Jewelry

Forging Ahead

Located in Provo, Utah, at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, FORGE has quickly established itself as the custom design destination. In the five years since it opened, its market has rapidly expanded, drawing guests from up and down the Utah Valley reaching into Salt Lake City. FORGE's partnership with Stuller's CAD/CAM Services has helped their success to grow.

"We had dreamed of having our own business," says Shawn Mikkelson, one of the owners. "Rischelle, my wife, had developed and owned five businesses since 1995, but we wanted something we could do together." During Shawn's years in the jewelry industry, he had befriended the other founders goldsmith Richard Beach, and Darrell Mauerman, FORGE's store director and head designer. All of them had worked with Stuller at their previous jobs.

FORGE focuses on custom design because it puts their guests at the center of the creative experience. And with software and technology, it's available to many more people making it possible for couples to achieve their dream of having a unique symbol of their love. "When we saw CounterSketch® we knew we found the software we wanted," says Shawn. "The most important aspect is the freedom to design on the sales floor with our guests. We sit together designing the ring element by element. They can see the design from every angle, and we can instantly show them how their design will look in three colors of gold, and platinum."

A Transparent Vision

Andrew Elawar had a vision of a new, ultra-modern jewelry store with few interior walls - a store focused on customer experience. He brought it to life with Chrysella, his second store, which opened in November 2018. He chose a location across the street from the Apple store in Woodbridge, Virginia. One look at Chrysella's sleek glass exterior and you understand that Andrew found inspiration in Apple's iconic openness that invites exploration — precisely the experience he wanted to offer.

"I wanted a corner location with three glass walls. And the bench jeweler works in one of the windows so people can see," he explains. "Sometimes it's me working at the bench. Whether you walk by or enter, it's wide open and dazzling. The store is highly illuminated with special lighting and few walls, capturing our transparent approach.”

Andrew attended to every detail of the store's décor, including custom-made modern glass cases featuring the store's embedded, illuminated logo. Chrysella's brand experience extends from its airy transparency to the serial number on each design. This number connects it to the purchase date, designer, and jeweler.