Page 46 - Pat Brown (1)

Creating

PreCious

Heirlooms

a Diamond lasts Forever

For Sherry Coleman and her brother Kam making
jewelry has been a lifelong endeavor. When their dad
purchased a lapidary company he did not waste any
time teaching his children the tricks of the trade. Sherry
quickly realized that her talents lay in the business end
of the company, while her brother Kam enjoyed using
his hands to create masterpieces. Since 1982, when
their father opened PAR Jewelry in Rancho Bernardo,
this brother and sister team have been working to-
gether at a business they love to create a truly unique
experience for their clientele. aspect of the design. In some cases the customer may still
The specialty at PAR is custom jewelry, and they are considered have difficulty envisioning the finished product so Kam will then
the best in the business. The store is a virtual museum, hous- create it in wax so the customer can see a three dimensional
ing one of a kind pieces created as a result of the imagination, model before the final product is created.
skill, and expertise of Kam. One of the distinctive aspects of What makes PAR jewelry different is that they take such pride in
this store is the welcome feeling as you walk through the door. every item that leaves their store. As Kam adds, “What makes

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They welcome those who just want to come in and view the me most happy is seeing customers leave the store and stop to
custom work in their showcases. It is not a high pressure sales admire it in the sunlight, smiles on their faces, happy with the
environment; they simply enjoy the visitors who appreciate fine creation. For many, these pieces become family heirlooms that
works of art. Their walls are also covered with paintings from are passed from generation to generation. It makes me feel
a California artist that Kam discovered while on vacation at the proud to be a part of the creation of a family’s treasured belong-
artist’s bed and breakfast in Topanga. In addition to the custom ings.”
work, there is a collection of estate jewelry and some work from In the time we spent at the store one thing that amazed us was
obscure jewelry designers, guaranteeing that if you buy a piece that everyone who came in was addressed by their first name.
from PAR Jewelry you will not run into anyone else wearing the we asked Sherry if they knew all of their customers on a first
same design. name basis. “Yes, many of our customers have been with us
We was lucky enough to spend time with them learning the since we opened. There are several for whom we designed
process that results in some of the most breathtaking pieces of their wedding rings and we are now designing wedding sets for
jewelry we have ever seen. As Kam stated, “Customers who their children.”
would like a custom creation will come into the store. Some The latest addition to their store is an Estate Sale and Liqui-
have a definite idea in mind, while others are not sure what they dation service, which gives customers yet another chance to
want.” The indecisive ones are a bit harder to work with but obtain a one of a kind piece of jewelry to hand down to future
Kam manages to create exactly what they want, even if they generations.
don’t know what that is. A few essential questions are asked, for It is this attention to detail that creates lifelong customers; little
instance, what the price range is that they want to work within. details like making the bottom of the ring a bit thicker so it lasts
PAR will create custom made pieces for whatever price range longer or tweaking the design until it is exactly what was envi-
the customer has in mind. If precious stones are involved they sioned by the customer. As Kam says, “We want them coming
will purchase the stones that meet the designated budget: They back to have more custom jewelry designed, not coming back
don’t keep the stones on site, they order them as requested. because they are unhappy.” And come back they do, over and
The next step is a sketch drawn by Kam which details every over to add new custom designed masterpieces.