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Cover
A Lasting Gift
The shopping experience attracts customers to The Jewelry Source in El Segundo, California.
By Joyce Kauf
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| H. Weiss Company |
“I want to create the ultimate experience for people coming into my store,” says Brenda Newman, owner of The Jewelry Source in El Segundo, California. “Even if they leave without buying anything,” she continues, “they will never forget our jewelry and the very real, human side of who we are.”
Jewelry retail has been part of Newman’s life since she was a junior in high school, fulfilling a work-experience requirement. Realizing there was still “so much about the industry that I didn’t know,” she enrolled in the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), earning a graduate gemologist (GG) degree. But it was a partnership with her friend and mentor, Roanne Mahony, which set her on the path to realizing her dream.
“It was the early 1980s and beads were very popular,” Newman recalls. “We bought some at a small trade show and Roanne used them to create a necklace that she wore to a party. Immediately, she was inundated with requests. Literally, the rest is history.” The partners initially worked from home and then took their “dog and pony show on the road,” which convinced them that they needed a brick-and-mortar environment.
“It all came together in 1984 when we rented 84 square feet of selling space — so small we could extend our arms and touch the walls,” says Newman. From there, they expanded to a 450-square-foot location on Main Street. In 1996, they moved to their current location, a 2,800-square-foot store in downtown El Segundo. Mahony retired in 2000.
Bordered by the Pacific on the west, affluent El Segundo is south of Los Angeles and rivals San Francisco in the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered there. Newman, who grew up in the area, has observed a culture shift with the influx of internet start-ups and marketing companies. Mindful of the competition from online sales, Newman points out, “It makes it even more important to create a memorable experience, especially for Millennials.”
Unlike a mall retailer, Newman does not enjoy the advantages of foot traffic. Rather, she has made her store a destination for people who “love customer service and love trust.” Noting “attitude is everything,” she encourages conversations with customers, beginning with questions to determine how she can best help them find the perfect piece. Often, it’s a custom design.
“Custom work allows us to provide people with an amazing experience,” explains Newman, adding, “It gives us anther opportunity to distinguish our work from what the customer can buy online.” Custom and repair combined account for 35 percent of sales.
After loose diamonds, top sellers by category include pendants and rings. Diamonds represent 60 percent to 70 percent of all sales. Bridal contributes 33 percent to total sales and the average center stone is 1.25 carats. Newman cites an increase in sales of colored gemstones, but those sales are “soft in comparison to all things diamond.” Blue stones are most popular, with sapphire at number one and blue topaz also a top seller. Morganite, set in rose gold with diamonds, is strong and emeralds are selling better than rubies. Bridget Durnell is one of the top designers for both bridal and fashion. MaeVona, Makur, Allison-Kaufman, Herco and H. Weiss Company are among Newman’s key designers, selected for their craftsmanship, salability and price points.
The store’s eclectic style is a “combination of creativity over the years,” says Newman. Jewelry, which is merchandised by color, is displayed in étagères set against walls and on tables in the 1,500 square-foot showroom. Newman favors the side-by-side selling because it allows her to get closer to the customer. “It is not old school across the counter,” she points out. The custom design and repair areas take up another 700 square feet.
Newman is very active in the community, serving on the board of the El Segundo Museum of Art and supporting the local children’s hospital, among other charitable activities. But the one she speaks of with the most emotion resulted from the tragedy of 9/11. El Segundo local Sam Douglass of Douglass Family Mortuaries, which specializes in recovering material from catastrophic airline crashes, was engaged to work on the site of the hijacked United Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. “We were asked to restore about 100 pieces of jewelry that were recovered so that we could return it to the families.” Newman and her two craftsmen dedicated themselves to the tasks of rounding out flattened wedding bands and repairing broken necklaces, cleaning them and putting them in pouches. “It was a gift that we could help,” she says proudly.
“What it brought home to me was the amazing power of jewelry. It is a cliché to say that we give jewelry for really important moments. But here, jewelry — not cars, not clothes — was the only thing families had left of their loved ones. Jewelry is really the most lasting gift that people cherish.” Article from the Rapaport Magazine - December 2016. To subscribe click here.
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