Littleton Jewelry

Jan 13

In their own words

“I love the unique, the pieces that speak to the individual when we create something or if it’s grandma’s ring that was passed down. There’s always a story. Diamonds are forever. And, as long as you take care of them, they can be passed down from generation after generation. Through maintenance, we can keep them looking new. And so that’s what I love about jewelry: I love the timeless, uniqueness of it.”

-Jesse Sardakowski

Jason’s Interview with Jesse

Jason

Today, I'm thrilled to have Jesse from Littleton Jewelry in Littleton, Colorado. How did you get into the industry?

Jesse

I just saw the opportunity to take the business to the next level. Back when it first started out, it was kind of a generic mom-and-pop store. Didn't offer too much in the way of onsite repairs. Everything was shipped out. It took several weeks to get things back. Sales were very limited. Today, we've brought everything in-house. We have a much bigger selection. I took over in 2013 and we've grown it since then to the two stores that it is today.

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

Jesse
I love the pieces that speak to the individual. There's always a story. Diamonds are forever. As long as you take care of them, they can be passed down from generation after generation. That's what I love, the timelessness and uniqueness of it.

Jason
What's the ambiance inside the store?

Jesse
We don't call you a customer. We call you a guest. We want people to come in, let their guard down, make a friend, and know that we are trusted in everything that they share with us.

Jason
Why do you think people trust you?

Jesse
We listen. We never try to sell. We never tried to go for the big buck. We always make sure it's a win-win for us both. I try to always tell this to everybody that works with me. There's no bonus based on sales, there’s no bonus based on gross.

Jason
What's your specialty?

Jesse
Repairs and custom. That's our focus—making sure that things are done correctly and that, long term, people are going to be happy.

Jason
What are three words that describe your aesthetic?

Jesse
I would say ‘intimate.’ I would say maybe not ‘simple,’ but definitely we are not big. I mean we're that intimate kind of mom and pop on steroids.

Jason
Have you had any cool celebrities come into your store?

Jesse
Yeah, we've had the now-retired CFO of Ford Motor Company. We've had several Rockies players. We’ve got some Broncos. And several NHL players. And a gentleman who is a coach out in California, the Angels, he's one of their coaches.

Jason
Tell us a fun proposal story that's top of mind.

Jesse
We had a gal four years ago. It starts with a watch. She had a watch that she'd inherited. Her dad had worn it till he died. It had fallen and come apart. She took it to two other jewelers both of whom kind of laughed and said, “This thing's a piece of junk.” I was the third attempt. She found me just online, based on our reviews. With tears in her eyes, she said, “Please just help me.” I repaired it on the spot, didn't charge her a dime because I knew it meant a ton to her and I didn’t want to profit off of her heartache. A few months later, she got engaged and they came in and we made her a full custom ring. Her diamond came from a grandma. Her fiancé-to-be, we sold him his wedding band. We see them every six months. They come in for the cleaning checkup for the warranty. Every time I see her, I always remember that great feeling that we had repairing that watch.

Jason
Tell us about some of the great community work that you do and what it means to you.

Jesse
We do a lot of different outreaches, mostly in the realm of those who are mentally handicapped and developmentally challenged. We do a lot with the local Mental Health Networks. We do a ton with donating. We also do a lot with other local charities, churches, community organizations.

Jason
Are there any trends that you're seeing right now?

Jesse
The stackable trend’s been pretty hot lately. My wife loves that so she can accessorize for different occasions. White gold, yellow gold, platinum, rose gold. Also, the stackable bangle bracelets. Outside of that, the smaller trend has been more minimalist. I've seen a lot of that lately. Folks like the smaller, more minimalist jewelry.

Jason
What's your stance on lab-grown stones?

Jesse
They're great. All of our stones, whether they're a diamond, sapphire, ruby, emerald, we make sure that they come from reputable sources. That they’re GIA certified. I won't get other stones, unless requested, that are outside of that GIA certified.

Jason
Where do you want to be five, ten years from now?

Jesse
I think we're just going to keep it small. Continue to open these satellite stores. Every one of them is going to be small, intimate. We're going to partner with our current employees and move them up so they get their own store. It's kind of like a franchise, so they can provide for their families and have a sense of pride in that.

Jason
Here is your chance to say whatever you like to Meet the Jewelers audience.

Jesse
It's simple. We’ll treat you like a guest in our home. And if you're not happy, I'm not happy. As long as you walk away happy, that's what matters at the end of the day.