Kambourian Jewelers specializes in custom design and repairs. (Photos by Michael Thompson)
A brother and sister are picking up where their father left off in a Midlothian jewelry store.
Melissa and Haig Kambourian III, the owners of Kambourian Jewelers in Carytown, this month expanded their store to a second location at 4828 Market Square Lane in Midlothian. Their father, Haig Kambourian Jr., had been operating his own jewelry shop in the space since 2007.
“He was going to have a going out of business sale, but we offered to buy it from him,” Melissa Kambourian said. “We were looking to expand anyway.”
Kambourian is a jewelry and art studio that does custom design and repairs and sells loose diamonds. Mark Kambourian, cousin to Melissa and Haig Kambourian III, owns Kambourian Rugs on Grove Avenue. The Kambourian family has been retailing in Richmond since the late 19th century, dealing mostly in rugs and jewelry.
Melissa Kambourian in the new shop.
Haig Kambourian Jr. opened his own jewelry store in 1966 on West Grace Street In 1980. He moved to the Crossroads Shopping Center in Midlothian, and he relocated in 2007 to the spot in the Market Square Shopping Center.
“In our teens, we learned the business,” Melissa Kambourian said. “We separated and did our own thing, and now we’ve kind of gone past what my dad does.”
The sibling team launched their 3,500-square-foot shop in 2008 at 3317 W. Cary St. Part of doing things differently includes buying and reselling diamonds to and from the public, Melissa Kambourian said. The shop has them recut in New York and recertified by the Gemological Institute of America before selling them at wholesale prices.
Handmade rings at Kambourian start at $1,100 and run as high as $85,000. Melissa Kambourian said that both their shops do repairs and manufacturing onsite and that custom jewelry drives the business.
“A lot of people really want something no one else has,” she said. “They don’t want to see their engagement ring on somebody else.”
She and her brother are bringing the same business model to the 1,500-square-foot shop in Midlothian. They’ve spent about $10,000 on renovations.
“We remodeled the space, and we’ve added probably half a million dollars of new inventory to the store,” she said.
In addition to selling jewelry, the Kambourian in Carytown lets local artists hang their paintings in the store at no cost. They’ll continue that practice at the Midlothian store.
Kambourian is looking to hire about three salespeople and two jewelers for the new location. It’s also looking for another market to mine.
“We’re looking for another location right now, which will come sometime next year,” Melissa Kambourian said. “We’re looking for locations that are to be in the Far West End.”
Jeweler and designer Sharon Eliasek and apprentice jeweler Frank Flores.
Kambourian Jewelers specializes in custom design and repairs. (Photos by Michael Thompson)
A brother and sister are picking up where their father left off in a Midlothian jewelry store.
Melissa and Haig Kambourian III, the owners of Kambourian Jewelers in Carytown, this month expanded their store to a second location at 4828 Market Square Lane in Midlothian. Their father, Haig Kambourian Jr., had been operating his own jewelry shop in the space since 2007.
“He was going to have a going out of business sale, but we offered to buy it from him,” Melissa Kambourian said. “We were looking to expand anyway.”
Kambourian is a jewelry and art studio that does custom design and repairs and sells loose diamonds. Mark Kambourian, cousin to Melissa and Haig Kambourian III, owns Kambourian Rugs on Grove Avenue. The Kambourian family has been retailing in Richmond since the late 19th century, dealing mostly in rugs and jewelry.
Melissa Kambourian in the new shop.
Haig Kambourian Jr. opened his own jewelry store in 1966 on West Grace Street In 1980. He moved to the Crossroads Shopping Center in Midlothian, and he relocated in 2007 to the spot in the Market Square Shopping Center.
“In our teens, we learned the business,” Melissa Kambourian said. “We separated and did our own thing, and now we’ve kind of gone past what my dad does.”
The sibling team launched their 3,500-square-foot shop in 2008 at 3317 W. Cary St. Part of doing things differently includes buying and reselling diamonds to and from the public, Melissa Kambourian said. The shop has them recut in New York and recertified by the Gemological Institute of America before selling them at wholesale prices.
Handmade rings at Kambourian start at $1,100 and run as high as $85,000. Melissa Kambourian said that both their shops do repairs and manufacturing onsite and that custom jewelry drives the business.
“A lot of people really want something no one else has,” she said. “They don’t want to see their engagement ring on somebody else.”
She and her brother are bringing the same business model to the 1,500-square-foot shop in Midlothian. They’ve spent about $10,000 on renovations.
“We remodeled the space, and we’ve added probably half a million dollars of new inventory to the store,” she said.
In addition to selling jewelry, the Kambourian in Carytown lets local artists hang their paintings in the store at no cost. They’ll continue that practice at the Midlothian store.
Kambourian is looking to hire about three salespeople and two jewelers for the new location. It’s also looking for another market to mine.
“We’re looking for another location right now, which will come sometime next year,” Melissa Kambourian said. “We’re looking for locations that are to be in the Far West End.”
Jeweler and designer Sharon Eliasek and apprentice jeweler Frank Flores.
Congrats guys! I’m sure you’ll do well there! I’m glad the location is staying in the family.