Mid-America JewelryNNews SOUTHERN JEWELRY EWS
ewelry N News ews •• N November ovember 2023 2023 JJewelry
11
Serving the Jewelry Industry in America’s Heartland
“A Newspaper Dedicated to the Southern Jewelry Industry” www.midamericajewelrynews.com
Vol 36 No. 11
VOL 22 NO. 11
November 2023
NOVEMBER 2023
Power at Jo & Co. Jewelers FromGirl Armenia to rocks America, Motif Jewelers Turns 40
By Wanda Freeman store in Rocky Mount. Ingram’s daughter Bernice worked The owner of Jo & Co. JewBy Paul Holewa between the two stores. elers was agenocide freshmanthat in occurred college from 1915 workers, the family started taking to 1923.when The Chopjian Whereas Rocky Mount serves many lifelong resiwith plans to be a globe-trotting detective she en- family fled in any and all jewelry repairs and Detroit-based Motifshe to Lebanon. dents, Smith Mountain Lake is home to both lifelong loteredFor the jewelry business. Sure, loved her job Mayda at Hay- and Arakel manufacturing. Jewelers reachingintheir 40thMount, an- Va., Chopjian hadjeweler’s six children - Toros, Word got out about the cals and well-traveled customers who moved there to acwood’s Jewelers Rocky but the niversary, Gen 2.0 Matios, Onnig, Jacques, Tamar, Chopjian’s ambitious efforts and cess beautiful lakes and golf courses. life wasn’twith her destiny - oralready so she assumed. in place to propel the family busi- and Nayiri. Mayda “The two stores are pretty different,” Gruver says. “I double-majored in international studies and Rus-worked as a quick turnaround which allowed ness to another and beseamstress and Arakel a shoe- them to quickly expand their reWith the latter clientele, Gruver finds her store does more sian with a minordecade in criminal justice,” Joanna Gruver reyond, seems to be the easy the partworld.” maker. In their youth the children pair and manufacturing homecustom work, and “probably more fashion looks, rather calls. “I was going to travel After she gradufor family. Getting worked as diamond setters and in based business. But the early than traditional bread-and-butter jewelry.” ated,thesheChopjian even interviewed with the State Department and to America’s Midwest to was givethe theTVashow.” jewelry manufacturing facility. years were difficult. “They had to In 2014, ten years after opening, the store under Gruwith NCIS “before there family business its start was the process “They always ver’s guidance and her team’s hard work outgrew its space When the year-long interview ended with- learned to work in some cases 24-hour days real challenge for theturned Armenian work withand theirmentor hands at an early just to make ends meet,” says and relocated to a larger spot in the same shopping center, out an offer, Gruver to her employer family. age,” says the Westlake Town Center. at Haywood’s, Harold Ingram. By this time, shegrandson had beenArakel Eric Eric. The with Chopjian Chopjian, director of operations Efficiency and quality craftsFrom there, she enjoyed growth of a different sort: In working him forfamily nearlystory six years. begins centuries ago. about Armenians for MotifLake Jewelers. manship were always corner2022, she and Ingram agreed it was time for her to strike “We were talking Smith Mountain and the have a lengthy and awell-known story is very stones of the family business, but out on her own, and she bought his share of the store. potential for opening store there, and heThe said,Chopjian ‘If you can history costume muchupthe consummate And finally, this summer came the rebranding: The come upwith withtraditional half the money, I’ll come with the other American the long days also meant fast remaking fabrication success new name, Jo & Co. Jewelers, debuted officially on July 1. half and and we’lljewelry open another store.’ …immigrant I was 23, and had nostory. After sults. Speed became another de-money, both dating back and thousands of from leaving civil torn Lebanon fining characteristic for the bud“It’s been very well-received,” Gruver says. The so I begged borrowed friends and war family, years. the family settled in Detroit in the ding Chopjian jewelry business. branding includes a stylish new sign and logo that looks and in 2004 we opened a store at Smith Mountain Lake.” Fast-forward the store 20th cen1970s. They only had their good So much so, that in 1983 the famlike a vivacious signature written with a fine-tipped Although thetonew was also named Haywood’s tury. As a former Soviet names and honed skills to call ily opened Flash Jewelers. marker, a theme that repeats itself in sections of the store (Westlake), Gruver was arepublic, 50-50 partner and operated it inToros Chopjian with daughter Jaclyn and son inside Motif Armenians victimscontinued of a their own.the Self-starters Motifofpage JoannaPlease Gruver,see owner Jo & 2Co. Jewelers. Please see JoEric & Co page 2 Jewelers. website. dependentlybecame while Ingram running original and hard
Jewelers Look to Modern Tech Profitable Future for a Profitable By Diana Diana Jarrett Jarrett By More than than at at any any other other time, time, More jewelry retailers retailers tackle tackle every every tool tool jewelry to keep keep their their business business thriving. thriving. to Major shifts shifts in in buying buying behaviors behaviors Major have made made itit necessary necessary for for retailretailhave ers to to keep keep pace pace with with technology, technology, ers albeit some some feel feel unequipped. unequipped. albeit Technology is is so so pervasive pervasive Technology throughout our our industry industry that that throughout while aa retailer retailer may may not not feel feel tech tech while savvy, they they are are actually actually benefitbenefitsavvy, ing from from its its presence presence in in practical practical ing ways. ways. Online -v-v- In In store store sales sales Online It’s safe safe to to say say that that many many It’s brick and and mortar mortar retailers retailers are are brick scrambling to to lure lure back back online online scrambling shoppers, given given the the enormous enormous shoppers, advantage of of convenience convenience over over advantage physical shopping. shopping. Still Still with with pricpricphysical ey items items like like luxury luxury goods, goods, some some ey consumers still still prefer prefer the the “high “high consumers touch customer customer service service experiexperitouch ence” with with its its hands-on hands-on personal personal ence” care. care.
Kristina Buckley Buckley Kayel, Kayel, Kristina Managing Director Director & & CMO CMO of of Managing The Natural Natural Diamond Diamond Council. Council. The Tech tools tools in in use use now now Tech Modern technology technology offers offers Modern exciting developments developments that that benbenexciting efit the the jewelry jewelry trade. trade. Things Things like like efit 3D printing printing have have given given jewelers jewelers 3D streamlined path path to to creating creating aa streamlined custom pieces pieces -- which which is is aa robust robust custom revenue stream stream for for most most jewelry jewelry revenue stores. stores.
Even mom mom and and pop pop retailers retailers Even today are are growing growing familiar familiar with with today CAD/CAM technology technology to to aid aid CAD/CAM with designing designing original original pieces pieces for for with their clientele. clientele. And And while while not not evevtheir ery jeweler jeweler is is so so equipped, equipped, laser laser ery technology is is gaining gaining traction traction in in technology the manufacturing manufacturing sector. sector. With With the these technologies, technologies, more more intricate intricate these designs can can be be produced produced than than can can designs be accomplished accomplished manually. manually. When When be laser technology technology is is applied applied to to laser gemstone cutting, cutting, jewelers jewelers find find gemstone fewer human-produced human-produced errors. errors. fewer So much much to to do do So But simply simply keeping keeping track track But of sales sales and and new new inventory, inventory, plus plus of marketing is is aa full full time time job job many many marketing retailers say. say. So So not not all all retailers retailers retailers feel up up to to speed speed about about the the lightlightfeel ening fast fast pace pace that that technological technological ening advancements are are making. making. advancements Insider’s insight insight Insider’s Kristina Buckley Buckley Kayel, Kayel, Kristina Managing Director Director & & CMO CMO of of Managing The Natural Natural Diamond Diamond Council Council The Please see see Tech Tech page page 14 14 Please
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Established 1988
Jewelry Sales Training from a Living Legend At 96, 96, jewelry jewelry sales sales trainer trainer Leonard Leonard Zell Zell is is At comfortably retired retired in in the the picturesque picturesque state state of of comfortably Oregon. With With his his AOL AOL account account and and LinkedIn LinkedIn page page still still active, active, Leonard Leonard Oregon. continues to to answer answer the the occasional occasional email email and and phone phone call call from from retail retail continues jewelers looking looking for for some some sales sales advice. advice. jewelers Leonard started started his his jewelry jewelry sales sales training training consultancy consultancy business business in in Leonard January 1991. 1991. That’s That’s more more than than three three decades decades of of helping helping jewelry jewelry store store January owners and and their their staff staff sell sell more more jewelry. jewelry. Prior Prior to to that that he he worked worked for for owners Zale Corporation Corporation and and before before Zale that he he worked worked at at his his family’s family’s that jewelry stores stores in in Portland, Portland, OrOrjewelry egon. egon. Leonard has has been been selling selling Leonard jewelry and and jewelry jewelry sales sales traintrainjewelry ing for for roughly roughly 80 80 years. years. By By ing most measures measures that that makes makes for for most living legend legend in in jewelry jewelry retail retail aa living sales. sales. Early in in life life Leonard Leonard benbenEarly efitted from from working working in in his his efitted family’s jewelry jewelry store. store. As As the the family’s family story story goes, goes, in in 1912 1912 family Leonard’s father father and and his his four four Leonard’s uncles left left Russia. Russia. As As the the EuEuuncles ropean country country continued continued to to ropean Leonard Zell Zell Leonard move away away from from monarchy monarchy move rule, the the remainder remainder of of the the family family left left five five years years later later when when the the socialist socialist rule, revolution was was in in its its infancy infancy (February (February 1917). 1917). revolution “When my my father father and and my my uncles uncles arrived arrived in in America America they they had had “When zero experience experience in in jewelry jewelry retail,” retail,” says says Leonard. Leonard. “With “With family family already already zero here my my father father and and his his brothers brothers Please see see Zell Zell page page 24 24 here Please By Paul Paul Holewa Holewa By
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