Diamonds still sparkle in the Corridor

When a couple decides to wed, one of the first things they are likely to do is visit a jewelry store to select the perfect diamond engagement ring.

'We're very fortunate in this business,” said Brett Boyson, co-owner of Boyson Jewelry. 'Once we establish a customer relationship, we get a lot of repeat business.”

'They will come back, for anniversaries, birthdays and other important milestones in their lives,” said Dawn Erie of the prospective brides and grooms who visit Siebke Hoyt Jewelers, where she works as floor manager.

Both family-owned businesses have existed in Cedar Rapids for more than a century.

Boyson Jewelry was founded in 1900 by Brett Boyson's great-grandfather, Adolph Boyson, while Siebke Hoyt first opened its doors in 1889 as Ludy and Taylor Jewelers. The name later changed to Siebke Hoyt Jewelers to reflect the store's acquisition by Gustav Siebke and Joseph Hoyt, the grandfather and father of current co-owners, Joseph 'Jay” and Thomas Hoyt.

And through the years, bridal jewelry has factored heavily in the success of both businesses.

'Bridal is huge here,” Erie said. 'Probably 70 to 75 percent of our sales are diamonds.”

Diamond engagement rings, Boyson said, are a mainstay of the business.

The winter holiday season tends to be the busiest time for both stores, but spring and summer weddings and anniversaries also bring out many people seeking fine jewelry.

Erie's customers usually have an idea of what they are looking for in an engagement ring when they arrive at the store, whether from magazine photos, social media sites such as Pinterest or the advice of a friend.

'We'll break it down for them in terms of shape, color and style and help them narrow it down,” she said.

'Most people want to pick the mount first, and that's usually where we start,” Boyson said. 'Then we move on to the center stone.”

Customers often look at the stones under a microscope to see the variations in quality and price. Diamonds are evaluated based on the 4 Cs - carat weight, clarity, color and cut.

The most highly valued generally are white diamonds with no visible imperfections.

While some customers shop solo for engagement rings, it is more common for a couple to come in together, at least the first time.

'They're not necessarily coming in to buy but to look at styles and shapes,” Erie said. 'He can still surprise her. We want that element of surprise.”

'I always suggest that couples start the process together,” Boyson said. 'The guy can take over the planning later, but a good way to start out is to bring her in. Then everyone is on the same page, and she gets what she wants.”

As in the apparel industry, jewelry trends come and go. For ring mountings, white gold and the more-expensive platinum have been the top sellers over the last decade or so, although Boyson said that yellow gold is starting to make a comeback.

Erie said that rose gold also is growing in popularity.

As for the stones, 'diamonds are the No. 1 seller and always will be,” Erie said. 'They go with everything, they sparkle forever and they are timeless, never trendy.”

The most popular cut for a diamond engagement ring is the brilliant or round cut, followed by the princess cut, which is a square shape. The cushion cut also is becoming popular.

'It's like a princess cut with rounded corners that looks like a pillow,” Erie said.

Another trend is custom jewelry, with customers asking for their own personalized designs.

'It's been a big part of our business the last two or three years,” Boyson said, noting that he taught himself how to do shop work about 15 years ago.

Siebke Hoyt has three custom jewelers - also known as goldsmiths - on staff to create custom pieces and perform repairs and restorations. One of them, Chad Bentley, said that while he is asked most frequently to create custom wedding bands, he has had some more unusual requests, such as creating a pendant out of a meteorite.

'Any idea you have, we can create it,” he said.