Buzz Session

Jewelers Hate These Things That Are Popular Right Now

Lab-grown diamonds and micro-pavé top the list.

Published

4 years ago

March 20, 2020

INSTORE Staff Instore April 2020 Issue

Tiny diamonds set with prongs so small that they don’t stop the diamonds from coming out of their settings. — Sue Parker, Nyman Jewelers, Excanaba, MI
Social media, love-hate relationship. Amazon is a killer to all of us small retailers! — Stacey S. Sachs, Solomon’s Fine Jewelry & Watch, Albertson, NY
The constant focus on trending. Our customers are not cattle; they are individuals. Always attempting to “drive” sales and tastes in one direction leads to a boring world of sameness. — Steven Wardle, Forest Beach Design, Chatham, MA
Giant watches with tiny movements. — Rick Nichols, Nassau Jewelry, Fernandina Beach, FL
Everyone always looking at their cell phones. — Debra Burtner, Burtner’s Rock & Gem, West Newton, PA
Vendors trying to push their branded product on you when it is not a true brand. Just because you put a name on a line of jewelry doesn’t make it a brand. — Christopher Sarich, Noah Gabriel & Co. Jewelers, Wexford, PA
The “renaming” of stones to make them sound cooler or more exotic just drives me nuts. I had a lady yesterday looking for white turquoise, swooning over how “rare” it is. Well, she was talking about howlite, of course, but could she be convinced? I didn’t even try. — Janne Etz, Contemporary Concepts, Cocoa, FL
Movie/film stars that have their own jewelry line. Do they lend their name to create a brand or do they actually “create” that jewelry?! — Teri Vogan, Vogan Gold & Silver Works, Colorado Springs, CO
The ads that the BIG stores put on then the customers bring the %@$# in for me to repair. — Tommy Thobe, The Village Gem, Perry Hall, MD
People that meet a seller from Craigslist in your store so you can give your blessing on their purchase. People have lots of guts. — Doug Schlotthauer, Douglas Jeweler, Hartford, WI
The term “fine jewelry.” It has come to mean anything that might smack of any precious metal and or gemstone with no regard to quality. Sort of like using the term “fine dining” at a restaurant that has a drive-through. — Murphy McMahon, Murphy McMahon & Co., Kalispell, MT
When vendors are rude. If we treated our clients like that, we wouldn’t have any. — Sherrie Schilling Devaney, Sherries Jewelry Box, Tigard, OR
It seems that no one wants to buy a piece out of the case … everything has to be changed or customized. — Donnie Blanton, Brittany’s Fine Jewelry, Gainesville, FL
The rise of lab-grown diamonds, the reduction of jewelry for status, and the minimalist attitude of the new crop of graduates battling student debt! — Denise Oros, Linnea Jewelers, La Grange, IL
Millennials. The Internet. Silicone wedding bands. People who think cellphones can replace a watch. Halos. Come on. We’re all sick of them, right? People who lick their finger to take off their ring before they hand it to you to clean and check. — Mary Jo Chanski, Hannoush Jewelers, Rutland, VT
Diamonds that are “hand selected” … that is how it is done by a human. What other way is there?? — Pamela Hecht, Pamations, Calumet, MI
Instagram pictures of hands with rings on them … on and on they go. — Alex Weil, Martin’s Jewelry, Torrance, CA
Tungsten, titanium and stainless steel rings! Hate them! — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
Black diamonds. Just got a couple in to show a customer, and it’s hard for me not to say, “Dude — how about a nice onyx center stone?” — Cliff Yankovich, Chimera Design, Lowell, MI

What’s the Brain Squad?

If you’re the owner or top manager of a U.S. jewelry store, you’re invited to join the INSTORE Brain Squad. By taking one five-minute quiz a month, you can get a free t-shirt, be featured prominently in this magazine, and make your voice heard on key issues affecting the jewelry industry. Good deal, right? Sign up here.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”