Vincent’s Jewelers

Sep 19

In their own words

“I want people to enjoy coming here, be entertained, have fun, be part of the family. And that’s what’s so neat. When people walk in, they know everybody’s name. We know their name, and even if somebody is Mario’s customer and he’s not here, they know other people. As a staff, we work very well together. We have our moments like every family does, but this is the critical thing: when a customer comes in here, they see and feel this family atmosphere. We’re here for them.”

-Leo Anglo

Jason’s Interview with Leo

Jason

Today, we're talking to Leo from Vincent's Jewelers. How did you get into the industry?

Leo

By an absolute fluke. Thirty-plus years ago, I was looking for a place to work in a mall, because my then-girlfriend worked in a mall. I came into a jewelry store at the mall and applied. A very conservative, old-school gentleman hired me on the spot. I learned a lot about jewelry, salesmanship, professionalism. I actually learned to be a bench jeweler when I was a salesperson at the store.

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Jason
What do you think your personality brought to the table?

Leo
To this day, I always think about this. At first, he said, “I never hire anybody on the first visit.” It may be my confidence. I can’t say my jewelry knowledge, because I didn't know much about jewelry at all. I guess I just presented myself well. I actually came the next day to work.

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

Leo
We deal with happy situations. People buying an engagement ring or something for a milestone in their lives, or loved one’s life. That was always the driving force for me for the bulk of my career. We buy estates and jewelry from people who didn't have the need anymore. We've provided this service for twenty-five years. Our store is run with compassion and stewardship. I'm a real person operating a real business for real people.

Jason
You do so much for the community. Make-a-Wish Foundation, Crisis Nursery, Jewish Family and Children's Services, the Catholic Charities. It's so nice that you're giving back to the community. I want to hear about your vibe, the ambiance. The feeling when people come inside your store.

Leo
I want people to enjoy coming here. Be entertained, have fun, be part of the family. When people walk in our store, they know everybody's name. We work very well together, we get along very well. We're comfortable, professional people.

Jason
What are three standout pieces?

Leo
We have a lot of estate jewelry here. They were either made one-of-a-kind, or there's only one or two left in the world. There's some pieces that are everyday estate pieces, but we have some that you'll never see anywhere else. We participate in design contests. Two years ago, we took a clean sweep from Missouri Jewelers. We got all three awards, Craftsmanship, Best of Show, and People's Choice Award. This last year, the jeweler got People's Choice and Craftsmanship. These pieces are all handcrafted pieces, one-of-a-kind. Built around stones that are one-of-a-kind. If you have something that you like, we can make it for you. We can take old pieces and make them into new pieces.

Jason
You've probably experienced so many proposals.

Leo
I have a young person. I'm going to pick on him, he's actually my neighbor, he just got engaged. I've known him his whole life, since the day he was born. He and his now fiancé met at their high school. The high school has since closed, but a mutual friend of ours still runs the grounds because they're still in the transition phase. He proposed on the grounds of where they met. It was where their roots were. It was very special.

Jason
Now's your opportunity to say whatever you'd like to Meet the Jewelers. What do you want to tell them?

Leo
We're real people. We want to do business with real people. Give us the chance to earn your business. You'll find that having twenty-plus year veteran-tenured employees at Vincent's Jewelers can do the job of earning your business.