Tampa Jewelry Store Designed to Be Casually Cool

Everglow Jewelry, Tampa, FL

OWNER: Derrick Pyke; URL: everglowjewelry.com; ONLINE PRESENCE: 136 5-Star Google reviews; 1,400 Facebook followers; FOUNDED: 2024; Opened featured location: 2024; AREA: 1,600 square feet; EMPLOYEES: 0

Kayla and Derrick Pyke

WHEN DERRICK PYKE WAS ready to open his own jewelry store in Tampa, FL, he was inspired by what he did not want.

He had seen too many jewelry stores that made him, as a millennial, feel uncomfortable.

That was not a feeling he wanted his young engagement ring shoppers to experience.

“Everything seemed just about the same,” he says, when he had occasion to visit stores.

“Older, wooden showcases, carpet and the same kind of layout, the same kind of jewelry, even.” He didn’t believe that the traditional jewelry store motif appealed to shoppers of his generation or the next generation, who represent his target demographics.

“I wanted to create something where my wife, who is in her early 30s, would walk in and feel comfortable and think this is my style, this is where I want to shop.”

Derrick, 34, has a wide range of interests. He studied engineering before earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in business management. He worked for his dad, Andrew Pyke, a jewelry manufacturer, during summers when he was in college. After graduation, the father-son team opened Sandia Jewelers together, a retail store in Rio Rancho, NM. Over the years working with his dad, Derrick learned to repair watches, cast custom designs, cut stones. Most important, perhaps, he learned to cultivate his creativity by working with complex designs and repairs.

Kayla Pyke designed the interior of the store, including this lovely seating area with a starburst chandelier overhead.

Seven years ago, Derrick and his wife, Kayla, moved to Tampa, where Derrick found a job as a manager in a jewelry store. But as a manger, he missed the hands-on thrill of seeing a custom design transformed from a drawing to a cherished piece of jewelry. He missed the glow on a customer’s face when that work of art was finally revealed.

“It is said that when you have a dream, you should direct all your efforts toward making it a reality,” he says.

With that dream in mind, he left his management job to learn more about finance and business and took courses to become a certified jewelry appraiser. He and Kayla spent long hours together discussing a potential store’s design and what would make it different from anything they’d seen before.

Pyke had been eyeing an empty pool supply store with a for-rent sign for a while. Before he knew it would be his store, he and Kayla began planning ideal layouts and paint colors with a simple design software to fit its dimensions, just in case. They wanted it to be bright, modern and casually cool.

Once they did secure the lease in May 2024, they worked quickly.

“Throughout many hours of conversations and poring over Instagram and Pinterest, we were intentional in choosing everything from paint colors to furniture to the music playlist,” Derrick says. “We wanted Everglow Jewelry to stand out among other local jewelry stores.” For example, they chose display cases that open with hydraulics to facilitate friendlier side-by-side selling. The project was largely DIY on a tight budget. The walls had been covered in so many hanging shelves screwed to the walls that when Pyke removed them, he was left with a thousand holes in the walls. Once that was remedied, he and Kayla, despite all their research, had a tough time choosing the perfect paint color, so wound up repainting the walls a second time.

To cut costs, they shopped for used equipment, waited for end-of-the-year sales and hired friends for work they couldn’t do, such as electrical. Instead of hiring interior designers or a construction crew, they did everything else themselves, which was painful at times for Derrick, who suffered chronic back pain, later diagnosed as ankylosing spondylosis, a chronic inflammatory condition. But determination to achieve his dream kept him going.

Kayla designed the interior, choosing furniture, fixtures, paint colors, wall designs and lighting.

Derrick has more space in the store than what is technically needed at this point, but he likes the feel of the open concept layout and carefully curated showcases. “We felt it would give the sense that the jewelry is hand-picked and precious. We’re not throwing as many pieces into a case that will fit and hoping something sells,” he notes.

There’s also space for a sitting area, another key to putting clients at ease.

“I am so proud of how this store looks and the reaction I get from my customers when they walk in the door,” Derrick says. “When someone compliments the store appearance, I tell them that my wife designed it, and if they ask if she is an interior designer, I say, ‘No, she works in grants.’ After the massive effort this store took, I don’t think she is in any rush for a career change.”

While Kayla helps with the business side of the venture, Derrick is on his own in the store with a buzzer on the front door. When he begins to add staff, he’ll start with a jeweler. For now, he encourages appointments to help manage his workflow.

Derrick has filled his showcases with jewelry he’s designed, which tends to be on the daintier side and intended for people who are looking to spend $1,000 to $2,000 on a piece of jewelry. But 80% of his business is custom bridal that runs the gamut of styles. “We’re getting a lot of very unique pieces, even a lot of three stone rings have been fairly popular lately.” Many of his customers want to redesign heirloom pieces. If there is a trend, it would be that customers buying new diamonds, rather than incorporating heirloom diamonds, gravitate toward buying oval and elongated cushion-cut diamonds. Solitaire engagement rings paired with flashier wedding bands are also popular. About 80% of customers choose lab-grown diamonds.

Before opening Everglow, Derrick had worked in a high-volume store that prioritized Rolex customers. His approach to customer service in his own store is to apply a Rolex-level mindset to each person who walks in the door. His goal in every interaction, he says, is not to maximize the sale, but to find the right solution for the individual.

He might suggest a slightly less expensive diamond, for example, if he thinks the difference in diamonds won’t be noticeable. He’s determined not to overcharge or sell them something they don’t want or need. “I am upfront with information and perspectives I have to offer, and I don’t push for or pressure sales,” he says.

And based on his closing ratios of 80% to 90% and more than 100 5-Star Google reviews, his low-pressure approach is the way to go.

Five Cool Things About Everglow Jewelry

1. NOT NECESSARILY PERMANENT. A plant wall adorned with the neon sign, “Always My Forever” is used as a selfie station. If the plant wall were to become passe, Derrick is prepared to update it to a more current backdrop. He wants many of the design elements in the store to have the potential of being flexible as tastes change.

2. WHAT ABOUT THAT NAME? Everglow is a catchphrase of sorts for Derrick and Kayla’s relationship. It was engraved on the first Christmas gift he gave her, a handmade wooden jewelry box. It was carved into the box that held her engagement ring. And it was a feature of their wedding send-off, when guests waved and threw glow sticks. “What better choice of a name for a business that celebrates love and partnership than our own running sentimental phrase?” he says.

3. UPCYCLING. Because Derrick has a background in manufacturing as well as retail, he has the ability and equipment to melt down gold and cast new inventory designs on site. As a certified jewelry appraiser, he’s also confident in testing and buying diamonds and gemstones. He can offer a fair price, know what he is getting and how he can use it in new designs. “I complete all work myself on-site to minimize the business’s carbon footprint,” he says.

4. THE FORCE AROUND THE CORNER. Just out of view of the showroom, Derrick has a collection of illustrated Star Wars artwork decorating his office. “For those who happen to express an interest in this franchise, I am always proud to take them around the corner and show another side to this congenial jeweler guy,” he says.

5. JEWELRY STANDS ALONE. Against conventional wisdom, Derrick prefers to post photos of jewelry on its own, without people wearing it. He wants everyone to visualize themselves in the jewelry and feel that any piece they may like is perfect for them alone. Product photos are posted using AI backgrounds in Everglow’s brand color palette. Using AI backdrops saves considerable time and expense over professional photo shoots while retaining the integrity of the actual photo. “As a jeweler and designer, I believe in the primacy of human creativity and choose to market using only real designs and products.”

PHOTO GALLERY (9 IMAGES)