Everyone is dreaming of a white Christmas at The Diamond Family. Once again, the family-owned jewelry store is giving customers the opportunity to get a full refund on every purchase made Nov. 27 through Dec. 18 during its ‘Wish for a White Christmas’ promotion. The only stipulation? It has to snow 2 inches on Christmas day.
The store offers a wide assortment of diamonds and engagement rings, the cornerstone of its business for decades. And its range of custom designs has come a long way with the addition of a computerized counter sketch studio, which allows customers to modify thousands of settings into exactly what they want, down to the tiniest detail. Haddad says they even provide 3-D images free of charge so buyers can see how their jewelry will look once complete. He is proud of how far The Diamond Family has come—and its humble beginnings. “My dad Rocky started the business back in 1978,” he says. “He still comes around to hang out with his customers and give us advice, but my brother and I run the show. We’ve expanded it to a multimillion-dollar operation, but we’ve maintained the qualities of a purely family-run business.” Haddad is referring to close relationships with clients and ethical business practices, which he says are not always practiced in some segments of the jewelry industry.
Additionally, The Diamond Family is one of only two Master IJO Jewelers in the St. Louis area and only 800 worldwide, an accreditation given by the Independent Jewelers Organization. It recently was recognized as being in the top five of the group. “It’s fantastic to be a part of,” Haddad says. “It’s basically an exclusive buying group based on ethical standards. As a Master IJO Jeweler, we reap the benefits of continued education, buying privileges, inventory sharing and access to exclusive designs.” He says membership includes an expansive network of other jewelers. “If a customer wants a specific stone that we don’t have available, I just reach out to my 800 ‘buddies,’ and a jeweler up in Michigan might be able to send it to me. It works great when our customers are trying to sell pieces, too.”
Haddad travels to Antwerp, Belgium, twice a year to buy stones directly from diamond cutters and to get early access. “It’s just another perk of our accreditation,” he says. “And the education and mentorship we receive means we are constantly learning about ways to better ourselves so that when those doors open, we’re ready for our customers.”
[The Diamond Family, located at 473 Lafayette Center, is a family-owned jewelry store specializing in diamonds, engagement rings and custom designs. Pictured on the cover: President Michael Haddad, founder Rocky Haddad and vice president Alex Haddad. For more information, call 636.391.6622 or visit thediamondfam.com.]
Cover design by Jon Fogel | Photo courtesy of Tim Parker Photography