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Diamond-Focused Denver Jeweler Inspired by Her Clients’ Excitement

Millennial shoppers respond to education, privacy and transparency.

Published

5 years ago

August 26, 2019

INSTORE Staff Instore September 2019 Issue Online Extra

Diamond-Focused Denver Jeweler Inspired by Her Clients’ Excitement

Online Extra

TIMELESS AND TREASURED. Most of my clients come to me with their own ideas for rings, but my source of inspiration is helping refine them into something that is timeless. I try to remind people that they are buying something that they, or the person they’re buying for, is going to wear for a very long time. The rings that I have designed for our case are timeless, not too busy, and the focus is on the actual diamond.

SHOWING RESPECT. I wanted to create a transparent experience. That’s why people come to us. The secret to selling diamonds to millennials is educating them. I think they find you are respecting them when you give them that information rather than just selling them something because it’s pretty. And it’s about respecting their budget. A lot of my friends say retailers show them things that are $5,000 or $10,000 over what they said they want to spend.

ALTERNATIVE BRIDAL. I do sell salt and pepper diamonds. Not every day, most clients are coming to me for fine diamonds. Most people have been buying them through the Internet, but I bought them because people want to come in and see them. I sell them ridiculously cheap.

FOOL-PROOF PLANNING. Most guys don’t try to do it on their own. They either come in together as couples or the girls send me all the information ahead of time, I keep it in a file, and when the guy comes in, I pull out the file and he can’t mess that up. I imagine that is completely different from how it was done 15, or even 10 years ago.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”