Business Spotlight: Brentwood's Cre'me dela Gem Jewelry survives tough times with low-cost jewelry repairs

By Roni Gehlke
For the Contra Costa Times


Name of Business: Cre'me dela Gem Jewelry


Type of business: Fine jewelry sales and full-service jewelry repair


Owners: Donna and Jim Ross


Founded: 1998; at this Brentwood location since 2006


Address: 613 First St., Brentwood


Web site: www.cremedelagem.com


Phone number: 925-516-6200


Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday.


Number of employees: three


Products and services: Cre'me dela Gem Jewelry offers a large variety of bridal jewelry, custom jewelry design, custom Swiss watches, certified diamonds, colored gemstones, full-service jewelry repair and certified insurance appraisals. They also purchase gold.


How did you get into the business: "I started collecting gemstones as a hobby, then became a graduate gemologist after attending the Gemological Institute of America," Donna Ross said. "After attending several jewelry workshops, I developed my goldsmith skills in a home studio."


While she worked in the electronics industry for many years, the jewelry making and gemstone collecting offered her a way to expand her creativity, Ross said. After retiring from the corporate world in 2005, Ross felt ready to take her jewelry skills and her business education into public retail.


"After watching me having so much fun in my own business, Jim also retired from his career in field service management," she said.


He then attended an extensive jewelry program in Virginia, earning credentials as a certified bench technician.


"Oh, and we've been married 30 years and work together every day," Ross added.


Best part about the business?: "It's hard to pick one thing ... but I would say the best part is meeting so many nice people. We've made some great friends since opening the jewelry shop," Ross said.


She went on to say that jewelry tends to make people happy, whether they are buying for themselves or as a gift for someone special.


"Seeing someone smile after having something as simple as a ring polished and cleaned can just make your day. People are often surprised that we can repair just about anything. It makes us feel good to be able to extend the life of a cherished piece of heirloom jewelry," Ross said.


Worst part about the business?: "The jewelry business is heavily impacted by the economy, because discretionary spending is usually the first that people will cut out. So when people stop spending on luxury items like jewelry, business owners like us have to find ways to pay the bills and stay in business," she said. "While the past year was one of the toughest as far as sales, we were able to survive on jewelry repairs."


Key to success: "By far, customer service is key. We find that it is best to clearly explain how a piece of jewelry is made, the properties of a certain gemstone, or how a repair will be done," Ross said. "It is important to remember that every piece of broken jewelry is emotionally attached to its owner."


Biggest misperception about the business: "Jewelry repair is expensive and takes two to three weeks to do. This is actually true for most jewelry stores, because they send all repairs out to other facilities," Ross said.


She said that they perform all their repairs on-site and quickly, with most jobs completed within a day or two.


"Since we have better control and faster turnaround times, our labor costs are much lower. We pass that on to our customers," Ross said.


Future plans: "We are expanding our bridal jewelry and wedding band selections, and we will be open on Mondays beginning in the spring."


— Roni Gehlke