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An Artist’s Eye
Originality and creativity are on display at French Designer Jeweler in Scottsdale, Arizona.
By Joyce Kauf
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| Barbara Heinrich |
I have built my business around selling jewelry from original artists who are also extremely fine craftsmen,” explains French Thompson, owner of French Designer Jeweler in Scottsdale, Arizona. Intent on finding jewelry that “makes heads turn,” he selects only those designers whose diamond and gemstone jewelry reflects that unique combination of artistry and skill.
Thompson’s “ah-ha” moment came after seeing an exhibit at the Denver Museum of Art that featured the work of several Colorado metalsmiths. A college student at the time, Thompson recalls the “life-changing” impact of the jewelry. “I had never seen such creativity before.” One of the exhibitors was a professor at Colorado State University. Thompson later enrolled there and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in metalsmithing. After graduation, he moved to Scottsdale to work at a bronze art foundry. He considered opening his own foundry, but decided to accept a jewelry apprenticeship instead. He spent the next 13 years working for a jeweler whose retirement prompted another career decision. Thompson bought all his fixtures and in 1996 opened his own store.
Located in downtown Scottsdale, the store is surrounded by art galleries. With its enviable weather, the city is a magnet for tourists in the high season, which runs from December through May. Tourists account for 60 percent of Thompson’s business, but he has developed a loyal following who return each year. He offers a simple explanation: “My jewelry stands out.”
“We’re not vanilla,” says Thompson, using an ice cream analogy, but noting that vanilla is not intended as a derogatory designation since it outsells all the other flavors combined. “All over America, you can go from one store to another and basically find the same jewelry. A lot of people buy it. But I like to add other ingredients that enhance the flavor.” He seeks out designers whose work is not derivative. “They are studio jewelers — goldsmiths and metalsmiths themselves — who for the most part design and create their own pieces. They are the trendsetters who others in the industry will emulate.” And he refers to them as “artists” for their one-of-a-kind work produced in limited quantity.
Thompson acknowledges that “artists” who excel at both creativity and design skill are a small group. Exclusivity is another criterion. Most of the artists he sells have no other or very limited exposure in the entire state. Alex Sepkus is his best seller, followed by Atelier Zobel, Barbara Heinrich and Carolyn Tyler, who works in 22-karat gold. Rings, pendants and earrings are his top-selling categories.
“We tend to like a lot more color in Arizona,” says Thompson, citing the popularity of yellow gold settings and colored gemstones, including peridot, aquamarines, colored sapphires, rubellites, tourmalines and blue zircons.
Thompson attributes his strong diamond sales to the higher-quality diamonds in the handmade, labor-intensive pieces. “There are no SI diamonds in the store,” Thompson points out. VS and G to H diamonds represent the “minimum” quality he carries. However, most diamonds are VVS in the E to F color range. For his own custom designs, Thompson only uses VVS to flawless clarity diamonds.
Thompson likes to recall how he was able to demonstrate the quality of his diamonds to a customers in a dramatic way. He was showing a customer a diamond snowflake pendant, but she was not convinced about the diamonds’ quality. It was already evening, so he told her to take the pendant outside to look at the diamonds in the dark. She returned to the store “amazed” at their sparkle. As she was purchasing the item, Thompson explained, “Fine, well-cut diamonds don’t need much light to look beautiful.”
Thompson has created an artist’s gallery in his 700-square-foot store with custom mahogany cases and custom-designed mirrors bordered in that same wood. To complete this “world of art,” two-dimensional artwork graces the walls.
“I like to create vignettes for each artist,” says Thompson, who favors merchandising by designer, rather than category. “The jewelry is so distinctive, even within each designer, that customers have a range from which to choose.” He frequently changes displays to offer his customers more options to add another designer to their collection.
Even trunk shows reinforce the artistic theme — Thompson calls them “artist appearances.” They are held five times a year during high season and always during the Thursday ArtWalk, a weekly event held every Thursday and sponsored by the Scottsdale Gallery Association. Thompson will also feature his gold and colored gemstone jewelry in the five special “Gold Palette ArtWalks,” organized by the same local galleries this season.
Thompson’s retail philosophy is summed up in the phrase, “Open the door to originality™” that he uses in his advertising and on his website, frenchonmain.com. With an artist’s eye for detail, he invites customers to experience a world of creativity and craftsmanship.Article from the Rapaport Magazine - February 2016. To subscribe click here.
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