Family Hopes To Strike Gold In Jewelry Business

David Bennett had lived and breathed jewelry for most of his professional life, but he was a salesman, not a craftsman.

Today he gets to wear both hats.

A few years ago, the retail manager became a student. Then the student became a full-fledged jeweler and wholesaler. In August, that wholesaler took the plunge and became a business owner.

Bennett, owner of the new Nature Coast Goldsmith in Spring Hill, is a Crystal River native. His wife, Beth, is from Clearwater. The couple live in Spring Hill with their 8-year-old daughter Hayley. All three were on hand Friday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony organized by the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce.

More than a dozen of their business neighbors congratulated them. Several came into the store minutes after the ribbon cutting looking to buy. Bennett was opening display cases and his wife was flipping through a catalogue.

The two knew what to expect. They wanted to open before the holiday rush.

“In this business, 35 percent of the whole year is in December,” Bennett said. “The industry is heavily loaded for Christmas.”

Jewelry is on display in glass cases throughout the store. All repairs are done onsite and special orders can be made.

Bennett's career began in 1994 when he joined Friedman's Jewelers in Tampa. He was promoted to manager in 1998 and then district manager in 2000. He moved around and wound up in Savannah, Ga., where he managed 15 retail stores.

The company downsized due to financial woes and Bennett was out of a job — three days after being baptized.

He was given a severance package. That money helped him get through jeweler school.

“I had always wanted to go on my own,” he said.

He knew from the beginning he wanted to work on gems and jewelry. He loved school and his teachers loved him — likely because he was going into it with some measure of experience.

He had already become familiar with watches, bands and even diamonds. He knew a lot about birthstones and from memory could identify which stones were hard and which ones were soft.

All that was left for him to learn was how to solder and repair.

His quest to learn was infectious. He is passing his knowledge to his wife, who handles most of the store's accounting.

“She's learning very, very quickly,” he said.

The new family business has attracted attention from several of their fellow churchgoers. That helped them establish a clientele list from the start.

A month ago, an elderly couple came into the store with a special request. The husband asked Bennett to clean and refurbish a 50-year-old stone and ring.

His eyes became blurry as he retold the story. He stopped himself to keep from crying. It was the most sentimental moment for him since he opened the store in late October. He said it was one of those memorable moments that reminded him of why he wanted to start his own jeweler business.

“I think what we're trying to do is bring trust back into jewelry,” Bennett said as he pointed to the large window in front of his work station.

Customers can come in, look at the merchandise and keep an eye on the jeweler as he repairs their old stones and bands. Nothing is done in secret.

Bennett wanted it that way. He gets disgusted at the stories of businesses that take their customers' precious jewelry and never give it back. Sometimes, jewelers go out of business without returning what they collected.

The born-again Christian swore he would not let that happen at his store.

Before the ribbon was cut Friday, he told chamber members and visitors the same speech to show he really meant it.

“We want to put the trust back into the jewelry business,” he said.
Source: hernandotoday