Miracles Behind the Curtain

Most folks are not aware that many jewelry stores lack an “in-house” bench jeweler/goldsmith workshop on their premises. This is very common in mall or big box chain stores; the absence of a bench jeweler means that unless they have competent salespersons who can perform even the simplest procedure, like replacing a watch battery or chain clasp, all incoming work must be “sent out.” That includes resetting your precious diamonds, ring sizing, chain repairs, or any sentimental repair, for that matter, gets sent out of town or even out of state to a who knows who and who knows where facility, and this will happen without your knowledge if you don’t ask. I know for a fact that my customers would not have a warm fuzzy feeling knowing I ship my customer’s work out of state. I currently have two goldsmiths and a bench jeweler and that is why 99% of the time nothing leaves the shop here on Marco Island and that includes pearl and bead restringing. 

Our shop is strictly jewelry orientated. As far as watches go, as a service to our clients, we change batteries and straps for most watches unless they require an authorized factory only service. I catch hell on a daily basis because we don’t have an in-house watchmaker to repair broken watches. I would have to send all watch repairs out of town, as I mentioned above. I like keeping my customer’s valuable belongings here in-house snuggled in a cozy safe with state-of-the-art security. Besides not being a fan of shipping my personal valuables out of town, I’m saving myself the pain and anguish of any of my customers' valuables getting lost, stolen, or misplaced when shipping back and forth. Besides, the price for insurance, shipping, repairing, and sending it back and forth can cost more than most watches are worth. I don’t need my phone ringing incessantly from the impatient one asking, “Is my watch ready yet?” So jobbing watch work out of my shop is not going to happen. We are dedicated goldsmiths who work with gold and other precious metals - we do not accept watch repairs! Don’t let anyone kid you about watch repairs being done on the island, that’s not a thing. If that were true, I would know about it! Even the shops in nearby Naples told me to stop recommending them; a number of them no longer accept watch repairs either.  

The only 1% rare time I send anything out is for lapidary work, which is the re-cutting or re-polishing of a customer’s damaged diamond or gemstone. There is no one local who does that kind of work, so it has to leave the shop, and even then, it is sent overnight insured, which is the safest way possible. 
My Marco Island store/workshop has been doing on-premise jewelry services for over 31 years serving our loyal current and newest customers. Our reputation for quality work and reasonable prices is known domestically and even to our clients overseas who have been patronizing us for decades. 

Even though there are usually at least two bench jewelers and several salespersons on duty, it is not unusual for the shop to get overwhelmed with requests and incoming work, especially during season. It’s amazing to me how many watch battery replacements we get a day, and that alone can tie up someone on the bench for hours. I personally did over fifty battery changes in one day! Sometimes, I try to accommodate folks with same-day service, but it is not always possible when I get loaded up with them. When that happens, I prefer to do them in peace and quiet after the shop closes. So, next day service will have to do for the majority of folks, NEXT DAY SERVICE that’s still good service from where I come from! 

You enter my shop on any given day, you can’t help but hear machinery humming, and steam machines blowing, cleaning customers’ jewelry, hammers clinking and banging…the place is a beehive of activity. It is a symphony of controlled chaos behind my accordion curtain. 

Inside that noisy workshop, magic is being made. Jewelry is being designed, gold is being smelted and hammered, and hand formed into beautiful wearable pieces. Diamonds and precious gems are being set into rings, pendants… you name it. The finished pieces are polished to a bright luster and later presented to the customers who commissioned us to create the jewelry of their dreams. Along with that magic is the fact we have one of the busiest repair and restoration shops in Southwest Florida. While it’s true that jewelry repair is a big part of my business, the majority of the jewelry coming in for repair was not purchased from my shop and rarely is, and that is my pride and testament to the quality of the jewelry I have sold here since 1994!The quality jewelry in our windows and showcases is unique and is not only created here in my shop on Marco Island but also by American manufacturers and other overseas countries such as Italy, Germany, and Spain, and many of my gemstones, such as my luscious emeralds and aquamarines come from Brazil and India, so it is honestly a worldwide selection. 

So, forgive me and don’t be upset if you see one of the goldsmiths or yours truly behind the partially closed curtain, and we appear to ignore your pleading glance from the showroom. The reason is we are up to our ears in work where we feel literally chained to the bench. Daily and deadline projects are an everyday thing and believe me, there is a lot of the impossible magic and countless miracles going on back there. So be kind to your island goldsmiths. Leave the dead watch needing a battery and pick it up tomorrow or the next day. Besides, who needs a watch in paradise? FYI, I’m told your cell phone is happy to tell you the time while your watch battery is being replaced.  

The 2025 season is upon us. Please be kind and courteous to our island business owners and staff who work hard to ensure you enjoy the paradise experience Marco Island is known for.