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matter what jewel case you look at, it is all sparkle—the lint-free
polished glass, the content-flattering lights, and of course, the dazzling
gold-set jewels. The rainbow refractions catch your eye, seemingly penetrating
your very soul. You are drawn from case to case until you find a real
heart-stopper, and then the right side of your brain says, “I want.” The
left side of your brain might just fire off some questions: How do I
know what I’m getting? Is it really 14-karat gold? Can I trust
them to repair my diamond ring? How do they treat their customers? Before
you buy jewelry or entrust your precious heirloom to a jeweler, you’ll
want reassurance that you are getting quality, value, honesty, and expert
workmanship. Nothing beats asking around. People are happy to share their experiences, whether they are good or bad. In looking for a knowledgeable, experienced jeweler with integrity, you might be referred to a local, independent, full-service jeweler such as Davidson Jewelers in East Moline owned by David (Dave) Schlosser. He says that they work hard, both to offer the best quality and value in jewelry and services, as well as to keep customers coming back. According to Dave, they get a large number of referrals from customers who say, “You’re the one we trust.” Dave has more than 25 years of experience as a jeweler/gemologist, a love that began with a high school art class jewelry project. His teacher saw promise in him and suggested pursuing it as a career. He worked for a jeweler, and then was off to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for a degree in gemology. After partnering with the late Tom Anderson, Dave bought Tom out and at age 27, he owned his own jewelry store. He’s a first-generation jeweler, and he considers it a family business. His 18-year-old daughter works part-time at the store. He shares that it would be nice if any of his three children followed in his footsteps, but it’s too early to predict that. They should do what they want to do anyway, he says. Davidson Jewelers offers appraisals, jewelry restyling and repair, laser welding, watch repair, pearl and bead restringing, engraving, custom design, and a constantly changing inventory. Dave states that about 98% of the work is done on the premises by him or his staff. Also, you are likely to talk to the same person who is going to work on your piece when you bring it in and when you pick it up. He emphasizes that Davidson Jewelers is highly committed to quality and great customer service. Dave shares that Davidson Jewelers is the only Independent Jewelers Organization Master (IJO) jeweler in the Quad Cities. IJO’s Web site (www.IJO.com) talks about the organization’s high ethical and professional standards so that customers can make jewelry choices with confidence. Dave’s Master IJO Jeweler Accredited gemstone laboratory contains the right equipment to do proper gem testing. Dave speaks highly of this affiliation, which provides exclusive purchasing opportunities for high-quality and unique pieces, educational events, idea sharing, and mutual support, which benefits customers. Dave touches on the differences between how he stocks Davidson Jewelers’ cases and what you will likely find at big box stores and large chains where prices may seem very low. “Since we repair and manufacture jewelry,” he says, “we’re very picky about what goes in the case.” Dave explains that he personally selects each item that he buys, inspecting it for loose stones, prong stability, shank thickness, porosity, polish imperfections, clarity, and cut—thereby selecting heirloom quality. These qualities fall short in some of the low-priced imports made overseas. They are bought by large operations and ordered in large quantities from large wholesalers. He states, “The quality difference can be immense, so you lose out on the longevity and beauty that Davidson Jewelers provides whenever possible, is made in the USA.” The team at Davidson Jewelers consists of four members other than Dave. Dave says he doesn’t do nearly as much designing as he would like to due to time constraints. However, he says of Emily Grothus, “She’s a very accomplished jeweler and designer.” Now working part-time, she will be full-time upon graduating from Western Illinois University with a degree in Jewelry Arts and Design. This will be in addition to her Jewelry Arts diploma from the American Jewelry Institute. Jeanette Wren, also GIA- accredited, is the administrative manager. Rebecca Kakavas is a part-time sales associate, along with his daughter, Marissa, who does whatever is needed. Davidson Jewelers is one of the few places doing outside appraisals. It is time-consuming and requires gemological expertise, Dave says. The demand for this service, primarily for insurance replacement and estate settlements, has increased, especially since the recent gold price spike. Incidental to that is people who are now coming in to turn their gold into cash. Dave shares that people trust him to give them fair market value. “I don’t want to be in the gold-buying business, but it’s just another aspect in demand right now.” While Davidson Jewelers is a traditional business, Dave states, “We always look for new and unique ways to serve the customer.” The addition of laser welding has greatly expanded their repair capabilities. Because the equipment is very expensive, Dave’s is one of the few in the area, he states. Laser beams don’t generate heat, are precise to within one-tenth of a millimeter, and provide a stronger joint. Stones don’t have to be removed and reset as they often had to be in the past. And now, even costume jewelry is repairable. They can even add surgical steel posts to your grandma’s clip-on earrings so you can now wear them as pierced earrings. Dave says, “We would never turn something away because it has no dollar value. The most important values have nothing to do with dollars.” His 13-year-old son recently told him that he has a boring job, but Dave argues, “I get to work with people and my hands, and use a little artistic ability. You get a ring in here that’s old and beat up, stones missing. You fix it up, give that back to the customer looking like brand-new, and they’re happy. We make people sparkle—not just the jewelry. I love my job. It’s such a pleasurable thing to do.” Dave summarizes, “I like the challenges of finding new products and new ways to please my customers. We’re value-oriented, not price-oriented. We get a tremendous number of referrals and a lot of customers who say, ‘You’re the ones we trust.’” He adds, “We’re showing tremendous growth…we’ve got something right.” Davidson Jewelers is located at 155 Avenue of the Cities in East Moline. For more information, call 309-755-9233 or visit the Web site at www.davidsonjewelers.net. |
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