Custom Jewelry with Chalmers Jewelers

Scott Chalmer joins the show to talk about the current price of metals and precious stones and why Chalmers custom jewelry is custom from start to finish.

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
A jail selp in a boat ona river with tangerine trees. Alon It
Guys thirteen ten Wiba Madison in theMorning, joined in studio this morning by
the one and only Scott Chalmers ofChalmers Jewelers. Scott, how you been?

(00:23):
You know, life is good,sir, how are you? I'm
very happy. It's it's great tosee you. It's great to hear and
boy, you and I could justtalk about stories. Yeah, yeah,
I got it. You could.You could do your own radio show,
Scott. That's for sure. Thatfun. Maybe in May of my next
life. Maybe it's very very well. We've got got really exciting stuff to

(00:44):
talk about going on. Chalmers.You guys have been what thirty one years,
got Middleton and then of course thenewest location I was. I was
telling you before it came on there, I said, your new location.
It's been six years now, thelocation on East Washington as well. Lies,
Yes, it is. It's it'sit's great to see and it it's
great to see the success that youhave had and it's got to be rewarding
for you. And you know,we talk about the industry of you know,

(01:07):
being a jeweler and working with peoplein generational experiences. You know,
people's parents buying their engagement wedding ringsand now they're buying their engagement wedding rings
and going through a present. Imean it's really you know, a credit
to what you guys do, thelongevity and just the stories that you get
to experience day in and day outat Chalmers Jewelers. Well, you know,

(01:30):
we've been very blessed. We decidedto go to be an American Gym
Society registered jeweler, and we're oneof the only two percent in the country.
Reason being, you have to beethical. You can't play the sale
game. You have to actually employGIA graduate gymologists, which ninety percent of
the stores out there don't even haveone, So how do you know what
you're even buying. It's we've gonea whole different level. We're definitely not

(01:56):
chain store level. We don't buyfrom China, we don't buy from l
we don't just we're not merchandisers.We don't buy it for everyone like everyone
else does market up and sell toyou. We actually make it in house.
That is amazing, yes, andthat I think that goes to when
we talk about you know, parentsand then other folks, you know,
generational stuff. Why they one ofthe big reasons why they choose Chalmers Jewelers

(02:19):
is for that reason is you're notgoing to get cookie cutter, You're actually
going to get it an expert helpingyou select the right gem, helping you
with the design, working through thatprocess. And I was thinking about generational
things. Chalmer's Jewelers. Same thing. On the inside. You've been blessed
at your children are growing up andthey are. They are involved in the
business as well, aren't they.Yeah, they're both in their thirties and

(02:42):
what's nice is they're both GIA graduatetremologists, so that's phenomenal. They got
better education than I do, sothey know what they're doing. My daughter,
I'm very blessed, just came backafter being gone for almost ten years
in California where the GEM school is. So she went to school, graduated,
and they've worked for a jewelry storethere for the last over eight years

(03:04):
now. So she's got a lotof experience. She knows what she's doing.
And my son's the same way.He went to the same school and
he got the same education, andhe's been downtown. I mean, he's
been with me over eleven years,and garrett'st got a design line as well.
Does We have our own line nowcalled the Garrett Scott Collection, and
it's doing extremely well. What's niceabout it is you can't go to every

(03:29):
jewelry store or go online and findthese pieces. And the whole idea of
having a unique engagement ring or aunique piece of jewelry is having something no
one else has, having something you'renot going to see on everyone's finger,
you know, or in every jewelrystore or every online site. You know.

(03:50):
We don't do that, but ourprices are amazing because when you really
think about it, when these jewelrystores are buying from a manufacturer, the
manufacturer is marking it up over onehundred percent to the jeweler. Now the
jeweler has to do the same thingto you. Wouldn't you like to eliminate
the manufacturer and go right to thejeweler. Jeweler, who's actually the manufacturer?

(04:14):
Is that a question you experienced alot if folks wonder how are you
able to be priced so well andbe competitive with such personalized crafts? And
I mean that's to me. Ithink a lot of people until they hear
you kind of explain what goes on, and you know, you think of
the mall places and those kind ofthings. When you start thinking about how
that back end works, you quicklyrealize, wow, that's there's a lot

(04:35):
of there's a lot of stuff thatgoes into it for a cut you know,
cookie cutter ring, Whereas what youguys are able to do at Chalmers
is you're literally doing that custom ringand you're cutting out all those different layers.
It's it's one on one, it'spersonal, and that that not only
do you get that that unique,one of a kind piece, but you
also get financially it's it's it's savings. You're you're actually getting a better,

(04:58):
a better everything at a fair price. Well that's what happens, Sean,
is not only do you get abetter price, but the quality is higher.
So you go to these jeweish storesand nobody asked what the quality of
the side diamonds are in the ring, and they're like as low as you
can go, okay, and they'reonly fourteen carrot, no eighteen, no
platinum. So we're able to givehot, brighter, whiter diamonds for your

(05:21):
side stones, cleaner, diamonds foryour side stones, same with your center.
Heavier metal, made better, madeto last the years you're going to
be married, not six months downthe road when your diamonds start popping out
because you bought it from overseas oryou bought it online. That doesn't happen.
We actually just the other day,I was just noticing a piece that

(05:43):
we bought. We have a couplemanufacturers, and we were able to make
the same piece okay, because wehad to retweak it and stuff. So
we made a custom for actually onehundred dollars less than the manufacturer was selling
it for. Really. Yeah,so, and of course it's made better.
It's one of a kind. Thediamonds are higher grade. So the
illusion of custom being more expensive somein some cases a little, but it's

(06:09):
worth it in the long run becauseit lasts ten times longer. You don't
have issues with it. Talking thismorning with Scott Chalmers of Chalmers Jewelers,
of course thirty one years in Middletonat sixty two oh two University, have
over five years now at the secondlocation right at five twenty four East Washington
Avenue. Online Chalmers Jewelers dot com. That's Chalmers Jewelers dot Com. Let's

(06:29):
walk through the process. I knowthis is the time of year where you
know what a great gift to getsomebody, Get something for your spouse or
the special person in your life orpop the question. Let's talk about how
the process works at Chalmers Jewelers getthat engagement ring for example, I come
in. How do we kind ofwalk through that process? Well, both
stores. We've got probably the largestinventory in Madison. I mean, I
have to say, because I've justbeen doing it so long and I've been

(06:53):
in the business forty some years inMadison, so I know what everybody carries.
We go with. We have acouple lines that we do carry.
Of course they're exclusive only to usbecause of the volume we do do.
What we also do is you justcome on in and pick what kind of
diamond, and preferably a natural diamond, because at least long term, that

(07:15):
diamond's going to be worth something.That diamond you'll be able to trade up
if you're in a certain economic state. Right now where you go, I
can only afford this size when youcan bring back that natural diamond and will
upgrade it for you. Now youcan either put it in a beautiful ring
that we have in the case thatyou're not going to see in all the
jewelry stores, that you're not goingto see online. Okay, to give
you something special, or we justcome up with a CAD designed for you,

(07:41):
because we do. We're the onlyjeweler that does totally start to finish,
meaning we will design it on CAD. We will at the same time,
we will grow you a three dimensionalwax in both stores. We do
it in both stores, and thenyou can get literally see them mold that
we're going to use to make theengagement ring for you or whatever piece of

(08:03):
jewery it is. Now you say, okay, Scott, I wanted in
platinum, I wanted in eighteen carewhatever. Well, we could show you
this on the CAD design in alldifferent colors in three D so you can
get an idea. Okay, Iwant it in platinum. Okay, why
not? Platinum is the lowest that'sbeen in my entire career right now.
Oh yeah, Gold's like over twothousand and ounce okay, and platinum's half

(08:28):
of that. Now, guys,everybody, Grandma's ring. Everybody knows Grandma's
ring was made of platinum, andit's still around today, right, So
that's kind of a real plus forpeople. So we'll make nobody cast platinum
in town. It's it's the pressureand the heat is so intense, Okay,
that you don't most people don't havethe thirty thousand dollars machine that I

(08:52):
do to cast platinum in house.So we will cast the platinum in house
and make it from stretch. Goon, everybody, go on YouTube,
put in Chalmers Jewelers. We justcreated a whole start to finish process on
our custom process, from doing thedesign all the way. See showing you
all the steps to finishing a product. I know what I'm doing right and

(09:13):
it's really a cool video. Andthen our new commercial you'll see on Channel
fifteen and some other stations is awesometoo. On how we do it.
It's an exciting time a year.Great time to get into Chalmers Jewelers again
right at sixty two oh two UniversityAvenue of course as well five point twenty
four East Washington Avenue. Real quick, before we wrap Scott, I know
interest rates right now. Anybody that'slooked at him, they're going up there.

(09:35):
Let's talk about financing at Chalmers Jewelers. Well, actually we have some
long term financing. We have aoh I don't know if it's twenty four
months or more than that. It'slike nine point nine percent, which isn't
so bad now. And we havesome interest free programs, so we still
have all that going on. Sojust come on in to apply. You
can apply online, all right,and we can get you through and get

(09:58):
you some kind of it and wecan go from there. It's amazing what
you're able to do. I sawone of the specials, no interest in
paid fold in twelve months, whichyou're not gonna You're not gonna find that
anywhere. No, I mean Iwould for car. I go for Carl
on eight and a half percent rightnow, right, You've got amazing stuff.
Yeah, on top of our lowprices. Every day it's a win
win. It's a great day toget in to see them and see the

(10:18):
team at Scott Chalmers and Chalmers Jewelersagain. They are right at sixty two
oh two University Avenue and of coursetheir second location twenty five twenty four East
Washington Avenue and online Chalmers Jewelers dotCom. Scott, it's always great to
see you. You have a fantasticday. Thank you, Sean, thanks
for having me on. I appreciateit having a merry merry Christmas you the
same. Dan o'donald comes your waynext right here thirteen ten Wiba