With its 7,000-square-foot showroom, Michael Genovese Jewelers is one of the largest jewelers in the country and has been a family-owned, St. Louis business since 1981. Owner Joe Genovese started working in the business at age 13, taking over when his father Michael retired. Today, Joe continues the vision and mission of Michael Genovese to make every customer a friend through a passion for beautiful, handcrafted jewelry and focused 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 that we take care of as family. We try to support every local charity we can to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. My father instilled that in me,” says Joe.
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. 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,” Joe says.
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 their 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. Customers will have an opportunity to get the best prices of the year at Genovese’s annual One Sale, taking place August 18 through 29 during which every item in the store will be on sale. With customer safety as a priority, all COVID-19 safety measures are in place in the store per CDC guidelines.
In addition to an unmatched selection and competitive pricing, Genovese Jewelers’ highly personal customer service 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. • creve coeur • 314.878.6203 • genovesejewelers.com