Takohl

Oct 13

In their own words

“When it came time to go to college, my dad said I’d have to pay for it myself. So I started a company, doing what I knew, which was metals—designing metals, putting metals together. I started the company when I was nineteen. I made myself a cool ring, and walked into the Gianni Versace store in Chicago one day. The owner stopped me, asking where I got my ring. I told her I’d made it and she said, ‘I have to have it. It’s so interesting.’ I told her it wasn’t for sale and she said, ‘Everything is for sale.’ She laid down enough money to pay for a whole semester of tuition right then and there.”

-Tammy Kohl

Jason’s Interview With Tammy

Jason

We're live on Meet the Jewelers and today we're talking to Tammy Kohl from Takohl jewelers. How did you get into the industry?

Tammy

I grew up on a farm in Wisconsin. When you're a kid on a farm, you gotta have a job at a really early age. I gravitated to helping my father with fixing the farm machinery, welding, and rig-jobbing the machinery. We didn't have FedEx, so we couldn't get the part we needed the next day, we had to fix it. When it came time to go to college, my dad really didn't want me to, he's like, "You don't need college. You have a good job right here." He said if I wanted to go to college, I'd have to figure out how to pay for it myself. So I started a company, doing what I knew, which was metals, designing metals, and putting metals together. I started the company when I was 19.

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And I'm still running the same company today, so I think I chose wisely.

Jason
How proud is your dad?

Tammy
He was very proud. I'm grateful he taught me how to pull up my own bootstraps, go out there, and make a difference in the world.

Jason
So, how does a nineteen-year-old do that?

Tammy
I made myself a really cool ring and came down to Chicago. I walked into a very fancy store, the Gianni Versace store, and the owner stopped me in the store and said, "Where did you get your ring?" I said, "I just finished it." She's like, "I have to have it. It's so interesting." I said, "Well, it's not for sale." She just looked at me and said, "Everything is for sale." And she laid down enough money to pay for a whole semester of tuition right then and there.

The next week, I sold to the other fancy store on the other side of the street. And then I called Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom and got appointments there. Before I knew it, I had a full-fledged wholesale business.

Jason
How has the brand evolved?

Tammy
I am an inventor. I like to invent things that are unique in our industry. I have a lot of patents. I've always relied upon the uniqueness of what I create. I'm pretty well known for the treasure rings, rings that open up like a locket that people can customize with hand engraving. I have a new patent that's out, it's called a love amulet. I'm very excited to release that to the world.

It's a circular pendant with a glass lens on the front that I figured out how to seal water underneath the glass lens. On the back it says "I am love." The world needs more love. We take special water that we make out of selenite crystals, and we're putting sound frequency into the water, 528 megahertz. When you wear it on your body, the water interacts with the water in your body and raises your own frequency. It calms people, it balances them, and it makes them kinder.

Jason
How did you come up with it?

Tammy
I got to meet a famous Japanese water researcher about eighteen years ago, Dr. Masaru Emoto. I got to chat with him and work with him. I was always fascinated about what he was learning about water, and how sound waves actually change the molecular structure of the water. I've always been interested in the scientific aspect of jewelry as well. Merging creativity and the science behind it, and really making a difference in people's lives by relieving anxiety and promoting more love and care. Socially, we're in a crux where that's really needed by not just women, but men as well. This pendant can be worn by anybody.

Jason
Where do you see the industry growing twenty years from now?

Tammy
I have patent protection for this item in the United States and trademark. I'm also pursuing trademarking and copyright around the world. I see this as a piece that could turn into a global piece and make a difference for humanity.

Jason
Tell us a little about the current brand right now—what are you most excited about?

Tammy
I've been in business for thirty-two years in Chicago's West Loop. I'm really excited about the neighborhood. The neighborhood has completely transformed from where it was thirty-two years ago. I'm really grateful I bought real estate a long time ago for my store. Lately, we've been focusing on going direct to the public with the retail store, doing custom design for people. We started Re.gem.er.a.tion as a trademark term that I have for restyling people's existing jewels. We love to do that. We love to create jewelry based on the client's personality and their sense of style. It's really my gift to help nail what would be the right piece on that person with the things that they already own. Most jewelry designers design a collection of jewels and then people pick a piece from it. I work differently. I get inspired by the individuals. I create something for that individual.

I like the rocks, I like gems, I like teaching people about gems. We go the extra mile. We're willing to put in the time.

Jason
Why do you think people trust your brand?

Tammy
We've been doing this for over thirty years. I'm as honest as the day is long. My whole team is very honest. I think trust comes from the longevity and the honesty. People know once they start working with us that we really do care. It's not just about the sale. I just helped a woman take her family heirlooms and just brought them up a level. She's a grandmother and wanted to create things as a legacy and make use of what they already owned.

Jason
Tell us about a few of the causes that you guys are connecting with right now.

Tammy
This is Chicago and we are known for areas that have high crime. It hasn't been the best place for kids in the inner city to grow up in. We support a charity that builds peace houses for kids to learn yoga and meditation. It's transforming the whole neighborhood and now they have about seven different peace houses. It's really providing a refuge so they don't have to go out into the streets and get in trouble after school. They can go there and learn how to care for their health, how to meditate and calm themselves, and get healthy at the same time.

Jason
Do you have a path for legacy?

Tammy
I have lots of little grandnieces in my family. They're all pretty young, but I'm thinking about moving forward and we'll see if someone wants to follow in their aunt's footsteps. Being a creative in this industry, it's been such a blessing. Every day, you learn something new.

Jason
What are some of your favorite trips because of the jewelry industry?

Tammy
I went to Zurich, Switzerland. I went to a convention called the STARMUS Festival and got to hang out with all the Apollo astronauts at this conference. A lot of people from NASA, astrophysicists, Nobel Prize laureates, it was a really intellectual conference. I got to be Buzz Aldrin's assistant for the night. That was interesting.

I make a lot of jewelry out of meteorites. Things in my store are pretty unique, I love working with materials that people aren't familiar with, and gemstones from traditional to untraditional. I'm fascinated by the arts and the combination with science.

Jason
What do you want Meet the Jewelers to know about?

Tammy
Exploring custom design with an artist is a really interesting thing to do. You can go in a store, point to something in a case, and walk out with it, but sitting down with a designer and exploring all your options with an artist is an interesting approach to jewelry design. Having the ability to customize for individuals and their sense of style is a gift that I've been given.

Jason
What's the best way if they want to actually try that experience?

Tammy
They can pick up the phone and call us, or they can go to our website, takhol.com, and explore what we do. Our Instagram is Takohl_Gallery.

The love amulet is really special. The world needs more love, so look for us to be out there making a difference in the world.