Many jewelers claim they sell “fine jewelry” or that they give “the BEST prices,” but in such a subjective world what exactly does that mean?
In the last twenty years a lot of big retailers of jewelry nearly went bankrupt by sincerely selling the “good stuff”. Then many found that they could reap huge profits by dramatically lowering their quality and using 'crafty' advertising to draw in the customers.
“We're often appalled at some of the horrible qualities of jewelry that people bring in either to repair or sell,” explain Ken Boston and Louis “Buddy” Mazzo. “The type of diamonds used in many of these pieces have historically only been used for crushingto use as polish for 'gem' quality diamonds. But instead of looking for inclusions in these stones, you have to look for an occasional clear spot!” Clearly the lines of what constitutes a piece of jewelry as being “fine” have grayed over the years.
So how do these retailers get away with this? Simple: they have others sell for them, this way they personally don’t have to look their customer in the eyes while selling them trash jewelry. Ken Boston recalls his first Mall jewelry sales job: "My qualification for selling jewelry was my previous job experience: scooping ice cream at Friendly's! Within a few months of being hired I was the store's top salesperson, and I didn’t have a clue at the time as to what I was selling."
So how will your experience be different at Boston Louis? Not only do the owners hand-pick or custom produce every piece of jewelry in their store, but they also deal directly with their customers, everyday. There is a direct responsibility for every piece of jewelry sold or repaired, from start to finish.
With regards to price, how is Boston Louis also different?
Most people are aware that a big part of the actual cost to sell any product is the overhead of an operation (rent, utilities, insurance, salaries, etc.).
A major mall based jeweler claiming that they get the “best prices” because they buy in great quantities will conveniently forget to mention that their rent alone could be 100 times what a “downtown” located store that an independent jeweler like Boston Louis normally pays. Even so, why the heck would they “pass that discount on to the customer”? They’re a business, not a charity!
With four generations of wholesale business relationships around the world and their own manufacturing facility, Boston Louis can compete any day with any jeweler.
