By Heather Lusk
Not much has changed since David Haug took over Jewel Box Jewelers from Philip and Regina Owens, who had owned the business for 41 years.
The staff of the Main Street store remained intact – that was important to Haug – including a full time in-house jeweler for repairs.
“I’m proud to be able to say we do it right here,” Haug said.
The lines and brands that have always been at Jewel Box Jeweler are still present. And even maintaing the little details like keeping the purple awning are important to Haug.
“I don’t want things to change,” he said.
But Haug has made adjustments, like adding estate jewelry and expanding the bridal business, something that was important to him to give couples more style options.
“If I’ve learned anything in this business over 15 years, it’s that bridal can grow your business,” Haug said.
He’s added jewelry from Funky Artsy – a Cincinnati-based jeweler using sterling and semiprecious stones with unique, chunky styles.
Haug appreciates the loyal customer base and the people of Zionsville who want to shop locally. He recognizes that some customers may initially consider large jewelry stores without realizing that Jewel Box Jewelers can provide many of the same items.
“We’ve got it, we can get it, or we can do it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s $10 or $10,000.”
With employees who have been with the store longer than he has, Haug has found himself continually learning from his staff as the new guy in the office.
“They’re great people,” he said, and he recognizes that maintaining these employees is important to his clientele as well.
In the future Haug expects to expand the watch department, although he still carries the Jewel Box Jeweler brand watches.
“I like having something that’s just ours,” he said.
