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Collecting Rocks
Diamonds and romance are on display at Mystique Jewelers in Alexandria, Virginia.
By Joyce Kauf
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The name says it all,” explains Elizabeth Mandros, who knew from the start that she would call her store Mystique Jewelers. Mystique conjures up the “magical allure of diamonds,” a theme that is reflected in her Mystique Collection, custom and designer jewelry, as well as the store’s romantic decor. The sentiment even influenced the choice of location on the banks of the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia.
“It made sense to be near the waterfront,” says Mandros, who draws a connection between the alluvial mining of diamonds and the elements of nature, especially water. Located in the city’s Old Town, this affluent area is dotted with boutiques and restaurants. Mandros, who readily admits to thinking about jewelry “every day,” opened the 1,100-square-foot store in 1991, after six years of honing her skills working for other jewelers and earning a graduate gemologist (GG) degree from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
The store’s high ceilings and picture windows with panoramic waterfront views impart a feeling of expansiveness, yet Mandros admits she started small — with just one display case filled with jewelry that her designer made from gemstones sourced on buying trips to Brazil. While the store “eventually evolved,” Mandros never wavered from her goal of being “one-on-one with clients” and catering to them with unique designs, a high level of service and an enchanting environment that made shopping a pleasurable and memorable experience.
Selecting what she personally favors is Mandros’ top criteria for choosing designers, followed by excellent quality and best value. “My clients want a feminine, old-world look — a stunning diamond or gemstone ring with an accent stone — or a classic three-stone ring that can be handed down.” Earrings and rings are her best sellers overall, while rings and pendants are most popular in the Mystique Collection. The average diamond in the bridal category ranges from 1 carat to 3.5 carats.
In addition to the Mystique Collection, Mandros carries JudeFrances, Mazza, Alberto Parada, Amali and Temple St. Clair. The average price point ranges from $750 to $1,500. Mandros works with her resident master goldsmith and jewelry designer to create unique pieces for the Mystique Collection of diamonds and other gemstones, including yellow diamonds as side stones, tsavorite garnet, tanzanite, sapphire slices and moonstone. She never introduced a silver collection, even during the economic crisis, because her clientele, whose average age is from 45 to 50, always prefers gold.
The store’s decor captures Mandros’ retailing philosophy that “it’s all about romance.” To realize her vision, she collaborated with her mother, Anne Mandros, an interior decorator by avocation, who designed some of the accent pieces in the store. Combining an eclectic mix of antique and custom-made contemporary furnishings, the two women created an intimate and elegant ambience as a backdrop to the sparkling jewels.
Painted in soft cream, the walls cast a warm glow on a room filled with glass tables, Romanesque busts and cherubs and floor-to-ceiling Greek Corinthian–inspired white fluted columns. Against one wall, Anne painted a door with handles that creates the illusion of opening up to reveal another hidden treasure.
Shells are used as decorative accents throughout the store, as a headpiece for a classical antique bust and accent borders for mirrors or wall hangings. “Shells are a natural element that complement the decor. They also work so beautifully in a store near the waterfront,” Mandros points out. In designing many of the accent pieces with shells, Anne often combined the shells with fossils, gemstones, pearls, turquoise and coral that she collected on her travels throughout the world.
Mandros favors nontraditional jewelry display cases, preferring instead to showcase products on a round glass table atop a white sculpted base or an open three-shelf armoire. Similarly, traditional seating gives way to a fringed white tufted ottoman, benches with curved wrought iron legs and custom-upholstered high-back chairs.
Yet one element of the interior is very personal — a statement that crystallizes her philosophy, albeit with a touch of humor: “When I was a little girl, I used to collect rocks. Now that I’m a big girl, I still collect rocks.” It has become her mantra and is printed on signs alongside jewelry displays as well as on the coffee mugs in the store.
One of Mandros’ favorite merchandising techniques is to tell a story, which helps to drive multiple sales. “I’ll mix designers together by layering different necklaces to show how they work with earrings or stack rings together on a table.” She also often adds her own props, including shells, a tiny column or a geode rock lined with crystals.
“I love to hear clients say, ‘What a gorgeous place,’ when they enter the store,” says Mandros. “This is my passion and I want to give them something to cherish that is as timeless as the mystique of romance.”Article from the Rapaport Magazine - April 2015. To subscribe click here.
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