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Oro Diamante
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Unlike some other jewelry retailers, Harris and Geri Botnick
didn’t grow up in the business. Georgia born and bred, the couple used their individual
experiences in retailing as a springboard for opening their own jewelry store
in Atlanta in 1981. They named the store Worthmore because “We knew we didn’t
want to call the store by a family name and we wanted something that would
express what we are all about,” says Harris.
Harris learned the business when he managed a small,
mall-based jewelry store and Geri came from the world of fashion retail.
Together, they co-run the store, with both of them buying merchandise and
working with clients. Their two Georgia galleries celebrate the beauty and
style of fine art and jewelry.
Worthmore’s Atlanta flagship store is located on Amsterdam
Walk in a reclaimed warehouse district in the heart of downtown. Shops there
have their own unique character and design. The newer branch, opened in 2008,
is located in the main downtown square across from the courthouse in Decatur, a
suburb about 20 minutes east of Atlanta. Harris describes the charming town as
a “hip Mayberry.”
Varied Clientele
“We want to attract all kinds of people,” says Harris,
“young/old, straight/gay, black/white.” Shoppers range from traditional
Atlantans with lots of money to customers with Mohawks, slashes and tattoos, he
says. Worthmore’s clients cover a wide swath of zip codes and some drive
considerable distances to shop with the retailer. There are no sales, no
discounts and no “deals,” he says. That levels the playing field for all
customers, who frequently consult with each other when in the store making a
purchase. The staff is equally diverse and includes musicians, theater arts
majors, a hair stylist and a canine greeter named Snorkel Sam Botnick.
The jewelry range in both outlets is wide, from estate
pieces and Swiss watches to diamond and gemstone jewelry to designer silver.
“We don’t carry any giant names,” Harris says, “because all their ads tend to
look the same.” While the store does carry some of the same brands as the local
Neiman Marcus, it merchandises them differently. Included in the inventory are
pieces by Stephen Webster, George Sawyer, Zina Sterling Silver, King Baby and
local designer Amy Bubes.
As for the jewelry/art combination, Harris says jewelry
doesn’t sell on the walls, so it was a logical progression to add art, which
they did when the Decatur location opened. Harris says that when he was getting
the space, a former art gallery, ready for business, “Many people stopped by
and asked if we were a new art gallery. I went home and said to Geri, ‘Guess
what, we are now also a fine art gallery. It goes perfectly with jewelry.’” The
mixture works well because the artwork pulls different customers into the
store. The art displays are changed quarterly and feature work by a variety of
artists, including Jonathan Callicutt, Fred Budin and Ocean Clark.
Diamonds and the Bottom Line
Diamonds and diamond jewelry are a core element of
Worthmore’s sales. In fact, Harris estimates that diamond jewelry comprises
about 20 percent of his inventory, in terms of number of pieces, but the
overall category contributes 65 percent to 70 percent of sales by dollar
volume. The retailer’s ads usually picture diamond fashion jewelry, although
the engagement business is an important one. In fact, Harris estimates that the
average center stones in his diamond engagement rings are 1.50 carats to 2
carats, and most of the rings are custom-made by one of his two bench jewelers.
In loose diamonds, the dominant qualities are G and H color and SI clarity.
One pleasant surprise was the success of Yehuda Diamonds,
which were introduced as a test in 2008. Harris says he initially was concerned
that offering these laser-treated diamonds might hurt his regular diamond
sales, but that hasn’t been the case. “People either go for it or it’s not for
them,” he says.
Right now, the strongest styles in diamond fashion jewelry
are black diamonds and black- and-white combinations, the retailer says. Some
newly introduced collections frame geode slices with diamonds, combine white
and colored diamonds and accent sterling silver with diamonds and gold. For
men, there are whimsical cufflinks made from reclaimed items — such as old New
York subway tokens and wood from Yankee Stadium seats — as well as an exclusive
knife collection.
Estate Jewels
Tie-ins between art and jewelry are not limited to the
physical space at Worthmore’s, but are also built into the retailer’s
activities and community outreach. One successful event that was recently
repeated was an Antique Jewelry Road Show, with a guest appearance by Paul
Brown of the Discovery Channel’s “Auction Kings.” At this event, Worthmore
showed more than 200 estate pieces selected by Jared Nadler, its staff expert
on estate jewelry, who was also on hand to look at customer-owned estate pieces
for appraisal and possible purchase.
Estate jewelry is a growth category that practically
cultivated itself, says Harris. Initially, Worthmore took in estate pieces for
refurbishing and repair, finally purchasing some pieces for resale. There was
very positive response to this jewelry, which appeals to his clients because
the pieces are essentially “green and recycled and mostly one-of-a-kind.”
Another well-attended event combined an art auction with a
personal appearance by Carroll “Mustang” Shelby, a retired automotive designer
and racecar driver, who brought his personal collection of automobiles. The
Worthmore parking lot was filled with vintage cars and there were
racing-related artwork and photos for sale. The event raised funds to aid the
families of local children with life-threatening diseases.
Pushing the limits and thinking outside the box are
signatures of this retailer. For example, during the local “Ocean Arts
Festival,” pop artist Ocean Clark body-painted a model in the front window of
the Decatur store. The model was wearing a bikini under the multicolored paint,
but the activity attracted a huge crowd on the street. Other eye-catching
marketing ventures include witty billboards with phrases such as “We’ve got the
ring… Give us the finger,” “You should see all the studs in our store,”
“Earring Impaired” and “Yeah, size matters” — with a giant diamond ring
extending over the top of the billboard. There’s also a friendly, chatty
newsletter to keep the buzz going.
At the local level, Worthmore Jewelers works with many
schools in town, selling jewelry at cost or below to help raise money for
various causes. No stranger to recognition and awards, Worthmore has received
five citations from various media outlets as “Best of Atlanta,” illustrating
the success of the Botnicks’ philosophy to “Keep it local.”
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - January 2012. To subscribe click here.