Kuhn’s Jewelers

Jan 22

In their own words

“Our specialty is engagement. It’s been a tradition that when you get engaged, you come to Kuhn’s Jewelers. And people come here, not just because their dad and grandfather did, but because you’re likely to find something very unique. We try to look for the unusual, something interesting but also the finest quality.”

-Susan Purnell

Jason’s Interview with Susan

Jason

Today, we get to talk to one of the oldest jewelry stores in the country.

I'd like to introduce Susan from Kuhn’s Jewelers. How did you get into this business?

Susan

I didn't really think I would continue in the family business. Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I had quite a checkerboard career before my dad asked me in 1995 to come back into the business because he wanted to retire. He was going to sell it, or I could come take it over.

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It had been a family business since 1923 when my grandfather bought it from his employer. I moved quickly from a great job in marketing at Dun & Bradstreet in New York, back to Salisbury, Maryland, the hub of the eastern shore. My father didn't retire right away. I had him for seven years and then, unfortunately, he died very quickly—but I had seven years of his guidance and that was invaluable.

Jason
What were some things that he taught you?

Susan
The number one thing, and I'm sure you've heard it a million times: the customer's always right, even when they aren't. You really have to make sure that you respect the customer’s position on whatever the situation is. I feel really humbled that we've actually earned and kept our customer’s trust for over a century and a half. We put them first.

Jason
What's the experience like for the customer when they walk through the doors?

Susan
We just moved. We were in downtown Salisbury for 166 years. Construction is going on down there, so it was really hindering our business because people couldn't get to us. I made a decision to move temporarily. We moved into a bigger space with a lot more light and I think our pieces display better. It's very welcoming. Not that our other store wasn't welcoming, but it was an older store. One of the first things I bought was a bar because I have a lot of nervous gentlemen who are going to get engaged. It's very fresh now in this new building. We also have incorporated a local artist, so we have her art all the way through the display room.

Jason
What's your specialty?

Susan
Engagement. I love it when somebody comes in and says, “My grandfather got his ring here,” or “My father bought his ring here and now I'm here.” You come to Kuhn’s Jewelers because you're likely to find something very unique. We try to look for the unusual, but also the finest quality.

Jason
If you were going to sum up your aesthetic in three words, what would those words be?

Susan
Quality. Customer-focused. Unique.

Jason
Are there any favorite pieces of jewelry?

Susan
I have an antique estate platinum bracelet. A filigree-style diamond bracelet that is drop-dead gorgeous. I buy from a lot of estates. I find a lot of very interesting pieces that way. I have another bangle bracelet that’s from another estate. And I have an eight-carat natural yellow diamond ring that is striking and looking for a good home.

Jason
Where do you see the trends going?

Susan
I think there's a trend toward vintage. People wanting to recreate, having an inherited diamond. Simon G. kind of represents that look a lot in his designs. As well as Tacori. I think rose gold is a popular choice now, not just for wedding bands and wedding settings but earrings, necklaces. Yellow gold is coming back. For a while, we sold all white gold wedding bands and/or platinum. Now I'd say yellow gold’s coming back into the picture. I've seen alternative center stones. Diamonds are my choice for a center stone, some are using sapphires as centers or diamonds that look like moissanite.

Some lab-grown. That's the scariest issue facing our industry right now.

Jason
Why?

Susan
Because most testers of diamonds will show you that a lab-created diamond is a diamond, which it is. But how do you distinguish the difference, because there's a huge price difference. I buy from estates. I have to be really careful what I'm buying because it's very important that it's the real thing.

Jason
I want to give a shout-out to some of the charitable giving that you do. I know you do Girl Scouts of America. You’re part of the Community Foundation. Coastal Hospice. Urban Salisbury.

Susan
Alzheimer's Association. My mother had Alzheimer's.

It's gratifying to know that our efforts have helped to make life a little better for some people in our community.

Jason
This is your chance to say whatever you like to Meet the Jewelers. Tell us why we should meet you and your team.

Susan
My dad—he not only was a great business person, but he was a great human being. He had integrity like no one I've ever known. I have continued to live by his rules. He taught me to price fairly, give honest discounts if necessary, but don't give discounts from prices that were unrealistic in the first place, because that's just lying. This is a business of trust and we have continued to earn the trust of our customers for over a century and a half.