Editor's Note

Being a Cool Jewelry Store Isn’t About Money; It’s About Vision

Not everyone has the commitment to constantly reinvent the way they connect, inspire and serve their clientele.

Published

5 months ago

September 15, 2025

Trace Shelton Instore September 2025 Issue

ANYONE CAN SELL beautiful jewelry — but not everyone has the willingness and commitment to constantly reinvent the way they connect, inspire and serve their clientele.

That’s what sets America’s Coolest Jewelry Stores apart. The store owners pushing jewelry retail forward are certainly curious, fearless and inventive. But being “cool” isn’t about innovation for innovation’s sake — it’s about being true to the store’s identity while continuously creating new ways to meet your clients’ evolving desires.

This spirit is alive in stores like Ylang 23, which curates cutting-edge designer lines and amplifies their stories in a French-jardin-inspired showroom; Takohl Custom Jewelry, whose unique Treasure Rings and Love Amulets are unlike anything most jewelry lovers have ever seen; Henne Jewelers, which courageously created a luxurious and comfortable multi-level store in a circa 1930 building; Embark Fine Jewelry, whose three owners built a high-touch, high-service business in five years from an initial $4,500; CD Peacock, whose new store fuses features inspired by the owner’s travels with the heritage prestige of a 188-year-old business; and Page Sargisson, which showcases the colorful, hand-hewn artistry of the designer in a setting that allows for expansive creativity.

Certainly, money can help a retailer execute their ideas. But there are no ideas without a vision for one’s business, and that’s what we hope resonates with you as you read these stories.

If you’ve got that kind of vision, be sure to enter next year’s contest at instoremag.com/acs!

Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson

When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren. For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish. "Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful." The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing." Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."