Once Upon a Diamond

Dec 15

In their own words

“My two sons work with me here in the store. They’re the best partners. We’ve evolved into a fourth-generation jewelry store. Estate pieces are why people come to the store. They go, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this.’ We go to a lot of estate sales, and that’s what separates us from the other jewelry stores in the city.”

-Steve Brown

Jason’s Interview with Steve

Jason

Come with me to Meet the Jewelers. With us today is Steve Brown from Once Upon A Diamond in Shreveport, Louisiana. What's your story of how you got started into this industry?

Steve

We’re four generations. My dad's mother started Brown’s Jewelry and Loan in Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1912, and my dad’s dad worked in the jewelry pawn shop. After he passed away, my dad and his brother took it over. I worked in it when I was growing up. In 1989, I left Council Bluffs and moved to Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2008, we opened a brick-and-mortar store called Once Upon a Diamond. Brown’s Jewelry and Loan is still in business in Council Bluffs. It’s not owned by our family. When we moved and my father passed away, we sold it. Now, my two sons work with me here in the store. We've evolved into a fourth-generation jewelry store.

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Jason
Was there a point you thought being a jeweler wasn't for you?

Steve
When I started this, we did it a little different than most jewelry stores. We actually started our online store in 2000 and we started with eBay. In 2008, we started the brick-and-mortar store. I opened up thinking “Oh, this is going to be easy, everybody's gonna flock and you're going to be selling jewelry like crazy.” Well, it didn't quite go that way. A lot of stores have been here for a long time, their customers are loyal to them. But it came together, and we've got a good, strong following and we continue to grow.

Jason
What's a piece that you enjoy creating the most?

Steve
We go after the estate jewelry market. Not that we don't have a good size bridal section and we do carry new, but with there being a lot of jewelry stores in the city, we have to separate ourselves from the other jewelry stores to be successful.

We go to New York a couple times a year to a lot of estate sales. We do a lot of custom jewelry work, but estate pieces is where people come in the store. They go, “Wow, I've never seen anything like this.”

Jason
You have so many five-star reviews going on here that people like your service.

Steve
Yeah, my son gift wraps every package. So, when we ship it out it comes in the most beautiful presentation. We try to make that same in-store experience as you would get buying online. My son puts a signed card in there with a custom thank you. You want to make it as personal as you possibly can.

Jason
What really got you into the business?

Steve
Selling jewelry in the pawnshop. I was cleaning and polishing rings. I made a decision that I’m going to be a jeweler. Now I've got my sons that work with me. Both of them have graduated with degrees in architecture. They designed the outside and inside of the store. My daughter started working here and then decided to choose a different path. She's a veterinarian.

Jason
What makes you stand out from other jewelers that are in estate?

Steve
We've got a huge selection of antique sterling silver pieces. We’ve got a five-piece sterling Tiffany set, we've got a seven-piece. A very ornate Tiffany set. We've got a Tiffany punch bowl. It draws people's attention We don't carry any new watches. We carry Orion, Rolex, Breitling, and Tag Heuer. We've looked at how we can be very selective in what we sell. We try to make it a fun shopping experience.

Jason
Tell us how people's money, when they spend it with you, gets cycled back into the community.

Steve
We support a lot of the schools and charitable organizations around town. If they have a function or need a donation, we love to get involved.