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Times change, but jewelry's appeal is eternal
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Larry Lockhart/Dispatch photo, Joseph Gerrish and his father, Jerry Gerrish, stand behind the counter at Eden Jewelry. Jerry’s father, Claude Gerrish, opened the family’s first jewelry store in Casa Grande, Gerrish and Son, in 1972 on Florence Street downtown.
“Jewelry is not just gold or diamonds,” Amy Hoban, owner/operator of Amy’s Jewelry Boutique, explains. “It’s an emotional response. It’s the pieces your mother or grandmother wore. It’s given as a promise, to say ‘I love you.’ It’s a piece a woman buys for herself when she’s feeling down or celebrating. It’s one of those things in life that goes on forever.
“Jewelry is friendship, personal growth, healing, a bond, self-affirmation, a life line, love and, occasionally, just plain gorgeous fun!
“Yes, jewelry can be considered a ‘non-essential,’ but the need to give and express emotion is essential. That’s what we need to remember, hold onto and to see.”
Hoban says that she loves what she does and loves people. Those who come through her door are more than just customers, they are often friends.
“My business is honesty and integrity,” she explains. “I have a lot of faithful customers who have been doing business with me for 30 years. When we sell you something, it comes with customer service. Sometimes the customer becomes a lifetime friend.
“That’s why I love Casa Grande. It’s a small town. You can bond with your customers and become friends.”
Hoban explains that jewelry “is a lot like changing your clothes or your shoes. It’s not just sentimental reasons, it’s something you love and can keep for a lifetime.
“Jewelry never goes out of style, not like shoes or clothes. It only increases in value.”
Amy’s second husband, Larry Hoban, helped finish and decorate her new store, which is beautifully appointed. She is located at 1649 E. Florence Blvd., Suite 3, near Brake Masters.
“I love this location,” Amy says. “It’s more open, and I have the greatest view. I can see mountains.”
She moved almost directly across the street earlier this year from her former location at 1664 E. Florence Blvd., Suite 6, where she had been in business for about five years. That location now houses Eden Jewelry, owned and operated by her former husband and her son, Jerry and Joseph Gerrish.
“We offer different things,” Hoban says of the stores. She and Joseph are quick to explain that the stores intentionally offer complementary goods and services.
“We have different vendors,” Joseph says. “There’s competition, but it’s friendly competition. It’s good in a way because if I can’t do something, I can send (the customer) here (to Amy’s Jewelry).”
Aside from retail sales, the specialty at Amy’s is a laser machine that can be used to work on steel, titanium and other metals, and can even be used to repair eyeglasses.
“With precious stones you can’t use heat,” Joseph says in describing his mother’s store’s machine. The laser machine essentially does a cold joint solder, which means repairs can be made without removing stones from the setting.
“Joseph has another machine, a tack welder,” Amy explains, adding that it’s perfect for working on posts and prongs.
Joseph’s specialty is setting stones.
“Joseph is an expert at setting stones,” Amy says proudly. “He has a young eye and young hands. He’s the best diamond setter. He’s a natural-born jeweler.”
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