Sia Maravelias is living her dream — and it all started when she answered an ad in The Boston Globe. Now, 22 years after her interview, Maravelias is the owner of Quadrum Gallery, which she says captured her heart and soul from the moment she walked in.
Located in The Shops at Chestnut Hill, Quadrum has become known as a treasure in this affluent suburb five miles from Boston, Massachusetts. Founded by Cynthia Kagan in 1978, it has evolved from its origins as a picture-framing and art gallery to a designer jewelry gallery that has gained an international following.
Over the years, Maravelias assumed more and more responsibilities, knowing she would eventually take the helm as Quadrum’s owner — an appointment that became official in February this year.
Persevering in the pandemic
While Maravelias had no plans to implement any immediate changes, she obviously wasn’t expecting a five-month shutdown last year. “It felt like a major risk, [preparing to take] on the business at that time, but perseverance became my mantra,” she says.
Working remotely, she answered every call for fear that missing one might mean losing a customer. Her emotional investment in Quadrum extended to worrying about the artists “who are relying on us to sell their jewelry.”
The gallery had already taken the time to “rebuild and reinvest” in its website, and this “proved to be very important,” she acknowledges. Along with social media, the site became a critical selling and communications tool.
Never wanting to lose momentum, she constantly sent emails focused on a “beautiful curation of different products” or themed around a specific gemstone. “People would call or text, asking to see the product on our hand or request a video that showed flashes of how the stone appears in different lighting. We were even asked to FaceTime product in our cases. Our having that capability really opened up the business in such a major way.”
Quadrum was “really fortunate,” she says, as it had 20 to 30 online sales every two to three days. “When we were literally afraid to leave our homes, I would drive to the mall and tell the guard I had to get into the store so I could ship out merchandise that had been ordered online.”
One lasting impact of the pandemic, she believes, will be customers feeling more comfortable shopping for big-ticket items online, especially since easy returns make it risk-free. However, she is adamant that the social aspect of brick-and-mortar selling remains essential to her business.
Curated selection
Along with assistant director Amy Renneisen and the gallery staff, Maravelias remains “intensely focused on the artistic expression of adornment.” She compares the ambience of Quadrum to that of a museum: “We understand that people come in to see the beautiful pieces; we encourage it. Our philosophy is not hardcore ‘sell, sell.’”
When selecting designers, Maravelias applies “what appeals to us” criteria, ranging from innovative design to the story behind the piece, to the whimsy or spirit the jewelry conveys. She describes herself as “energized by the unique craftsmanship of each designer at Quadrum.” Her to-do list includes adding emerging artists to the roster in the future and not having as many “incredibly established designers.”
Finding a home for jewelry
Since reopening, Maravelias has observed that clients are having “a major ‘treat yourself’ moment,” which she attributes to their being stuck at home for a year and wanting to celebrate being vaccinated. But the underlying impetus is that “people just want to bring joy into their lives with jewelry.” She points to increased interest in colored gemstones, as well as stronger sales of larger stones.
In addition, she says, “we are dipping our toes back into doing trunk shows, which were very normal for us and always a big part of our core business, especially for Mother’s Day, fall and holidays.” Even with restrictions on the number of people allowed in the 500-square-foot store, Maravelias had three shows scheduled for April as of press time: one for Jamie Joseph, one for Paul Morelli, and one for Barbara Heinrich.
A graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Maravelias has studied all aspects of jewelry making, but refrains from creating her own designs. “I can make jewelry, but I much prefer to find homes for all the jewelry I love and adore.”
And she’s passionate about doing so. “During the pandemic, I talked with so many customers all over the country. It was about showing up and being there when they needed it. Sometimes I feel like a jewelry therapist. I help them find the piece of jewelry that makes them happy. And because I love doing it, it’s what I do best in life.”
quadrumgallery.com
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - May 2021. To subscribe click here.