South Florida Jewelry Store Focuses on Affordable Luxury

Anna Zuckerman, Boca Raton, FL

OWNER: Anna Zuckerman; FOUNDED: 2020; Opened featured location: 2021; AREA: 750 square-foot showroom; 950 square feet total; ARCHITECT: BE Designs

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WHEN ANNA ZUCKERMAN literally dreams up a jewelry design, chances are it soon will be available for purchase. “I design when I close my eyes, and in the morning, I sketch it,” she says. “It’s in my blood, it’s in my brain, I can’t get away from it.”

She dreamed up the idea for her jewelry brand concept, Anna Zuckerman Luxury, in much the same fashion during pandemic shutdowns.

A Russian immigrant descended from goldsmiths, she moved with her family to the U.S. when she was 14 and by 20 had opened her own fine jewelry store, A.C. Zuckerman Jewelers, in Mequon, WI. But over the years, she had tired of simply buying and selling jewelry. “I’m an artist,” she says. “I love designing, and when I had my store in Wisconsin, I became tired of being a merchant.” She also felt limited in what she could offer her clients, feeling stymied by their budgets that didn’t keep pace with their own dreams or wish lists.

She had noticed a demand for affordable jewelry with a luxurious look, while few of her clients seemed willing to drop $10,000 on a statement gemstone piece, which was her specialty. “If the market is shifting toward synthetics, why not give an option for that market by creating something that would be unique, beautiful and yet extremely affordable?” she thought.

She began copying her own gemstone designs in silver and offering them at a fraction of the price. Zuckerman also worked with engineers to create her trademarked Diamond Crystalline, a synthetic lab-grown diamond coating layered over a high-grade cubic zirconium.

By 2017, she was beginning to produce her own finished goods using the formula that she calls her secret sauce. The prototypes were well received in 2019, she introduced the wholesale product line in 2020 and brought it to the trade show circuit in 2021.

She went into the early days of the pandemic as a traditional jewelry retailer and emerged in 2021 with a flashy flagship store in Boca Raton, FL, and a brand of jewelry that quickly was picked up by Hollywood celebrities as well as 500 retailers around the world. Next up is a second store in Paris. All of what’s happened is far beyond what she’d initially envisioned, which was simply to sell her affordable jewelry through an Etsy store.

The flagship store was inspired by a Michigan Avenue, Worth Avenue or Beverly Hills high-fashion boutique. While Boca Raton in general, and Mizner Park in particular, has a reputation for upscale shopping, the appeal of jewelry with a median price of $199 transcends financial stations, Zuckerman says.

Zuckerman worked with her husband, Leonard Albanese, a residential designer, to create the prototype store. “For the consumer, you need a store that’s going to be a ‘wow’ to match the jewelry, which is also a ‘wow.’”

The store incorporates chrome and gold finishes, black mirrored ceilings and crystal chandeliers designed to resemble blocks of quartz. Each showcase was built by hand.
It’s a posh look in a high-traffic, affluent area, but it is designed to appeal to everyone. “No one is not a customer,” Zuckerman says.

“We have made our jewelry accessible to every demographic, whether you are a grandma buying something for your grandkids or you’re buying for yourself or for bridal, we have it all.”

The store has cushioned benches and ample mirrors, and customers are encouraged to try on everything from multi-carat cocktail rings to a sterling silver tiara.

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They designed the 900 square-foot prototype store to maximize the space. “We have all the wall space occupied by glass shelving with white diamond lights pointing at the merchandise. We have showcases on each side of the store and 6-foot towers in front and back so customers are constantly surrounded by the jewelry. To make the store stand out even more, we used a high gloss ceiling wrap that looks like a black mirror and reflects all the lighting in the store. It makes it look like a ballroom, elegant and sexy.

“When I started designing, I wanted to deliver the Anna Zuckerman experience, having a one-stop-shop destination where you can buy everything from wedding rings to gifts for a bridal party. We became a concept store, and that’s why it works.”

Since then, her jewelry has also become sought after by Hollywood stylists. “It looks and feels just like the real thing, and the reason stylists want to use it to outfit celebrities is that if they damage or lose it, it’s easy to replace. How much liability insurance would it cost you for a $500,000 necklace? They feel like royalty, look beautiful and it costs them a lot less.”

But Zuckerman’s goal is to make everyone feel like a royal or a celebrity. She worked in the store full time for its inaugural year to observe consumer behavior and watch how shoppers interacted with her jewelry. “They couldn’t believe it was so inexpensive. They loved the quality and loved the fact that Anna Zuckerman gems sparkled just like diamonds, and that they can buy just about anything and still be under the budget.”

No one is rushed or pressured into making a decision. They are encouraged to take their time with the product, to make sure that it fits them physically as well as their personal style. The experience quickly becomes addictive.

She produces new styles several times a year so that customers can add to their existing collection and see what the celebrities wear.

“You will see it on the red carpet — and why wouldn’t you want to have your own piece of red carpet jewelry?”

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Five Cool Things About Anna Zuckerman

1. TECH HELP. Shopify-powered iPads and POS system make it easy for consumers to check in, check out and make purchases.

2. THE EDITOR ANGLE. Current marketing efforts are focused on working with editors from consumer magazines, including Vogue, Forbes and Women’s Wear Daily.

3. THE ARCHIVES. As each of her pieces is retired, Zuckerman saves one example of it for her daughter, both as a keepsake and as a possible blueprint if her daughter were to continue the company. “I am in love with every piece I make,” she says.

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4. THE RECENT REBRAND. Anna Zuckerman Luxury was rebranded on June 1. The website was retooled using AI to understand the behavior of the individual customer. The team also added a huge collection of bridal jewelry and more color choices for everyday casual pieces.

5. THE TIARAS. Zuckerman’s clients buy tiaras not only for weddings, but also as birthday and anniversary gifts, or to commemorate the birth of a child or to start a tradition and pass them on when their daughters get married. She believes their popularity is driven in part by customers binge-watching shows about the royal family. “People are getting familiarized with royalty, and why not feel like one? With this tiara, you never forget the queen that lives within you,” she says.

PHOTO GALLERY (6 IMAGES)

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