Windsor Jewelry

INDIANAPOLIS, IN

View fullsize

In their own words

“As a bench jeweler, whenever anybody comes into the store, and they have a custom piece they want to design, I know each component. I know every aspect of how to make this piece, what’s going to work, what’s not going to work, and how things will fit. It’s easy for me to relay that to my customer so they understand how it’s going to look like when it’s finished, or how it’s going to be wearable. There’s one thing to design a piece, and if it’s not functional and not comfortable, then you’ve wasted a lot of time. That’s what I’m most proud of—I know how these things work.”

-Greg Bires

---

Jason’s Interview with Greg

Jason

Today, we speak with a heritage store in Indianapolis, Indiana—Greg Bires from Windsor Jewelry. A 101-year-old jewelry business. How did you get into the industry?

Greg

As a teenager, a neighbor had a jewelry store, similar to the one I own now. They would always bring in a young high school student to do simple repairs to keep their craftsmen from doing simple jobs. I did that through high school. And then I decided it was a career that I wanted to continue, so I went to learn how to be a watchmaker, goldsmith, diamond setter, and jewelry designer. I was at the bench for over twenty-five years before I finally ended up in the retail part of it, where I'm at now.

+ Keep reading

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

Greg
It's really nice to be in an industry where we bring a lot of happiness, joy, and memories to people. The value of jewelry is how many memories it creates and how much joy it brings to people when they look at it.

Jason
Tell us a fun proposal that still stands out.

Greg
A lot of them that stand out. This one, the young man really put some thought into it. His fiancée thought she was going to get her engagement ring around Christmas. He didn't do it because he had other plans. Several months later, he was ready to propose to her and she had gotten it out of her mind. He set up a Christmas tree in his living room with all the gifts, lighting, everything you'd have in December. She came over for dinner and one of the gifts under the tree was her engagement ring. That took a little imagination and heart.

Jason
With the store, what's the ambiance?

Greg
We're located in the middle of downtown Indianapolis. There's a lot of energy down here. A lot of young people are moving downtown. My wife's an interior designer, so she's always keeping the store updated as far as colors and décor. We have been exhibiting artwork on our wall from some artists. It's refreshing, always current. We're just trying to make it inviting. We want you to feel comfortable

Jason
If you're going to describe your brand in three words, what would they be?

Greg
Current, lately, very casual.

Jason
What's the focus?

Greg
Without a doubt, expertise. When they come in to buy jewelry, a lot of them have no knowledge of this product. They want to come somewhere that they can feel like they understand what they're buying. We can answer every question accurately. Price isn't always that important, as long as you feel like you're getting your money's worth.

Jason
You carry a lot of awesome brands. What are some cool pieces that you have?

Greg
We have a lot of traditional jewelry that’s stunning. A lot of diamonds. A lot of gemstones, sapphires, and rubies. We're trying to find cool, young designers. Nina Wyn—she's created a concept of bracelets, earrings, and necklaces that she keeps reinventing, components that you can add on to the earrings, the necklace. Every time somebody that owns a few of her pieces comes back, there's a whole new collection of gemstone and precious metal pieces. You can start with two or three earring drops and a hoop, or a stud, and they all interconnect. Right now, this is probably the hottest thing I've seen in years.

Jason
What do you think makes you different?

Greg
My background as a bench jeweler. Whenever anybody comes into the store and they have a custom piece they're thinking about, I know every component. I know every aspect of how to make this piece. They know that when they come in, I'm going to have a collection of things that they're going to be excited about.

Jason
What do you want to tell everybody?

Greg
I would just like to invite everybody in. You don't have to be afraid to go into a jewelry store. We have price points for everyone. We're going to be here to stand behind it. That's why we're here 101 years. It didn't happen because we weren’t doing the best we could.

- Close

---

Connect with Windsor Jewelry

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | EMAIL

Visit Windsor Jewelry

Address:
16 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-634-6736

Hours:
Tuesday: 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday: 10:30 AM - 7 PM
Friday: 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday & Monday: Closed

Get Directions

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE

---