Cambridge Jewelers

Apr 27

In their own words

“We are relaxed and treat our customers like family. We offer wine and beer for while you’re waiting or looking at engagement rings. We clean and check jewelry for free. We like to have events here every month and also host private events.”

-Angie Lewis

Jason’s Interview with Angie and Jill

Jason

Today, we have another family-owned business making a difference locally. Angie Lewis from Cambridge Jewelers out in Hudson, Ohio. Tell us, Angie, how did you get into the business?

Angie

My stepfather owned the business. Three years ago, he had some health issues, so I came in to help run the business. My husband and I decided that it was better if we just took it over and started running it. My husband was in the jewelry business in Atlanta for eleven years before we moved up here to Hudson. We have another company that we run that has nothing to do with jewelry, but it gives us the flexibility to come in and run the jewelry store at the same time. He is a gemologist from his years back in Atlanta. He used to buy all the diamonds, colored stones, and pearls for a jewelry store in Atlanta, D. Geller and Son.

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Jason
What's the experience like when somebody comes into the store?

Angie
We are a little different than most jewelry stores. We are very laid back, not high pressure. We are very relaxed and treat our customers like family. We have wine and beer while you're waiting for your job to be finished, or while you're looking at diamonds or engagement rings. We keep snacks around. We like to have events here on a monthly basis and do private events. We clean and check jewelry for free. We also pride ourselves on having an on-site jeweler. We have two. One has been with us for nineteen years, the other for five.

Jason
What is it about jewelry that you love so much?

Angie
I love lots of creative things. I am into quilting, crochet, and yarn art. I love the creative side of jewelry. I love seeing someone bring something in and our staff working with them to create the exact piece that they want. We do quite a bit of work with people who bring in estate pieces that they've gotten through a death in the family that are very sentimental to them.

We work really hard to make it so that they will love it and wear it regularly. I love seeing people come in excited to buy an engagement ring. We all take a lot of pride in how much time we spend with our customers, helping them make smart decisions with their jewelry.

Jason
What do you think people in Hudson can count on your store for?

Angie
We like to keep things in a price range that people can feel comfortable purchasing. We have some high-end things. But we also carry a nice variety, from sterling items to gold that are more cost-effective.

Jason
Are there any standout pieces that the general consumer would love to know about?

Angie
We carry some nice gemstone pieces in silver that are under $200. They're rough-cut emeralds, sapphires, and rubies, as well as other gemstones that can be worn every day. We also love earring jackets. They are a super versatile piece—you can change the center stone. We do a lot of pieces with Richard Homer stones.

Jill
Richard is a gemologist and gem cutter. He created a cut called concave faceting. He has many stones, some are even in the Smithsonian. The concave cut goes inward and gives you a brilliance that a normal cut of a gemstone wouldn't. Even in a shadow, you can see the fire of the stone. One of our favorites is an emerald cut. It's green and has two trilliant diamonds on the side, and it's done in palladium. Another favorite that all of us in the store fight over is a tourmaline. It has a bluish-green color to it with diamonds all around—it's really a showstopper.

Jason
Is there a romantic story you can share?

Angie
We have this couple whose family lives in Hudson. Their parents were very good customers of ours. His brother bought his engagement ring from us. They just got married and happened to move back to town. They used to live in Colorado. The bride was really into stackables. She has bought four or five different stackable wedding bands to go with her engagement ring so she can mix and match them. That seems to be a big trend right now in engagement. She has a couple that she got on her wedding day, so she could change them in and out. We giggle all the time because he sends us pictures. Before he actually asked her, he took the ring back to Colorado, and while she was sleeping, he slipped it on her finger and took a picture of her sleeping, and sent it to us.

They come in quite often. It’s a very fun story, very unique.

Jason
What are some trends that you want to share?

Angie
We seem to find that most of our engagement rings are kind of a high Tiffany with a stone between a carat and a carat-and-a-half, with a simple diamond band. Everyone has become very individual in what they want for an engagement ring. It's no longer just a diamond as your center stone. We do quite a few colored stones now as center stones. They're mixing colors of metal as opposed to being all one. There's no right or wrong in what you pick

Jason
A lot more couples are coming together and doing the experience together, which I'm sure is happening for you as well.

Angie
Yeah, one of the things that we did was get a national bridal line, Gabriel New York. They offer a one-year exchange program with their rings, so that makes a person buying an engagement ring feel secure in their choice. It really does give peace of mind.

Jason
Here's your chance Angie, Jill, to say whatever you like to Meet the Jewelers.

Angie
We love our jewelry store. It is a unique place to visit. We are not on the beaten path, so you have to look for us. We have lots of pieces. We love to work with different people, so please come in and see us. We have a unique perspective on things.