives by all the time. The clock is great advertising for a store that has two Rolex technicians and enough equipment in-house to service all types of Rolexes and many other brands. Those knowledgeable about luxury timepieces sometimes offer good-natured ribbing over how the clock is powered — by battery. Since everyone knows that all Rolex watches are mechanical, owner Lisa Tidwell Halliburton tells INSTORE that she sometimes kids back by saying there are little men from Switzerland inside making the hands turn.

 

 

 

Sather's Leading Jewelers
Fort Collins, CO
Fort Collins has a strict ordinance that restricts signs to 6 feet tall unless they are on the side of a building. Given that Sather's Leading Jewelers is mostly windows, there was no place to hang a noticeable sign. So the owners of the store, which was originally a bank, took the clock off the top of the 42-foot tower and replaced it with an illuminated diamond. "I did not want it to look like a cartoon, but the real thing," says Julie Sather-Browne. "Our tower is seen from a great distance and has been appropriately renamed the Diamond Tower. And the diamond is constructed to ideal proportions."

 

 

 

Samuel Gordon Jewelers
Oklahoma City, OK
Everything at Samuel Gordon Jewelers — from the windows to the clock tower that graces the building's exterior and even owner Gary Gordon's desk — is gem-shaped. That's because the fourth C — cut — is key to the selling philosophy at the 100-year-old, family-owned megastore. The centerpiece of the store is a sun-drenched showroom, which allows diamonds to be presented under natural light. Even the showcases fit the theme of the store — that of gemological shapes — by being set together at dramatic angles, just like a finely cut gem.

 

Ancona Jewelers
Addison, IL
This family-owned store in suburban Chicago, which specializes in fine Italian jewelry by the likes of Damiani, Giorgio Visconti and Favero, features maple showcases and a natural stone floor. At the entrance, set right in the middle of that floor, is an elegant, 4-foot-diameter clock. It's a nice touch for a store that prides itself on sophisticated merchandise offered in a warm, friendly atmosphere.

 

 

Mitchum Jewelers
Ozark, MO
When Randy Mitchum built a new, freestanding store, architect Dave Erdmann suggested adorning two pillars atop the façade with stainless steel, highly polished diamond replicas. The diamonds are a constant reminder for everyone who drives by that Mitchum Jewelers is the place to go for fine jewelry. They are especially noticeable at night, when special lights shine on them and bounce off their three-dimensional surfaces.