Boone & Sons welcomes clients of all breeds—the furrier, the better
The friendliest face at Boone & Sons Jewelers has more folds than a piece of origami. Teddy, a 10-month-old Old English bulldog with an adorably puckered countenance, is the official mascot of the company’s McLean, Va., store, where he spends part of every week. Dogs and fine jewelry might seem like strange bedfellows, but the family-owned business—which is helmed by David Boone and his 20- and 30-something kids, Amanda, Morgan, and Erik, who represent the family’s third generation of jewelers—always has canine welfare on its radar. Most recently, the three youngest Boones organized and hosted Diamond in the Ruff, a charity shopping and dog adoption event to benefit Mutts Matter Rescue, a Maryland-based organization that places shelter dogs with foster and adoptive families. (Boone & Sons also has locations in Chevy Chase, Md., and Washington, D.C.) We caught up with Amanda and Erik to talk about the event and find out why dogs and diamonds are a fantastic fit.
What made you want to throw a benefit for a dog rescue group?
Amanda: I’d always wanted to do a charity event with dogs. So my twin sister, Morgan, and I started researching rescue organizations and Mutts Matter Rescue popped out. It was the most local, and we felt like it was more meaningful to help dogs that are actually in the area.
What did the Diamond in the Ruff event entail?
Amanda: We had about 50 people come throughout the day. It was very casual. People were greeted by the president and founder of Mutts Matter Rescue and given a doggie bag with info, homemade dog treats, and some Boone & Sons goodies. People were able to look around as well as play with the dogs. There were three dogs that were adoptable—one barely got its paws in the door before he was adopted. That felt good.
Erik: KC Designs was nice enough to discount a necklace for us—a white gold dog bone pendant with micro pavé-set diamonds. We raffled it off and ended up selling 264 tickets at $20 a pop. We donated 20 percent of all sales that day to Mutts Matter. All in all, we raised a little more than $6,000—most through the raffle.
What are Teddy’s duties as mascot?
Amanda: He wants to give everyone a kiss. He’s extremely friendly.
Erik: Teddy belongs to Amanda and he’s the laziest dog on earth. He sleeps and sleeps. That’s pretty much all he does. I have a dog, a 2-year-old boxer named Eva, who I sometimes bring in. We tried the experiment of having both dogs in the store and that didn’t work. All they wanted to do was play.
Are clients ever taken aback by a big-ish dog roaming the store?
Amanda: Surprisingly, everyone loves him. There are so many people with dogs in this area and I think people share our love for them.
Erik: Today he jumped on the counter and scared someone, but minutes later that person was petting and playing with him.