St. Louis’ 5-Star Jeweler
With its 7,000-square-foot showroom, Michael Genovese Jewelers has one of the largest selections in the country. The family-owned business has been serving St. Louis since 1981. Owner Joe Genovese started working in the industry at age 13, taking over when his father, Michael, retired. Today, Joe carries on the vision and mission to make every customer a friend through a passion for beautiful, handcrafted jewelry and a focus on service excellence.
A true custom jeweler, Genovese makes 70% of its stock in house, enabling them to control costs and pass those savings on to their customers. They also believe in supporting their employees and giving back to the community as often as possible. “We have 32 employees who we take care of as family,” Joe says. “We try to support every local charity we can, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. My father instilled this commitment in me.”
The 17 store designers at Michael Genovese Jewelers know everything there is to know about engineering a piece of jewelry. “Every piece starts as an idea,” Joe says. “Anything people ask for, we can make. People may have sentimental stones they want to use that have come from family members, and we can incorporate those, too.”
Designers create drawings based on either customer ideas or their own. Then, they design a wax model using the latest computer-aided design technology, which makes the process more accurate and efficient. Once the customer approves the design, they create a wax model with a 3-D printer. Once approved, the wax model is used to create a cast in which the designers inject the molten precious metal of the client’s choice. The rough cast piece then goes through a finishing process and any stones are set in place. Completing each step in house allows for total quality control.
In addition to custom pieces made specifically for individual customers, Genovese designers also create most of the jewelry that fills the showroom’s cases, including the top-selling Novia designer line. “Fifty percent are one-of-a-kind pieces that will never be made again,” says Joe. “The other 50%, we’ll make maybe once a year at most, so it’s a really unique collection you won’t see other people wearing.”
Genovese also offers the best selection of classic, best-selling items like diamond studs, diamond bracelets, diamond hoops and diamond pendants. It’s Genovese’s dedication to providing highly personal customer service that makes all the difference. “When people come visit our store, they see how easy we make the process, whether they are designing an engagement ring or buying a gift,” Joe says. “We offer them a drink—they can have a beer, wine or a mimosa. We sit down with them, and they have our full attention for however long they need us.”
12460 Olive Blvd.
314.878.6203
genovesejewelers.com
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