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From Porch to Drawing Room
Family tradition and civic pride add to the allure of Croghan’s Jewel Box in Charleston, South Carolina.
By Joyce Kauf
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| Croghan’s Jewel Box |
We’re not your typical jewelry store,” says Rhett Outten, describing Croghan’s Jewel Box in Charleston, South Carolina, the store she co-owns with her sister, Mariana Hay. Based in a three-story house built in 1794, Croghan’s exudes the charm and hospitality of one of America’s oldest cities and offers customers a unique shopping experience. “We feel as if we invite people into our living room to purchase all the exciting things we sell,” explains Outten.
History and heritage play an important role at Croghan’s. Located on King Street, it is the oldest jewelry store in Charleston’s historic district and was founded by William Joseph Croghan, the sisters’ grandfather, before World War I. A bench jeweler and hand engraver, he rented the house’s enclosed side porch, where he set up his workshop. While a side porch was often referred to as a “piazza” in the local parlance of the time, Outten points out that it was really a “very humble setting.” Mary Croghan Ramsay, the sisters’ mother, turned the workshop into a retail operation. Although the family purchased the building in the 1980s, pre-existing leases prevented any expansion. In 1999, Outten and Hay were finally able to make the transition from the porch to the house.
“In the early days, our grandfather made all the jewelry,” Outten notes. Her mother introduced estate and antique jewelry. Outten attributes the success of jewelry with old mine and old European cut stones to a market with a strong appreciation for distinctive designs with historic provenance. In addition to jewelry, Croghan’s offers giftware, including a “Made in Charleston” collection of silver items for the home.
Continuing a family tradition, bridal remains strong. Croghan’s custom work often connects the past with the present. Outten notes that occasionally long-time customers come in to have a family stone reset as an engagement ring. “We’ve often discovered that the original platinum setting was made by our grandfather,” Outten reveals, admitting to a pang of nostalgia at the family connection. But she quickly adds that the store’s four on-site bench jewelers ensure an “exciting” process for the customer in creating a new setting.
Custom work was such a significant part of Croghan’s business that the sisters did not carry branded goods until 2008, when Saks Fifth Avenue closed its Charleston branch, leaving a void in the designer jewelry market. “We selected those designers who complemented both our eclectic mix of jewelry and custom designs.” Some of the retailer’s top designer lines include Temple St. Clair, Elizabeth Locke, Mazza, JudeFrances and Single Stone.
The expansion from the porch to the entire house added almost 2,000 square feet of selling space. The first and second floors are devoted to selling. While display cases — the same ones used by William Croghan — frame the walls, Outten describes their merchandising style as “continually evolving,” especially given the store’s origins. “Remember, we came from a porch with a vast inventory in a tiny space,” she points out.
While the selling floors may be “overstuffed,” the upstairs drawing room with its fireplace, original hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows and antique chandelier is the perfect setting for promotional events and private showings. However, Outten stresses that while a drawing room serves as an elegant backdrop, it is not intimidating. “We are not white-gloved,” she says.
Croghan’s holds two trunk shows in both the spring and the fall, often partnering with a local charity or cultural organization — still another family tradition. The upstairs drawing room facilitated more expansive events. “When we took over the upstairs, we tried to do some special events tied to the trunk shows, such as a cocktail party in the drawing room for patrons,” Outten explains. A recent event in partnership with a vendor focused on old European, rose cut and old mine cut diamonds — a promotion made more distinctive by the fact that it was driven by the vendor’s social media campaign. Outten acknowledges that Croghan’s has embraced Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, created a blog and launched an ecommerce component.
Croghan’s remains a local jewelry store at its core. “We have grown up with our customers. You always want to make your customers feel good, whether they spend $100 or $100,000. That’s how you make a connection,” Outten says, summarizing her business philosophy. Her pride in Charleston is equally strong. Reflecting on the economic and political events over the past 100 years, Outten notes that in many ways, Croghan’s story mirrors that of Charleston. The city is enjoying a resurgence in business and popularity. It was cited as the number one U.S. travel destination and ranked number two in the Condé Nast Traveler’s “Top 25 Cities in the World: Readers’ Choice Awards 2014,” which has also proven to be good for Croghan’s. “Tourists research us. They want to go home with a little piece of Charleston,” Outten surmises.
“Everything builds on history,” says Outten. “This is a golden time for us. The fourth generation has joined the business, we’ve captured the exciting energy of the internet and we get to share in the happiest of times for people. What is better than selling diamonds?” Article from the Rapaport Magazine - December 2014. To subscribe click here.
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