“It’s life-giving, a connection to nature,” she says.

When it comes to retail, day-lighting, as it’s called, keeps a store feeling real and not artificial, sets customers at ease and boosts everyone’s mood. “It’s healthier to have natural light illuminating our built environments as much as possible,” she says.

Although natural light changes color and intensity throughout the day, and extreme sun coming in from east, south, and west windows can be challenging, that’s an issue that can be solved with adjustable window treatments.

“Northern light is best,” says Jay Colombo, a partner at Michael Hsu Office of Architecture in Houston, who designed the Zadok store. “It’s never direct, and there’s a lot of consistency and evenness to it.”

To balance natural and artificial light, Falk suggests multiple levels and types of lights that are similar in color temperature. Natural light would be combined with fixtures that provide ambient light, as well as accent lights and decorative lights.

“My go-to-temperature for retail is 3500K, with 3000K as a second option if 3500 isn’t available,” Falk says. “And all jewelers (should) know the importance of showcase lighting that makes jewels/diamonds sparkle, and that’s a 4100-5000K lamp.

“Of course, if the jeweler is in an enclosed shopping mall, they often don’t have access to natural light, in which case, artificial light has to do the heavy lifting, and then color temp is extremely important to get right.”

Warmth of Home
Zadok, Houston, TX

At Zadok’s 28,000 square foot location in Houston, facades on three sides of the building let natural light wash into the showroom. “You don’t feel like you’re in a fluorescent box,” says Jay Colombo, partner at Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, which designed the project. A two-story window wall faces north and illuminates the grand staircase with consistent, even northern light. Windows line the branded boutiques, too, as well as the offices, a feature appreciated by 40 back-office staffers. Glazing and screens on the building enhance energy efficiency and security.

Atrium Ambience
John Atencio, Lone Tree, CO

In general, mall stores are not known for natural light, let alone an abundance of it, but John Atencio’s location in a Lone Tree, CO, mall near Denver, takes advantage of its space under an atrium with sky lights. Light shines through a 14-foot ceiling designed with natural wood in a grid pattern. The jewelry designer’s newest location also features a sheer glass facade that wraps the storefront from floor to ceiling. “When it was complete, I stood back and said, ‘Wow,’” says Atencio, who opened the renovated store in 2018.

Light as Air
Bere, Pensacola, FL

Bere, which opened in 2017, is across the street from the airport, offering owners Barry and Laura Cole a view of the runway from their conference room. Pensacola is home to naval aviation and the Blue Angels, local themes Cole wanted to tie into the store with plentiful views of the sky. An entire wall anchors a bar, lounge and Breitling watch zone, where panel walls with rivets mimicking old airplane and antique propellers pay homage to the local military and aviation history.

See-Through Site
The Diamond Center, Janesville, WI

After 30 years in a huge but windowless space in a mall, the Yeko family moved their operation into a freestanding store with 270-degree views. Designed by Leslie McGwire in 2015, The Diamond Center has more than 2,000 square feet of glass curtain walls, with more than half of that glass tilted out to span a height of 24 feet, floor to ceiling. “When customers come in, the first thing they do is look up at the ceiling,” Steve Yeko Jr. notes. “There are lots of ‘wows.’” The store’s LEDs are all calibrated to simulate natural daylight, too, so daylight is not competing with a different color of light.

Bright and Sunny
Amanda Deer, Austinm, TX

Amanda Deer’s downtown Austin store is the epitome of what’s described as light and airy interior design. Live plants thrive in the natural light and add to the natural, organic feel, which is reinforced by wood floors and bowls filled with black sand that are used as unique display elements. It occupies a historical building in downtown Austin that was built in the late 1800s as a flour warehouse. Owned by Amanda Eddy, the store opened in 2017.

Sunlight Squared
Julz by Alan Rodriguez, Canton, OH

For his newest retail location, Alan Rodriguez purchased a former bank building that was built in 1950 and hadn’t been remodeled in over 40 years. Inspired by the design of an Apple store with a touch of Crate and Barrel, he gutted the structure and built out a two-story glass cube that’s the focal point of the store. This large window structure fills the store with natural light during the day and shows the changing weather background.

Sea Inside
Hamilton Butler, Hermosa Beach, CA

Hamilton Butler brings the outdoors in with its peacock motif and the light flooding in two large windows in the front of the store. Owned by Joni Hamilton and Shelia Butler, the store is an inviting, sun-splashed hangout for the beach community that they opened together in 2016. Sea grass carpeting, pale turquoise walls and a view of palm trees reinforces the vibe. “Even when you’re in the store, you feel like you’re outside at the same time,” Butler says.

Revolution Jewelry Works
Colorado Springs, CO

Revolution Jewelry Works, owned by Jennifer Farnes, has a spectacular corner view of the mountains in its recently expanded space.

Jewelry Set in Stone
Chelsea, MI

In 2022, the Jewelry Set in Stone team moved into the Clocktower building in downtown Chelsea, a historic structure that was once a stove factory. The second floor suite is blessed with light, tall ceilings and much more space than their previous location, a perfect setting for a custom-design business, says owner Stephen Kolokithas.

JustDesi
Beverly Hills, CA

JustDesi, owned by siblings Desi Kraiem and Justin Kraiem, stands out from its neighbors with its expansive windows, brilliant lighting and chic design.

King’s Fine Jewellery
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada

After 38 years in a popular mall, King’s Fine Jewellery faced the decision of closing or relocating during a major mall renovation. Owners Brian and Nancy Nelson decided they weren’t ready to retire and purchased and built out a freestanding store in a new shopping center. In the new space they have two walls of glass windows, providing an abundance of natural light. They aren’t the only ones benefiting from natural light. A large school of cardinals, four varieties of angel fish and a collection of catfish thrive in a naturally planted, 7-foot-long aquarium.

Kesslers Diamonds
Grand Rapids, MI

Kessler’s location, its eight store, was chosen for its three walls of windows that provide an abundance of natural light. Kesslers Diamonds is employee owned.

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Joseph Gregory Dumouchelle, 61, owner of Joseph Dumouchelle Fine and Estate Jewelry Buyers, Sellers, Appraisers, and Auctioneers, pleaded guilty to “devising and executing a scheme to defraud a client out of $12 million,” according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith.

More from the release:

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Roy Donta Larry is accused of first-degree murder and felony firearm, the Detroit Free Press reports. Bond was denied for Larry, 44.

Hutchinson, 47, was killed early Wednesday afternoon while in an SUV less than a mile from his store. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

The suspect was captured shortly after the shooting, according to the Free Press.

Police say Hutchinson’s wife was in the SUV at the time of the shooting but was not hurt, WJBK-TV reports. The news station reported that more than a dozen shots were fired into the vehicle.

“This was not a random event; it was targeted,” Oak Park Police Lt. Marlon Benson told WJBK. “As far as reasons, we don’t know why he was targeted but we don’t think this was an isolated event.”

The Free Press reports that Hutchinson “had an extensive list of celebrity clients.”

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Dan Hutchinson, owner of Hutch’s Jewelry, was killed early Wednesday afternoon while in an SUV, ClickOnDetroit reports. He was 47. Scroll down to watch a news video from WXYZ-TV about the crime.

Hutchinson suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was found less than a mile from the store, the Detroit News reports. The crime occurred shortly after he left the business.

The newspaper reports that a suspect has been taken into custody.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Hutchinson “had an extensive list of celebrity clients.”

Watch the video:

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“Don’t underestimate the power of a really great logo that ties your brand together,” writes Tracy Matthews, jewelry designer and author of The Desired Brand Effect: Stand Out In A Saturated Market With A Timeless Jewelry Brand.

Matthews recommends hiring a professional graphic artist to create your logo. “You’ll save yourself a lot of pain,” she says.

Beyond the design, consider the colors carefully. Colors evoke emotions, mood and feelings. Are you going for a luxurious look? A playful vibe? Or a natural and sustainable feel? The colors you choose will help create that brand experience, which will be visible everywhere from your packaging to your signage, social media, website, marketing emails and advertising.

According to Tailorbrands.com, effective logos foster brand loyalty, grab attention, make a strong first impression, and separate your business from the competition. Paperstreet.com reports that simple logos are the most memorable. They also need to be scalable, meaning they can be scaled up or down and still look good.

Here are examples of logos that express the foundation of their companies’ brand identities in memorable ways.

The Revolution

When Jennifer Farnes launched her business, Revolution Jewelry Works, in Colorado Springs, CO, she wanted to revolutionize how clients perceived jewelry stores. She hadn’t grown up in the business, and she perceived jewelry stores and the people who worked there to be stuffy, overdressed and snooty. She wanted a place that would appeal to her: laid-back, open and casual, with a knowledgeable team focused on custom design. She came up with a sit-down environment that invites clients to get comfortable and a profit-sharing approach that encourages team selling. The logo, designed by a friend who is a graphic designer, expresses her revolutionary fervor perfectly.

Rings Ahead!

The Kessler experience begins with a literal touchpoint: custom created logo door handles, the design of which speak to the brand’s focus on wedding and engagement rings. Employee-owned Kesslers Diamonds in Grand Rapids, MI, stocks nearly 2,000 loose diamonds in their stores. They carry an expansive collection of engagement and wedding ring settings, and if a client doesn’t find something they love, Kesslers will design it for them.

A Three-Pronged Approach

The logo for the Jewelers Guild in Milwaukee is integral, says owner Robert Peter, to expressing the company’s approach to success. “The green symbolizes our classroom and is highlighted in promotions for new classes. The blue represents our workshop. The purple represents the retail store. People key into the facet that appeals to them.”

Along the Path

WEND Jewelry’s logo illustrates the meandering path that founder Wendy Woldenberg has taken in her career as well as the journey her clients take. “WEND” is related to the verb “wind,” which means, among other things, to follow a series of curves and turns. “People from different paths, some that wander off the beaten track, have finally found what they’ve been searching for at WEND Jewelry,” says Woldenberg, whose career path motivated her to develop responsible practices for jewelry design.

An Antique Look

“When my grandmother purchased our current building in the early 1980s, my dad decided it was time for an official logo,” says Julie Walton Garland, who owns Walton’s Jewelry in Franklin, TN, with her father, Michael Walton. “He wanted an old English inspired logo that gave an ‘antique’ vibe. Two years ago, we did update the font ever so slightly to be more translatable, but this change is hardly noticeable. It simply gave it a refresh and allows us to use it in a variety of ways and platforms in today’s modern age.”

A Beachy, Artistic Vibe

Les Olson Jeweler’s logo, happily displayed on the store’s sign out front, signals both the store’s laid-back, beachy vibe in historic, downtown Palm Harbor, FL, and the fact that the custom-focused jewelry business has an artistic soul. “Over the years, the logo has been seeded in much of the marketing, as it speaks to the creativity of our family and making this business ours,” says Pam Shinsky, who bought Les Olson Jewelers with her husband, Bob Shinsky, in 1988 and opened their freestanding location in 2020. Bob and Pam are designers and bench jewelers, who have been joined in the business by their son, Rob. “We wanted our signage to reflect the feel of the inside of our studio, which is fun and bright, cheerful and artistic,” says Pam, who sketched the logo and asked her graphic artist niece, Melissa Slocum Evanko, to bring the playful design to life. The sign is rendered in Key West colors and it sparkles at night, adding to the sense of fun.

A Distinctive Diamond

Ronnie Malka of Malka Diamonds in Portland, OR, says it’s not easy to design a diamond-themed logo without having it looking like everyone else’s, or like Superman’s logo. “We wanted a diamond, but we also wanted the “M.” OffenseUnlimited.com created the logo, and we were and still are thrilled!”

An Award Winner

The logo for Cut Fine Jewelers in Baton Rouge, LA, won a gold award from the American Advertising Federation for its graphic design, which lends a modern, contemporary feel to the store. The name gives owner Matthew Patton the opportunity to educate customers about the importance of cut when assessing a diamond’s quality. “The most common question we get from almost everyone we have the opportunity to meet is, ‘Why is it called CUT?!’ The answer is amazingly simple: ‘Cut’ is the most important aspect of a diamond when it comes to picking the perfect one.” He also likes the simple and concise nature of the name, “CUT.” “We didn’t need another Family Name Fine Jewelers,” he says.

On the Lake

When Jeff Guntzviller designed a new location for Miner’s North Jewelers in Traverse City, MI, in 2021, he wanted people to walk in and get the sense that it’s a diamond store. The logo reflects both the artistic vibe of the store design and the store’s location directly across the street from Lake Michigan. “The diamond logos around the store and the pattern were done by a local design and signage company we used,” Guntzviller says. The design was a collaboration between Guntzviller, the sign company and the store designer.

DIY

Like everything else at Raintree, the distinctive tree logo was designed in house and appears in different iterations on the door of the store in Burlington, VT, as well as on social media and Raintree’s website. Husband and wife owners Michael Tope and Shannon Mahoney also designed and made all of their cases, fixtures and the storefront, as well as their jewelry, and they do their own photography. They carry their design aesthetic through every element of their gallery.

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“Hmm, not sure.”

“You young’uns don’t know, but today is D-Day!”

“I see.” (Me with a puzzled look).

We completed the transaction and she left. My employee (he is younger than I am) says to me, “That is funny that she calls us young’uns and says we don’t know … because December 7th is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.” — Stephen Kolokithas, Jewelry Set In Stone, Chelsea, MI

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Donnie Blanton, owner of Brittany’s Fine Jewelry in Gainesville, FL, began paying close attention to fine colored gemstones years ago when he realized that big box stores weren’t able to easily compete in this sector. Now colored gemstone jewelry represents 30 percent of his total business, while Brittany’s has built up a reputation in town as the major player in color. Shoppers can see 75 natural sapphires in the case, where at competitors they might be able to see two. Says manager Jim Carnes: “When we started, we might sell a colored piece for $300 or $400, which is pretty run of the mill. Now it’s not uncommon to sell a $15,000 or $20,000 piece.” Stocking it is key. “If you can’t carry it, you can’t sell it. When people walk in and something strikes them, they say they love that particular gemstone and they want to buy it right here, right now,” Carnes says. “If they see a three-carat Paraiba tourmaline in the case, they’re not going to find another one easily, and I’m not going to get into a price war. Color has its own personality. That will sell itself. You can make money on color while it’s getting difficult to make money on diamonds at all.”

How important is educating the customer?

Very. “Most customers only ‘know’ what they see on TV or the Internet, and that is usually suspect,” says Mark Thomas Ruby of SunSpirit Designs in Loveland, CO. “I use stones in almost all of my work, and most customers have never heard of many of them. Give them a lesson and they will have bragging rights over their peers.”

How do customers respond to learning about colored gemstones?

“In general, personally, we are less interested in diamonds, and that shows in the display cases,” says Katherine Cotterill of EAT Gallery in Maysville, KY, who spends much of her time educating first-time clients on colored stones. “It blows people away who do not know color that the pink stone necklace center I constantly wear is an unheated sapphire or that the big ‘purple’ ring is a spinel and not an amethyst. Once people see how amazing yellow beryl, Merelani garnet, Mahenge Spinel, or something like an alexandrite are, they want those amazingly cool stones so they can tell the same stories to their family and friends.”

Cline Jewelers of Edmonds, WA, promotes a visit from famed colored gemstone hunter Roger Dery with its “From Mine to Cline” event.

What’s the best way to buy color?

Jim Carnes shops jewelry and gem shows for color when he can, but he prefers to see the gems under the store’s lighting conditions. “Sometimes if you buy it in Vegas, you get it back home and it doesn’t look as incredible,” he says. So he relies on regular visits from reliable suppliers, as well as forging relationships with designers including Simon G and Philip Zahm Designs. “Hands-on buying is really key,” he says. “That’s the only way to know if it speaks to you or not.

Pamela Hecht of Pamations in Calumet, MI, goes right to the source and comes back with stories. “I actually go out in the field (mines) and collect 80 percent of my rough stone material that I use to create my jewelry,” she says. “When I show a piece to a customer, I talk about how you mine or collect it and what inspired me to create what they are looking at.”

Does color work for bridal?

It can. “I have a client in California that does very well with a platform in their case with ‘unconventional bridal’ pieces,” says Larry Johnson. “Rings with colored stones, rings with unpolished diamonds. This does well with LGBTQ clients as well as young women with an independent taste and mindset.” Color is also popular for second weddings, says Carnes, who steers clients to durable choices for everyday wear.

How does a gem roundtable work?

Each spring and fall, Micky Roof, owner of The Jewel Box in Ithaca, NY, hosts a gem roundtable event with gem dealer Judith Whitehead. She caters dinner and then passes around 100 rare gemstones, fossils, and minerals. “The event is a rare opportunity to see, handle, and possibly take home some of the finest gems found anywhere,” she says. In October, opal miner Bill Kasso comes to the Jewelbox for three days with a collection of opals and opal specimens straight from the Queensland Outback. “We transform our gallery into an opal paradise for a hands-on interactive exhibit,” Roof says.

MORE STORIES IN THIS PACKAGE

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In 2020, while seeking a way to communicate in pandemic times, he began addressing prospective clients live online. He also brought along for the ride fellow small-business owners who shared his spirit of adventure by spearheading a cooperative effort to cross-promote their businesses with live video appearances on the Facebook page, facebook.com/chelseamichlive.

“It has translated into direct sales and custom work,” says Kolokithas, owner of Jewelry Set in Stone. “Businesses are seeing people coming in and saying, ‘I saw you on chelseamichlive.’” They’ve also organized monthly live events focused on themes, such as weddings. “We’re doing a good job of referrals between the companies,” he says. “We all ask our customers, ‘Is there anything else you need as you plan your wedding?’”

Kolokithas has taught his peers what he’s learned about how to do live video while doing his best to calm everyone’s stage fright. “The coolest part is we give them the tools,” he says. “At first it was a little bit of a rollercoaster, but nerves are better after a few times.”

Although he has since upgraded, he began very simply with an Ottlite and a laptop with a built-in webcam. Since then, he’s added a second light, a second monitor, a Sony A5100 DSLR camera to improve visual quality, an Elgato cam link to provide clean HDMI display and open broadcast software.

“You really only need a phone or laptop,” he says. “It seems overwhelming at first, but once you realize that it is no different than talking to your customer in person, it’s easy and it only gets easier the more you do it.

“I have little sympathy for businesses that don’t want to embrace change. If you’re not willing to change, how can you reach a demographic that is online?”

Kolokithas also created a Facebook messenger group between the participating businesses so they can communicate more easily and add content whenever they’d like.

Cross-promoting live videos with other businesses has boosted his page views significantly, from a few hundred into the thousands. The page went live beginning in June, with new content offered once a week. Representatives of as many as 13 local businesses, one after the next, present their new inventory and talk about their stores in 15-minute segments. Each business posts to the shared Facebook page and cross-promotes the videos on their own business pages. They’re able to build content on their page as well as on a centralized platform. Kolokithas has at times used his segment to post live casting demonstrations.

He first worked as an apprentice jeweler after graduating from Chelsea High School, then took a side apprenticeship to learn fabrication and repair. He worked for other jewelers and pursued a business administration degree at Eastern Michigan University with a focus on entrepreneurship. Then he went back home. “Chelsea is the place I could see having the most success and where I have friends and family to help me grow,” he says.

At first, he met with custom clients at a coffee shop. But by late 2015, he realized he had appointments booked from the time the coffee shop opened until it closed. So he found a downtown studio location.

Promotion of the Facebook page has been organic. “When you become a member, you go and like the page, and you invite friends and family and customers to your page.”

“Now that the ball is rolling, it’s sort of managing itself. I found my passion, and even if we go back to normal, I have a new component that has enhanced my business.”

PHOTO GALLERY ( 5 IMAGES)

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Talent on Display

The newest location of Drenon Jewelry in Independence, MO, was built in 2018 by Icon Architecture. Owners Steve Frisch and Rhonda Wilks realized that one of their greatest assets was their ability to create jewelry from scratch. They decided to put their jewelers’ talents on display in the all-glass 1945 Design Studio, where customers can watch everything the jewelers do. The custom design process happens in-house, starting with a simple sketch on paper, brought to life on the screen by a CAD designer. From there, it’s sent to a 3D printer that can print a wax in as little as 45 minutes. Once the item is ready to be cast, the Drenon Jewelry team invite their customers to watch as their piece is being made.

The Goldsmith Show

At Vandenbergs Jewellers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, owned by Ralph and Lori Vandenberg, a floor to ceiling glass wall separates the workshop from the sales floor. The casting room is at the front of the store, where it’s visible from the exterior glass wall. The goldsmiths put on a show for passersby every morning and often throughout the day through the glass wall. The Vandenbergs team also offers shop tours of their store and explanations of the processes.

Out Into the Open

During a recent renovation, Barry Peterson of Barry Peterson Jewelers in Ketchum, ID, moved his personal workstation from the shop on the second floor onto the main floor showroom to easily interact with customers and show people what it takes to make that custom piece of jewelry. Peterson’s shop features new tools and technology as well as vintage tools owned by his late father, which sit atop the jeweler benches Barry built himself more than 45 years ago.

On Display

At Cronin Jewelers in Boulder, CO, owner Bill Cronin’s passion for the art of making jewelry is reflected in the design of his store’s interior. A full 60 percent of its square footage is dedicated to the workshop studio. The open design allows customers to see Cronin and his staff craft custom designs, perform repair work and cast precious metals. A large cottonwood tree stump holds an anvil which is used to stamp Cronin’s hallmark into each custom piece. Tools are on display in every nook and cranny. One wall holds a variety of sanding belts while another features many years’ worth of custom wax models. The neon “Goldsmith” sign which once hung out front now decorates the full length of a back wall.

Behind the Scenes

At Make Made Jewelry in Greenville, SC, jewelers benches are incorporated into the checkout counter, so customers can see their projects easily during various stages of production. Make Made is owned by designers and makers Katie Poterala and Danielle Miller Gilliam, who support the growing interest in sustainable metals, ethical gems, and meaningful purchasing, and also offer metalsmithing courses. Customers feel incredibly involved in the process, they say, and get to see a behind the scenes view of how artisan makers work (and sometimes even get a hands on experience themselves.)

Interactive Experience

Jennifer Farnes focused on client experience when she expanded and redesigned Revolution Jewelry Works in Colorado Springs, CO, in 2019. Everything is built to allow the clients to actively participate in their jewelry journey. Every corner of the store is visible through windows. Custom clients can sit, sketch, and design live with CAD experts while seated in consultation booths and then make an appointment to watch their design being poured and taking shape. The RJW team also casts live in the studio every day.

Museum-Quality Tour

Hugo Kohl leads tours of his factory, adjacent to his Hugo Kohl Jewelry boutique in Harrisonburg, VA, where he demonstrates the function of the Industrial Age tools and machines he has acquired to manufacture his signature die-struck jewelry. He also has more than 7,000 hubs, dies and rolls he’s collected, which he uses to manufacture collections. He’s gathered the tools, machinery and workstations needed to process these designs. The space is also a museum. The Museum of American Jewelry Design and Manufacturing. Kohl has found that clients who see how the jewelry is made develop a feeling of ownership in it and are more likely to make a purchase.

Pour Your Heart Into It

Thollot Diamonds & Fine Jewelry in Thornton, CO, owned by Troy and Joy Thollot, has a “Pour Your Heart Into It’ Jewelry Casting Bar, where clients are invited to pour the gold into their own custom rings; as well as a Jewelry Repair Bar. The Thollot team and master jewelers guide each client through the design, creation and centrifugal casting process of their rings. The couples are also invited to cast each other’s wedding bands.

Holistic Approach

A window and a door offers transparency while connecting showroom and shop at Waterfall Jewelers in Waterford, MI, owned by Tom Brown and Chris Strong. The shop is part of a major 2019 renovation of a former bank building, designed by interior designer Leslie McGwire and Scott Monchnik & Associates. Waterfall has created another bridge between shop and showroom by teaching all staff members to use Stuller’s 3C and Counter Sketch program to design and price jewelry, using melee, colored gemstones and in-stock diamonds up to a quarter carat.

A Personal Connection

When Jacob Wosinski began designing the interior of Jacob Raymond Custom Jewelry in Greensoboro, NC, he wanted people to see that all of the jewelry is made on site. For that reason there are no walls between the showroom and the workshop and the casting station and lapidary equipment are set up in one of the front windows. “I can sit at my bench and work while looking at the shop,” Wosinski says. “Clients are always fascinated about how jewelry is made and enjoy hearing about it. They get to sit down and actually meet with the designer and maker of their custom piece. No two items are mass-produced, which makes each customer experience personal.”

Transparency

At Carter’s Jewel Chest in Mountain Home, AR, three jewelers occupy the shop, which is exposed to the showroom through a glass wall, providing constant advertising and proof of the work and quality of Carter’s. Owners T.C. and Beth Carter and their son, Chris Carter, worked with Jesse Balaity of Balaity Property Enhancement on a major renovation of their space in 2018.

A Window on the Work

At Williams Jewelers of Englewood, the opportunity to watch the jeweler in action is incorporated into the bridal and diamond experience. The Williams family and interior designer Leslie McGwire worked together to achieve a look they describe as both grand and inviting for the 12,500 square foot store, which opened in 2017.

A Tight Fit

McCoy Jeweler in Dubuque, IA, is 16 feet wide and has the layout of a bowling alley, but somehow accommodates a fully functioning shop as well as a sales floor. Owner Jonathan McCoy is the head of bench operations, custom designs, CAD/CAM and repairs for the shop. “We have a very small footprint,” he says. He’s able to complete an entire custom piece in a shop barely larger than many garages; all benchwork and stone setting is performed in front of his clients.

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