When Theresia Oreskovic, co-owner of Peter & Co. Jewelers, searched for showcases for her new, stand-alone store in Avon Lake, OH, she wanted clean lines and a lot of glass for an unobstructed view. Oreskovic is on trend. Cases with large metal front rails are passé, says Keely Grice of Grice Showcase. “Almost all our jobs now are seamedglass construction, where the glass is bonded together like in a museum display.” Need another clue your showcases are outdated? That would be mirrored doors, says Joanne Slawitsky of Kassoy. “With today’s lighting technology, mirrored doors will create havoc — bouncing lighting, shadows, etc.” Updated showcases are a key part of creating a “wow store,” which can ultimately boost sales by 25 to 30 percent, says Mickey Minagorri of Artco Group .

This article originally appeared in the June 2016 edition of INSTORE.

1. A Grice Showcase installation at Storey Jewelers in Gonzales, TX.

2. Theresia Oreskovic of Peter & Co. Jewelers in Avon Lake, OH, chose clean-lined cases with some breathing room beneath them for more of an open look than she had with traditional showcases.

3. Tecno Display offers both stock and custom showcases in clean and modern designs. Model GL123 is a curved wall case, shown in silver.

4. Kassoy offers both stock and custom showcases in a variety of designs. Here is an example from Gem Palace Jewelry in Falmouth, Jamaica.

5. Britten Wolf of BVW Jewelers in Reno, NV, chose local company Victory Woodworks to make him nontraditional cases to fit the vibe of his informal store. The last thing he wanted, he says, was anything brown.

6. Artco Group’s cases are shown installed at Weston Jewelers in Miami. “We are seeing a lot of curves in our designs,” says Mickey Minagorri of Artco. “It’s softer and sexier. Cases are totally clean. It’s like a fish tank, not like a big piece of furniture.”

Points to Consider

Find an established company with good follow-up service, where replacement and additional parts will be available several years after the purchase. Patrick Lowe of Tecno Display says showcases should last 15 to 20 years.

Consider natural materials. “We do a lot more in solid wood now than we do with veneer and stains,” Lowe says. “It’s more popular than metal and laminate.”

Remember that cases should reflect the value of the jewelry you’re displaying. “The average furniture is very inexpensive looking,” Lowe says. “Same goes for the showcases. They should be wellmade and welldesigned.”

Look for a company that understands jewelry retail. “The worst thing to do is to go to a local architect who has never in his life designed a jewelry store, but has designed houses or bridges,” says Artco’s Mickey Minagorri.

It’s very important, especially for diamond specialty retailers to use extra clear glass in YOUR showcases, Slawitsky says. Regular glass, which contains a lot of iron, will cast a green light.

Retailer Take

Britten Wolf
Owner, BVW Jewelers Reno, NV

• “We wanted a new look; I am tired of brown stores with cases going to the ground. It looks like Grandma’s house.”
• “Our octagon-shape module cases came to about $30,000 from Victory Woodworks, and they were designed so we could pull barstools up for wine, whisky, and cheese tastings. The shape was also very intentional. They’re not huge, so customers almost always go around twice without even knowing it.”

Theresia Oreskovic
Peter & Co. Jewelers Avon Lake, OH

• Drawers are ideal to keep materials at hand for the sales associates. It’s important not to have to leave the showcase during a presentation.
• Consider the overall view of the showroom. Instead of having closed fronts, the openness of having just legs makes the room seem larger and more open.

This article originally appeared in the June 2016 edition of INSTORE.