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If We Owned a Jewelry Store: 10th Anniversary Issue Special Gallery

MAKE AN ARCHITECTURAL STATEMENT (Click Photo to Enlarge Albums)

MAKE A GRAND GESTURE
In the deBoulle building in Dallas, TX, a grand staircase connects the downstairs estate gallery, showroom and lounge area with the second floor watch boutique, and jewelry design and repair shop.

 

 

 

 

BRING IN THE BIG GUNS
Underwood’s Fine Jewelers in Fayetteville, AR, was designed by E. Fay Jones, a friend and apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright.

 



 

 

YOU SAY YOU HAVE A $20 MILLION BUDGET?
A $20 million renovation transformed a former Salt Lake City, UT, public library and city planetarium into O.C. Tanner’s showplace of a jewelry store, completed in 2009. A floating glass and steel spiral staircase rises through the core of the building and, within the core, a sculptural light fixture flows from a rich mahogany ceiling that crowns the third floor high above.



 

THROW ’EM A CURVE
At Turgeon-Raine Jewelers in Seattle, WA, a dramatic, sweeping wall at the entry draws customers into the space. The wall is textured in plaster by French artist Francois Pascal.

 

 

 

ENTER HERE

JEWELRY DOES DOUBLE DUTY
Designs in Birmingham, MI, is a replica of a link from owner Marcy Feldman’s signature Geometrix bracelet.

 

 

 

 

 

DESIGNER DOOR
The front door of Zoltan David Atelier in Austin, TX, designed by Zoltan David, has so much glass in it that it looks like a window, with thin lines of wood crisscrossing in web-like fashion.

 

 

 

ADD WARMTH WITH INTERIOR FINISHES

PLAY WITH MATERIALS
Push in New York City, retained original features of an old space — like the wood ceiling — and blended modern with gothic touches, using a wide variety of materials. Pressed tin, copper and brass mesh were added to walls. A porthole was cut out to display an exposed pipe. Instead of glass, metal grids are used as doors, behind which jewelry is displayed. Three of the cases are made from old radios.

 

 

WARM UP WITH WOOD
The warm cherry wood of the flooring and the exposed brickwork contribute to a look that’s unique and inviting at Decatur City Jewelers in Decatur, GA.

 

 

 

 

SHED SOME LIGHT ON IT
A big, dramatic skylight and framed windows let in natural light to show off the interesting interior features of Gary Michaels Fine Jewelry in Manalapan, NJ. Interesting wood and steel elements inside include Caribbean rosewood flooring and African makore and cherry wood showcases, with perforated steel details.

 

 

 

BRING THE OUTDOORS IN
A 28-inch-diameter structural column near the front of Max’s in St. Louis Park, MN, is creatively camouflaged. Here’s how they did it: A digital black and white photo of birch trees was colored blue with a digital wash and sent to a graphics company, which created a giant sticker that was wrapped over a fiberglass drum. The drum encases the column, creating a vertical architectural image of blue birch trees.

 

MAKE THE LAYOUT WORK

MAKE THE MOST OF IT
Floating glass shelves on steel cables, specially designed 14-inch cases and an island in the center all work together to make the most of limited space at LL Pavorsky Jewels and Gifts in Philadelphia.

 



 

ROOM TO BREATHE
At London Jewelers in Manhasset, NY, elegant, curved corners add feminine flair, maximize square footage and improve traffic flow. Minimum passage between any two cases is 6 feet.

 



 

CAPTURE THEIR ATTENTION
Patronik Designs Jewelry Gallery in Burlingame, CA, created visual excitement with vertical cases. Museum-style cases cause shoppers to stop dead in their tracks as they move from one to another.

 




 

DO TOUCH
Boutique-style tables strewn with touchable, accessible jewelry slow down shoppers at Mahlia Collection in Tucson, AZ.

 





 

LET THEM HUNT FOR TREASURE
At MC Ginsberg in Iowa City, IA, every piece of jewelry is considered a treasure, and each is hidden in a cherry wood drawer. Rather than peering through showcases, customers search for the item they want, and the drawer system puts the sales associate on the same side of the showcase as the client.

 

 


WHAT'S INSIDE? USE YOUR IMAGINATION

USE WHAT YOU FIND
John Paul Designs in Bend, OR, is furnished with a metal library desk and cases and lockers salvaged from a drug store. The rugged façade sports a lava-rock wall, recycled steel and concrete planters and a 55-gallon drum.

 



 

KEEP WHAT YOU LIKE
Dupuis et Fils in Jackson, MI, preserved original features of the 1928 neo-Egyptian style building, which retro lighting (arching brass arms) a high, vaulted, painted plaster ceiling, art deco floor and wall cases.

 





LOOK LIKE THE NEIGHBORS
The white cottage look of Lily & Co. with specially designed cases by Baker Store Equipment and colorful pendant lighting, evokes a Sanibel, FL, vacation home vibe.



 

 

LET YOUR IMAGINATION RUN WILD
Peterson describes Don Muller Gallery in Northampton, MA, as “a little like Alice peeking into the Looking Glass.” Clouds are painted on the sky-blue recessed arch running down the center of the ceiling. Cases are shaped like mushrooms and shelves are cut out to resemble fluffy cumulus clouds.

 

 

PRIVACY, PLEASE
Simon Jewelers in High Point, NC, created a private space simply and elegantly by using twisting panels to provide visual interest and privacy for those seated at a table behind the panels.



 

 

BE LOCAL
Jerry Gowen, owner of Green Bull Fine Jewellery Couture in Boerne, TX, excels at creating a sense of place in a building that was once a livery stable. “It’s got a Texas flair to it,” says Gowen of the rustic interior that includes a real cattle gate. Iron doors, earth tones, stone walls and concrete floors add to the effect.




WHAT FLOATS YOUR BOAT?
Gary Thrapp has created a lake-cottage ambience in his store, G. Thrapp Jewelers, in landlocked Indianapolis, IN. A stone fireplace is the focal point for nautical paintings, comfortable chairs and framed photos.

 

 

 


CREATE A SPECIAL SPACE

TELL A STORY
The Pearl Room at Eve J. Alfillé Gallery & Studio in Evanston, IL, features a beautiful arched entrance flanked by seahorses and an exhibit of pearl oysters and clams from around the world.

 





PULL UP A CHAIR
Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler’s flagship store in Bellevue, WA, (a 1920s vintage grain and feed store) was remodeled in 2007. Steven Goldfarb created a U-shaped showroom with 1,800 square feet divided into smaller areas, including this comfortable seating area outfitted with a fireplace.

 




PARLOR GAMES
Two Victorian houses on the National Register of Historic Places comprise Kas A Designs in Jefferson City, MO. Particularly inviting is the late 19th-century style parlor with fireplace and crystal chandelier.

 





WELCOME TO MY WINE CELLAR
As part of the 2006 remodel of EE Robbins of Seattle the back office became a 180-bottle wine cellar with Starbucks-style tables and a comfy divan for customers.

 






DON'T FORGET THE BATHROOM
At Ylang|23, a Lalique mirror titled “The Gossipers” hangs in the powder room.

 



 


MAKE IT FUN

PUT ON A SHOW
At llyn strong fine jewelry in Greenville, SC, faux snow falls every day from Black Friday to Christmas Eve.

 







BRING MARKETING TO LIFE
A charitable donation buys a photo op with a Christmas elf at Alara in Bozeman, MT, owned by Babs Noelle.

 







POP THE QUESTION
At EE Robbins of Seattle, the Proposer, a mysterious man in black, delivers engagement rings to couples when and where the bride-to-be least expects it.

 






HIRE A SPOKESDOG
Lily & Co. was named for owner owner Karen Bell’s elegant-looking dog. With the help of Photoshop, Lily models high-end designer jewelry and even makes personal appearances.

 






HOST THEIR WEDDINGS
Anfesa’s in Garner, NC, rents out its own Grand Marquise Ballroom for weddings and other events. The venue provides constant exposure for the jewelry store since 250 to 1,000 people use the ballroom every weekend.



 


ADD A STUNNING CEILING

LOOK UP
A colorful, stained-glass ceiling dome featuring a fleur de lis pattern required more than 2,700 pieces of glass. Suspended by aircraft cables at Kimball’s Jewelers in Knoxville, TN, the frame alone weighs more than 600 pounds.

 




RECALL THE RENAISSANCE
Two huge, circular murals adorn the interior ceiling of Traditional Jewelers in Newport Beach, CA. They include the “Creation of Time” in the watch area, depicting God creating the sundial; and Michelangelo’s “Creation of Man” on the main ceiling.

 




RECALL THE RENAISSANCE (PART II)
Tapper’s ceiling mural in West Bloomfield, MI, was inspired by the works of Gustav Klimt.

 



 


DAZZLE THEM WITH TECHNOLOGY

SECRET SALES WEAPON
J.R. Dunn Jewelers in Fort Lauderdale, FL, has a secret sales weapon — a “James Bond” coffee table in its VIP room. It’s a black, high-gloss tabletop with a glass cube showcase in the middle. Press a button and the showcase silently rises.

 




SHOWMANSHIP
At David Gardner’s Jewelers in College Station, TX, customers watch jewelry being made in the 1,800-square-foot studio located in the center of the store.

 





WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?
A multimedia display in Thomas Michaels Designers of Camden, ME, showcases hundreds of original designs on a large-format LCD display.

 





SPECIAL FEATURES

JUST ADD WATER
You won’t often find an 18-foot waterfall indoors, but you will at Murphy Jewelers in Hamburg, PA, complete with the store logo in the middle and a majestic fireplace at the base.

 





MAKE IT PRETTY
The cappuccino machine at Bernie Robbins Fine Jewelry in St. Davids, PA, was high-tech, but not visually impressive enough to justify the $5,000 price tag, so owner Harvey Rovinsky spent another $1,000 on a faux antique brass housing to go over the top of it. Customers love it.

 




FAKE IT
Alan Rodriguez couldn’t find the old bank building he was looking for — complete with antique vault — in downtown Canton, OH, so he had an artist create an image of one in the building he did find for his store, Julz by Alan Rodriguez.

 





THE BUS STOPS HERE
A 1,200-gallon reef aquarium at Lee Read Jewelers, attracts school field trips and families who come to marvel at sea life in Boise, ID.

 






ADDED ATTRACTIONS
At Weber Goldsmith Gallery in Carmel, CA, a chandelier that looks like octopus tentacles beckons from the ceiling.

 







WHAT'S IN YOUR BACKYARD?
A small, fish-filled brook outside Joseph’s Jewelers in Des Moines, IA, has been the setting for several marriage proposals, including that of co-owner Tony Joseph’s son, Jake.

 





STOP TRAFFIC
At the Jewelry Design Center in Spokane, WA, passersby are treated to a 6-foot replica diamond.

 

 

 

 

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